YouTube Corporate Global Leadership Retreat
YouTube, the world’s largest video-sharing platform, brought together its top global leaders for an exclusive retreat in Sausalito, California. Leaders from 45 countries convened to reflect on the platform’s evolution and develop strategies for navigating future challenges in a constantly shifting digital landscape.
AUDIENCE: 75 senior YouTube executives from 45 countries
LOCATION: Sausalito, California
CHALLENGE: Lead through uncertainty while addressing complex issues such as content moderation, platform monetization, creator satisfaction, and user behavior shifts. In the shadow of a recent fatal campus shooting, attendees also carried the emotional weight of workplace trauma and heightened stress.
CARA BROOKINS’ SOLUTION:
60-minute keynote presentation
30-minute Q&A session
AV and tech coordination with YouTube team
Full afternoon of follow-up conversation and community engagement
At a pivotal moment for the platform and its leadership, YouTube invited Cara Brookins to deliver the keynote address to help center the retreat around resilience, forward movement, and meaningful leadership. Her message, grounded in personal adversity and bold reinvention, offered a timely framework for approaching both personal and organizational transformation.
In her 60-minute keynote, Cara shared how she overcame immense personal obstacles by building a house with her four children, despite having no prior experience. Her story of self-reliance, problem-solving under pressure, and choosing progress in the face of fear resonated deeply with an audience tasked with leading one of the most influential tech platforms in the world.
The keynote was followed by a 30-minute Q&A where executives engaged directly with Cara on topics such as maintaining clarity in high-pressure environments, decision-making during crisis, and leading teams through emotional recovery and cultural change.
Throughout the afternoon, Cara remained on-site for open dialogue, offering personalized insights during informal community engagement sessions. Her presence brought a human-centered anchor to a retreat focused on strategy, innovation, and healing, reminding leaders that resilience isn’t just a message for users and creators, but a necessary foundation within their own teams.
