About
Mike Veny: Globally Recognized Mental Health & Wellness Leader
š Global Keynote Speaker
š Top 5 Mental Health Speakers
š„ Acquisition International Magazineās Global Excellence Award (2025)
š
Corporate LiveWireās Innovation & Excellence Award
(2022ā2024)
š Leader of Mental Health Awareness Award ā NAMI NY State (2023)
š PM3360 Elite Award (2017)
š Certified Corporate Wellness SpecialistĀ®
š Author of 9 Books
š Host of 3 Podcasts
š„ Professional Drummer
Engaging and results-driven presentations delivered across a wide array of industries, including:
Pharma Ā· Financial Services Ā· Technology Ā· Real Estate Ā· Healthcare Ā· Media Ā· Travel Ā· Retail Ā· Government and Military Ā· Colleges and Universities Ā· Education (Kā12) Ā· Faith-Based Organizations Ā· Nonprofits Ā· Agriculture
Mike Veny:
Building Emotionally Healthy Cultures Worldwide
Mike Veny is a globally recognized mental health speaker and Certified Corporate Wellness SpecialistĀ® who has made it his mission to transform stigma into strength through rhythm and story. Known for his electrifying drumming keynotes and raw, real talk, Mike helps workers thrive and organizations create emotionally healthy cultures. His work bridges inclusive excellence, mental health, and professional developmentāand is known for producing measurable change. He has been booked by NAMI, Microsoft, Merck, and hundreds more.
Mike is also the CEO of Lovely Refinement, a womenās mental health and wellness brand, which owns the Training Refinery, a continuing education powerhouse. In all of his professional efforts, Mike is fiercely committed to empowering employees to discover the gift of emotional wellness and resilience so that they can accelerate personal and professional growth and avoid damaging burnout. He is also the host of a podcast called āCoffee With Mike: Mental Wellness & Belonging for Leadersā and the author of several books, including the best-selling book āTransforming Stigma: How to Become a Mental Wellness Superhero.ā His expertise and life experience have been featured on ABC, NBC, and CBS News.
Mike has built a successful career as a mental health speaker by delivering emotionally resonant wellness programs rooted in lived experience. He bridges generational gaps with inclusive storytelling and rhythm, and his CEU-accredited programs deliver measurable change. Mike is also known for overcoming generational gaps with attention-grabbing storytelling and rhythm and for creating safe spaces to address complex topics with authenticity and humor.
His wellness solutions empower his audiences to take actionable steps to change their lives and work environments. Heās delivered presentations to Fortune 500 companies, healthcare providers, and educators, including Microsoft, CVS Health, T-Mobile, Heineken, Salesforce, Keurig Dr. Pepper, and The Wounded Warrior Project. He has also received Acquisition International Magazineās Global Excellence Award in 2025 and Corporate LiveWireās 2022, 2023, & 2024 Innovation & Excellence Awards for his work as a Certified Corporate Wellness SpecialistĀ®. He also won NAMI New York Stateās 2023 Leader of Mental Health Awareness Award. As a PM360 ELITE Award Winner, he was recognized as one of the 100 most influential people in the healthcare industry for his work with patient advocacy.
Determined to overcome a lifetime of severe mental health challenges, Mikeās career began as a professional drummer and evolved into becoming a change maker in the workplace wellness industry. As a child, Mike was expelled from several schools, attempted suicide, and spent time in psychiatric hospitals for extended periods. Now he uses those experiences to power unforgettable wellness solutions that fuse lived experience with rhythm and artistry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mikeās format flexibility?
How does Mike typically collaborate with the event team in advance?
Mike believes success starts with communication. Before the event, he schedules a planning call with your team to clarify goals, understand audience challenges, learn any industry-specific terminology, and identify what āepic successā looks like for your group.
What is his bios, headshot, and marketing asset policy?
Once booked, Mike provides easy access to headshots, photos, multiple bio lengths, and a ready-to-read introduction. Planners are welcome to use these assets freely, and if custom materials are created, he simply asks that his style guide be followed for brand consistency.
How far in advance does he need to be booked?
What is his preferred contract, deposit, or payment schedule?
Mike keeps contracting simple and flexible. While a deposit or upfront payment is typically requested after the contract is signed, he is happy to adapt to your organizationās policies to keep the process easy.
āHad the privilege & honor to listen to Mike Veny sharing his wisdom and experience concerning mental health. Mike, you are such a beacon of light for so many suffering in silence. Keep shining your amazing powerful light. Such talent!ā
Melanie Kiely
Cat Kennedy
āMike's virtual presentation went AMAZING! We had all positive feedback from internal employees. Feedback from the audience included 'This is such a great talk and the answers are really honest and helpful. Thank you.' and 'Excellent session! Feeling grateful and inspired!' Shortly after Mike's session, employees had an open discussion about their own mental health experiences. It was great. We hope to bring Mike back in the future!ā
Employee
āMike was absolutely amazing at our event! There are not words enough to describe how energized and engaged my crew was and I am so grateful to him for sharing his wonderful outlook with our team.ā
Amanda Graff
"Thank you for coming to speak with us! Within the Military ERG we have spoken about mental well-being, but have approached it in almost a reversed, slightly clinical way. During and after your talk people have reached out to help get involved and drive mental well-being not only in the US, but in our international chapters. We knew having you speak would be meaningful to those that participated, we just had no idea that the impact would be this large."
Employee
āMike's virtual presentation went AMAZING! We had all positive feedback from internal employees. Feedback from the audience included 'This is such a great talk and the answers are really honest and helpful. Thank you.' and 'Excellent session! Feeling grateful and inspired!' Shortly after Mike's session, employees had an open discussion about their own mental health experiences. It was great. We hope to bring Mike back in the future!ā
Employee
āMike served as a kickoff keynoter for the entire conference and, as such, did a great job of getting our group of more than 500 participants energized, focused and inspired! After more than 10 years of coordinating conference speakers and keynoters, Mike was refreshingly easy to work with and flexible enough to structure his program to deliver exactly what we needed. I would recommend Mike as a keynoter to a wide variety of groups and situations. I donāt think youāll be disappointed!ā
Carla H. Falkenstein
Tiffany Owen
āMikeās presentations are truly high-energy, inspiring and dynamic, which combine for a one of a kind experience. Conference attendees were totally enamored. Mike received the highest marks of all the panelists in conference surveys. I highly encourage you to incorporate Mike at your upcoming event. I have no doubt that he will deliver a memorable presentation that your attendees will be raving about.ā
Matt Shapiro
āThis was such a great presentation. Your presentation style is so engaging and accepting, and your story is one that inspires hope with those struggling with mental health challenges.ā