My talk is about unlearning the idea that softness is a weakness, and understanding it as a quiet kind of courage.
In a world that often rewards hardness, efficiency, and control, softness can feel risky. Yet it’s through empathy, vulnerability, and openness that we truly connect, lead, and grow. My talk is about unlearning the idea that softness is a weakness, and understanding it as a quiet kind of courage. For most of my life and career in HR, I thought being strong meant holding it together, making tough calls, and staying composed no matter what. But over the years, and through my own experiences of loss and rebuilding: I’ve come to realize that real strength looks very different. It’s found in the moments we allow ourselves to stay soft. I’ll share stories from working in HR across startups and different cultures, and how navigating people’s complexities has taught me that we don’t need to wear armor to be strong. I hope people walk away with a reminder that being soft isn’t about being fragile, it’s about choosing to stay human in a world that sometimes forgets how.
About the speaker
Hi, I’m Tanja. I’ve spent nearly nine years in HR, working across fast-growing startups: some of which successfully exited, corporations, and diverse industries. I’ve seen every side of working with people, from recruiting and compliance to leadership and navigating complex emotions.
I was headhunted by IDEO and spent two years exploring human-centered work, and now I work at tozero, a deep-tech startup on a mission to revolutionize battery recycling. Having faced deep personal loss early in life, I’ve learned that real resilience isn’t built on armor, but on the courage to stay soft. In my talk, I’ll explore why softness is not weakness, but a quiet strength that shapes better workplaces, deeper creativity, and more humane lives.
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