LAKSHMI

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LEADERSHIP KEYNOTE SPEAKER, ADVISOR, & EXECUTIVE COACH

I help leaders do their best work under pressure.

Former Microsoft executive, global leadership advisor, and keynote speaker. For more than three decades, I’ve helped leaders and teams expand capacity and impact—without losing sight of who they are.

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I’ve spent my career in the rooms where the stakes feel impossibly high.

From scrappy startups to massive enterprises—and everything in between—I’ve had a front-row seat. And it’s been my life’s honor to help my clients—bright minds and big hearts—navigate it all.

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I’ve learned two things about my clients—and myself:

We live and lead in high-stakes, high-stretch environments—no simple tradeoffs,
no obvious answers.

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Those who succeed have learned how to Pull Up™: Stop the churn. Scan for the ground truth.
Choose with intention.

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Pull Up distills my trench experience and learning into a single operating discipline that helps leaders and teams thrive under pressure.

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31 years corporate leadership + advisory experience

13 years as a Microsoft leader

14,000+ hours coaching category leaders across 26 countries

31 years corporate leadership + advisory experience • 13 years as a Microsoft leader • 14,000+ hours coaching category leaders across 26 countries •

14,000+
HOURS

Executive coaching,
advisory, and facilitation

26
COUNTRIES

Global experience and perspective

30+
YEARS

Leading and advising
in complex organizations

10+
YEARS

Strategic partnership
with Dr. Brené Brown

Loga wall for Lakshmi Gopalkrishnan
Loga wall for Lakshmi Gopalkrishnan

I Pull Up Offstage, Too

STOP. SCAN. CHOOSE.

was built to travel.

It works for top execs in high-stakes environments—but I also use it in the decidedly lower-stakes parts of my own life.

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A young woman wearing a black tank top, bright yellow shorts, and a black cap looks at a display of rollerblades in a skate shop. The rollerblades are organized on wooden shelves and come in various colors. There are also skateboards stored on the right side of the shelf. A silver ladder leans against the shelving unit on the left side.
A woman in a yellow life jacket and black cap smiles while kayaking on a body of water, with a dog sitting on the kayak's front. In the background, the Seattle skyline with the Space Needle and boats on the water are visible under a partly cloudy sky.
A blue and black fish swimming underwater.

Trying things
I’m terrible at.

This recovering perfectionist started an annual tradition at 40. The list is long.

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LIVING ON THE WATER—THOUGH
I CAN’T SWIM.

I live on a houseboat and love kayaking. My dachshunds are my favorite flotation device.

Cooking,
with one firm boundary.

I love making dinner. Someone
else needs to buy the groceries.

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Ready to Pull Up?

Here’s where to start. In-person & virtual.

High-impact keynotes packed with memorable stories and actionable learning. Fully customized to your event context.
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Keynotes

High-impact keynotes packed with memorable stories and actionable learning. Fully customized to your event context.

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Practical skill-building for the challenges your people and business are facing now.

Workshops

Practical skill-building for the challenges your people and business are facing now.

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Customized partnerships with senior leaders, teams, and organizations—built to deliver measurable change.

Consulting

Customized partnerships with senior leaders, teams, and organizations—built to deliver measurable change.

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Let’s find a better
way forward.

In a world that never lets up,
Pull Up helps you lead with clarity, confidence, and intention.