Why Teach Friendships at Work?
Because friendships fuel retention, loyalty, and engagement. Employees with strong connections stay longer, collaborate better, and bring more energy to their work. They’re also happier, healthier, and more resilient—leading to less burnout and greater job satisfaction. And when employees understand the science of connection, they don’t just build stronger bonds with colleagues—they apply those same skills to create trust and loyalty with customers, patients, and clients. Investing in workplace friendships isn’t just good for people—it’s smart for business.
Meet Shasta Nelson
Social Relationships expert, three-time author, popular media resource, and in-demand keynote speaker
She’s been called the OG of friendship, a trusted workplace strategist, and the woman who can turn a room full of strangers into a connected team. Meet Shasta—speaker, author, and connection expert.
Her TEDx talks have reached nearly 1 million viewers, her research has been featured in Harvard Business Review and TIME, and her frameworks are used by companies like Google, LinkedIn, and Walmart.
500+
speaking engagements for over 20+ different industries including healthcare,
tech, sales, real estate, finance, education & nonprofits.
3
highly-reviewed thought-leadership books published by Harper Collins Leadership, Seal Press, and Turner Press.
250+
media interviews—including
Harvard Business Review, New York Times, TIME, Forbes, and the Steve Harvey Show.
2008
The 'OG' of friendship: pioneering friendship since 2008 as the founder of the first online friendship-matching site, resulting in thousands of new friendships!
M.Div
With a Masters in Divinity, Shasta has been facilitating community through retreats, coaching & speaking engagements for the past 15 years.
2x
featured TEDx keynote speaker
with almost 1 million views.
11K
followers on
YouTube with 150 videos
& 700K views.
3
Steeped in psychology and science, Shasta teaches the 3
non-negotiables in every healthy relationship.
TRUSTED BY:
AS FEATURED IN:
167%
increase in employee
willingness to recommend their company to others when they feel a sense of belonging.
Testimonials
Shasta is a powerhouse speaker & educator! Shasta hosted an incredible virtual session on the business of belonging & relationships for my Marketing team at Google. She left the team with incredible insights & thinking tools that are just so valuable for a mindset change. Our event with Shasta felt like a warm but productive hug with a focus on being intentional about the experiences people are creating for each other.
Supriya Gujral
Senior Director, Global Partner Marketing at Google
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