Member since February 2026
After 20+ years navigating the worlds of startups, non-profits, and a decade leading global learning teams at Google, Kelsey Kates decided "adulting" needed a serious rebrand. Today, she is the Founder of Playfully Works, where she’s on a mission to instil the mindset of playfulness into the way we work and live.
A marketer-turned-analyst-turned-L&D-powerhouse, Kelsey has spent her career challenging the status quo. At Google, she served as the Global Head of Learning Experiences, managing 150 global faculty across 15+ programs for over 20,000 employees and earned a shelf full of awards (including multiple Brandon Hall honours and a "Rising Star" nod) for designing marquee programs like Facilitation Academy and Deliver Like a Boss.
With a B.S. from the University of Denver, a Master's from Northwestern, an Executive Certificate in Neuroscience from MIT, an Executive Coaching Certification and as an official Lego Play facilitator, Kelsey definitely brings the credibility of playfulness to work.
Kelsey lives in a seaside town south of Dublin with her husband and two little boys, it's as lovely and wild as it sounds. She is proof that you can have a serious resume without taking yourself too seriously.
What puts a smile on my face? Usually, it’s the spark that happens when a room full of 'serious' professionals remembers how to play and realises it’s the secret to their high performance. Outside of work, my joy comes from watching my two little boys grow into their own adventures, cold water swimming to feel alive, and rescuing seals (who are arguably the most playful creatures on earth). I’m a fan of deep, world-changing conversations, though I’m equally happy if the room is laughing—most often at my expense.
I’ll never forget the high of stepping off stage at the Innovation Roundtable in Copenhagen. The room was electric. We’d just done a 'bubble break,' the audience was buzzing, and—in a moment of pure, unadulterated play—I had spent a good portion of my keynote dancing to music the audience had chosen. I felt like a rockstar. I felt vulnerable. I felt... connected.
When I got home, I practically vibrated as I showed my husband the replay. 'Look at the engagement!' I told him. 'Look at how they’re leaning in! They’re actually enjoying the dance!'
He watched it in silence for a moment, tilted his head, and then looked at me with total sincerity: 'You know, if you’re going to keep doing that, you should probably take some professional dancing lessons to really impress them.'
I had to laugh. He’d completely missed the point—and in doing so, he gave me my favorite lesson to share: Playfulness isn't about being 'good' at the activity; it’s about being brave enough to be 'bad' at it in front of other people. That’s where the high performance actually lives.
I’ve spent the last 20+ years working – at start-ups, non-profits, small businesses, and big multi-national corporations, most recently spending 10 years, leading learning teams at Google.
I can say that I’ve nailed ‘adulting’ in the sense of having increasing responsibilities, getting sh*t done, showing value, etc. All experiences I have grown from and where I’ve done some really cool things.
However, along the way, my work and my own evolution as a leader made it very clear to me that work and learning are often far too serious, joyless and disconnected from what humans actually need to thrive… more playfulness. EEK, I recently founded Playfully Works and on a mission to making adulting (and high performance) more playful
I’ll never forget the high of stepping off stage at the Innovation Roundtable in Copenhagen. The room was electric. We’d just done a 'bubble break,' the audience was buzzing, and—in a moment of pure, unadulterated play—I had spent a good portion of my keynote dancing to music the audience had chosen. I felt like a rockstar. I felt vulnerable. I felt... connected.
When I got home, I practically vibrated as I showed my husband the replay. 'Look at the engagement!' I told him. 'Look at how they’re leaning in! They’re actually enjoying the dance!'
He watched it in silence for a moment, tilted his head, and then looked at me with total sincerity: 'You know, if you’re going to keep doing that, you should probably take some professional dancing lessons to really impress them.'
I had to laugh. He’d completely missed the point—and in doing so, he gave me my favorite lesson to share: Playfulness isn't about being 'good' at the activity; it’s about being brave enough to be 'bad' at it in front of other people. That’s where the high performance actually lives.
I’ve spent the last 20+ years working – at start-ups, non-profits, small businesses, and big multi-national corporations, most recently spending 10 years, leading learning teams at Google.
I can say that I’ve nailed ‘adulting’ in the sense of having increasing responsibilities, getting sh*t done, showing value, etc. All experiences I have grown from and where I’ve done some really cool things.
However, along the way, my work and my own evolution as a leader made it very clear to me that work and learning are often far too serious, joyless and disconnected from what humans actually need to thrive… more playfulness. EEK, I recently founded Playfully Works and on a mission to making adulting (and high performance) more playful