Denise Brosseau

Bio

Denise Brosseau is the CEO of Thought Leadership Lab where she consults with change agents, including entrepreneurs, executives and their teams, on how to increase their influence, expand their impact and gain recognition for the innovations they have underway. She particularly enjoys working with leaders who are developing a culture of thought leadership within their organizations in order to increase the recruitment and retention of top talent, attract high-value clients and customers and contribute at their highest level. 

The author of Ready to Be a Thought Leader? (Wiley 2014), Denise is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader for companies (Google, Microsoft, etc.), conferences and associations. She guest lectured at Berkeley, Wellesley, Princeton, University of Winchester and MIT before joining Stanford as a lecturer in 2016.

A fourth generation entrepreneur on her mother’s side, Denise started her career in the technology industry with leadership positions at a variety of start-ups before co-founding the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (now known as Watermark) and building it to 7 offices across the US. She also co-founded the Invent Your Future Conference and Springboard Enterprises – the women’s startup launch pad that has led to over $6 billion in capital for women entrepreneurs globally, including those in the US, Australia and Israel.

Denise is well-known for her extensive Rolodex of contacts and her commitment to advancing women leaders as executives and entrepreneurs. She is an active member of the Wellesley Business Leadership Council and the International Women’s Forum and has met with and spoken to women’s groups in Ukraine, S. Africa, Berlin and across the US.

She serves as an advisor to and champion of women-led companies (Vermillion (VRML) and Kokko, Inc.) and organizations (Springboard, Watermark). She is also an advocate for women’s choice, serving on the Leadership Council of NARAL Pro-Choice America and as past-Chair of the Advocacy Board of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.

Denise received her AB from Wellesley College and her MBA and Certificate in Public Management from Stanford University. She has been honored by the White House as a Champion of Change and by the Silicon Valley Business Times as a Top 100 Woman of Influence in Silicon Valley.

Outside of her work and volunteer life, Denise is an avid traveler, believing that the person who dies having seen the most World Heritage Sites wins. She will also travel far and wide for great theater.

Academic Degrees

• MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 1993
• AB, Wellesley College, 1982

Academic Appointments

• Lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2016-2017

Awards and Honors

• Stanford STARS Award
• White House Champion of Change
• Top 100 Women of Influence, Silicon Valley Business Journal
• Forever Green Award, Girl Scouts of America
• Women Who Have Made Their Mark, Watermark

Teaching

Degree Courses

2017-18

GSBGEN 528: Communicating for Credibility: An Introduction to Thought Leadership

Many students are prepared to be leaders, but few are prepared to be thought leaders. Yet, that''s precisely what many of our students will become. This communications course focuses on the risks and the rewards of stepping into a thought...

2016-17

GSBGEN 528: Communicating for Credibility: An Introduction to Thought Leadership

Many students are prepared to be leaders, but few are prepared to be thought leaders. Yet, that''s precisely what many of our students will become. This communications course focuses on the risks and the rewards of stepping into a thought...

In the Media

What is a thought leader?

Business Reporter, UK Daily Telegraph, June 20, 2016

Ready to be a thought leader?

Talks at Google, April 25, 2016

6 Tips to Turn Your Power Switch Back On

Salesforce Blog, March 23, 2016

Get Energized with a Brand New Perspective

Salesforce Blog, February 5, 2016

3 Smart Change Agent Techniques to Get Your Business on Track

SalesForce Blog, January 30, 2016

Guest Denise Brosseau CEO of Thought Leadership Lab

Telling Stories That Matter, 2016

Podcast

The Mindfluence Revolution, 2016

Podcast

David Burkus, 2016

Want More Women in Tech? Start With the 4 Basics

Salesforce Blog, April 17, 2015

4 Habits Of The Most Resilient People

Fast Company, February 25, 2014

8 Tools to Help You Become A Thought Leader

Inc.com, January 21, 2014

6 Characteristics Great Thought Leaders Share

Entreprenuer, January 10, 2014

3 Ways to Expand Your Future

Inc.com, April 4, 2013