"I hold taste, ethics, and power at the same time. That's not common. That's the value."
— Karmen Michael SmithEngage
Karmen Michael Smith doesn't deliver presentations. He shifts rooms. Whether from a pulpit, a stage, a boardroom, or a microphone — he brings moral clarity, prophetic precision, and cultural intelligence that people feel long after the event ends.
Engagements
Keynote & Speaking
Conferences, convocations, commencements, and cultural gatherings. Karmen speaks to audiences who are ready to think differently — not be entertained.
Podcast & Media
Guest appearances, interviews, and panel conversations. Karmen brings depth, wit, and a perspective that doesn't sound like anyone else in the room.
Consulting & Advisory
For organizations, founders, and leaders who need someone who holds clarity, taste, and strategy in the same hand. Not a consultant. A thought partner.
Areas of Focus
These aren't talking points. They are the territories Karmen has spent decades moving through — as a theologian, a practitioner, a builder, and a writer.
Book a ConversationFaith & Culture
What does the sacred look like in a secular world?
Drawing on his work as a public theologian and Inaugural Director of the Social Justice Center at Union Theological Seminary.
Race & American Identity
The American story hasn't been told completely.
With a family lineage on American soil since 1665, Karmen speaks to the full complexity of what it means to be American.
Love & Relationships
Modern dating is rigged. Here's what to do about it.
The thesis of his forthcoming book Stranded — for audiences ready to name what they've been feeling.
Justice & Equity
DEI isn't a program. It's a posture.
As a Federal DEI Appointee under the Biden-Harris Administration, Karmen speaks from inside the work, not above it.
Leadership & Vision
Building what the world forgot but the soul remembers.
For founders, executives, and institutional leaders navigating complexity without losing integrity.
Creativity & Formation
Product is philosophy. Everything you make says something.
From the Cine-Sermon to Foragé Atelier — on building creative work with taste, ethics, and long-term vision.
Get in Touch
Response Time
All inquiries answered within 48 hours
Booking Email
assistant@poorculture.com
Availability
Speaking, podcasts, consulting,
and strategic advisory