Workshops + Events

As the CEO of The Gorgeous Agency and author of Gorge: My 300-Pound Journey Up Kilimanjaro and Weight of Being, Kara Richardson Whitely shares stories of courage, adventure and lasting change to help others move mountains.

These motivational speaking events and webinars help audiences move mountains in their lives. From corporate events talking about weight stigma and connecting with the plus-size market to college and university events about binge eating disorder and body appreciation, Kara brings heart, humor and humility to each occasion.

The New York Times

Weight Watchers

Backpacker

Good Housekeeping

People

Kara Richardson Whitely has been on The Today Show, Good Morning America and Oprah’s Lifeclass, and her story has been featured here:

CNN

Bustle

Modern Hiker

The Star-Ledger

Inside Jersey

She Knows

Library Journal

The Rumpus

Huffington Post

Good Day NY

Workshops + Presentations

The Gorgeous Agency’s presentations and workshops are designed to inspire and can be customized for your event goals. In addition to book readings and signings with Kara Richardson Whitely, here are some sample programs: 

Moving Mountains: Unlock the $1 Trillion Plus-Size Market

A keynote + workshop experience with Kara Richardson Whitely
Bold action. Real inclusion. Profitable connection.

The Missed Opportunity

67% of U.S. women are size 14 or above. That’s over $1 trillion in underserved buying power across apparel, travel, wellness, and more.

When brands overlook the plus-size customer, they aren’t just excluding people—they're leaving massive revenue on the table.

But Inclusion Isn’t Just About Size Ranges

Many shoppers, travelers, workers in larger bodies carry deep trauma from years of exclusion, stigma, and shame. Even with expanded size offerings, brands must rebuild trust at every stage of the customer journey.

The Moving Mountains Experience

🏔️ Kickoff Keynote: The $1 Trillion Market You’re Missing

An energizing 30–60 minute company-wide talk that opens hearts, minds, and strategies.

  • Consumer research insights from The Gorgeous Agency

  • Real stories of bias, belonging, and transformation

  • Data-backed reasons to engage this market—now

  • Practical ways to shift messaging, imagery, and mindset

Kara combines lived experience, business acumen, and storytelling to ignite meaningful brand change.

🛤️ Customer Journey Workshop

A 60–90 minute guided session tailored to your team. Together we’ll:

  • Explore unconscious bias and body-inclusive design

  • Map the real-world journey of a plus-size consumer

  • Identify touchpoints where trust is built—or broken

  • Collaborate across departments to uncover opportunity

📘 Deliverable: The Gorgeous Brand Book

Your custom guide to sustaining inclusive momentum.
Includes:

  • Actionable next steps

  • Brand visuals & copy guidelines

  • Best practices and key insights

  • A strategic trail map toward inclusive growth

Meet Kara Richardson Whitely

Kara is a plus-size adventurer, speaker, and CEO of The Gorgeous Agency. She’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro three times and helps brands connect authentically with the plus-size market. Her story is being adapted into a major film, and she’s worked with brands such as:

Peloton • Carhartt • Discover Puerto Rico • Visit Lauderdale

🎯 Ready to Move Mountains?

Let’s start with a conversation.
📅 Book a Discovery Call

Making a fitness brand welcoming to every body.

Discover how The Gorgeous Agency helped Peloton further their authentic connection with people in larger bodies and facilitate meaningful dialogue within their team, making Peloton truly welcoming for any body, anywhere.

Testimonials

  • Following our working session, the entire team was newly equipped with awareness, confidence, and the tools to authentically connect with folks and ensure they feel seen, appreciated and welcome. Kara’s humility, humor, and tenacity in addressing weight stigma and body inclusivity turned what can be a challenging topic into an easy-to-embrace journey that fosters growth on both individual and organizational levels.

    Ben Boyd , Peloton Interactive

  • Kara spoke to our executive members in travel and hospitality for one of our events and was the perfect fit. Kara touched on a topic of inclusivity that so many have not even considered. She was insightful, educational, honest, and authentic. She had the entire room of leaders captive during her keynote and gave every attendee something to think about and take back to their teams, no matter what department they lead. Kara is so wonderful to work with from start to end.

    Hannah DeMaio, Women Leading Travel & Hospitality

  • Kara provided a poignant and meaningful presentation to more than 350 female business professionals at our recent conference. Her delivery was hard-hitting yet laced with humor. A definite audience favorite!

    Stacey Bruzzese, Wow Conference

  • An amazing and inspiring reminder to set our sights high and tackle that big goal you have been wanting to accomplish, ignore any self doubt, and, as Kara said, “bet on your own success!”

    Sheryl Weaver Brenna, Uber

  • Kara Richardson Whitely takes us where few have dared to go before: thrillingly up to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro and profoundly down to the darkest depths of [binge eating]. Kara is fearlessly honest and powerfully intelligent.

    Cheryl Strayed, Author of Wild: From lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

  • [Kara Richardson Whitely’s] travails will give confidence not only to hesitant would-be mountaineers but to those, like her, whose biggest hurdle is ‘to learn to be O.K. with who I was.

    The New York Times

  • Kara's presentation at our Women in Retail: On the Road event in New York City in October was a highlight of the event. Kara's content about the plus-size market and her experience as a plus-size adventurer, influencer and CEO of The Gorgeous Agency was relevant, actionable, and timely. In addition, she delivered it in a fun, fresh, and authentic style that kept the audience engaged and entertained. We loved working with Kara and hope to work with her again!

    Melissa Campanelli
    Women in Retail Leadership Circle, Co-Founder and Content Director

  • The Rise of the Body-Inclusive Economy: The $40 Billion Buying Power You May Be Missing

    Learn how you can tap into the soon-to-be $1 trillion plus-size industry with authentic connection and welcome more folks into your brand through understanding what your plus-size audience is seeing, feeling, experiencing and sharing.

  • All Bodies Corporate Training

    Discover how to create genuine connection with an entirely new demographic so you can attract and retain the best talent.

  • Your Plus-Size Customer Journey

    Discover how to optimize your plus-size customer journey in this interactive workshop, where you will learn the most common mistakes brands make when attempting to engage this market, and how your brand can lead the way to body appreciation.

  • Moving Mountains

    Empower your team to conquer any obstacle by embracing the power of living in the now and finding joy in the journey, instead of waiting for the “perfect” time to take action.

Size Discrimination Law

As of November 2023, NYC mandated strict adherence to laws banning size discrimination, and many other cities and states are following suit — but most people are unaware of their own biases against people in diverse bodies, making it difficult to know what changes must be made to prevent discrimination.

The Gorgeous Agency offers industry-specific workshops designed to help you protect your company and create a brand where all bodies are welcome.

Download the One-Sheet