About

Sunny Bonnell is a brand and culture expert, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and Thinkers50 Radar honoree whose work explores how visionary leadership shapes the companies, cultures, and brands that influence our world.

As Co-Founder and CEO of Motto®, a strategic branding firm, Sunny has spent more than two decades advising ambitious leaders on how to define bold visions, translate them into innovative cultures, and inspire organizations to bring them to life.

At the center of her work is a compelling question: Why do some leaders build companies people believe in, cultures that produce extraordinary ideas, and brands that become influential in the wider world?

Through her keynotes, writing, and advisory work, Sunny examines the relationship between leadership, collective belief, organizational culture, and brand influence, challenging audiences to think differently about what it takes to build a company that matters.

Alongside her partner-in-crime, Co-Founder and COO, Ashleigh Hansberger, Sunny has built Motto® into an internationally recognized strategic branding firm. Together, they shape the firm’s vision, culture, and creative ambition, guiding its continued evolution as it enters its third decade.

Recognition & Thought Leadership

Sunny was named to the Thinkers50 Radar, which recognizes emerging thinkers shaping the future of management. Her accolades include Top 30 Global Gurus in Brand, GDUSA’s Top 25 People to Watch, and two Webby Awards, with The Webby Awards recognizing her work for “setting the standard for innovation and creativity.” She is also featured on the cover of SWAGGER as a “Visionary Brand Icon.”

Sunny is the co-author of the bestselling book Rare Breed: A Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous, and Different, which challenges conventional thinking about ambition, leadership, and success. The New York Post named it one of the top five career books of all time. Seth Godin called it “Brazen” and “A ruckus to make things better,” while USA Today described it as “An entire windstorm of original thinking.”

Speaking & Media

An internationally recognized keynote speaker on visionary leadership, organizational culture, innovation, and brand influence, Sunny has spoken for organizations including Mastercard, Microsoft, Dale Carnegie, Fast Company Innovation, Inc., and Inspiring Workplaces.

Her insights have appeared in Fast Company, Inc., Forbes, Entrepreneur, and The Wall Street Journal. She has appeared on Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange, The Breakfast Club, and Yahoo Finance, and writes a provocative leadership column for Fast Company.

Through her speaking, Sunny explores how leaders turn ambitious visions into collective action, create cultures that enable ingenuity, and build brands that earn lasting influence.

Clients & Experience

Over the past two decades, Sunny and Motto® have consulted with and aligned ambitious leaders and organizations across technology, entertainment, sports, innovation, and global business.

Selected clients include Google, Microsoft, Hitachi, the NFL, Minnesota Vikings, Virgin, Hershey’s, Twentieth Century Fox, Choice Hotels, Andela, Goodnotes, Ivo, Prolific, Docker, Zenarate, Impel, Aptos Labs, and Amp Z.

Work with Sunny

• Keynote Speaking: Visionary leadership, organizational culture, innovation, and brand influence
• Executive Advisory: Strategic guidance on vision, leadership, culture, and brand
• Conferences & Media: Interviews, podcasts, panels, and thought leadership
• Advisory Boards: Long-term strategic perspective on growth, innovation, and organizational direction
• Executive Coaching: Helping visionary leaders clarify their ambitions and mobilize others around them