â–¶Ep. 45 / July 2026A long answer
Who’sSethDechtman?
01 / MovementThe tennis player.
02 / Long SundaysThe man in the kitchen.
03 / Paying attentionThe photographer.
04 / Somewhere elseThe adventurer.
A curator. A reader. A cook. A traveller.And more.
Scroll down to find out
The Master Curator
A career spent matching
the message to the moment.
Seth Dechtman has spent his life collecting places, people, and languages the way other people collect souvenirs. He has called four countries home: Argentina, Venezuela, Israel and the United States, and picked up new languages in each one along the way. He has set foot in 52 countries and counting, and somewhere along the way managed to hold a driver’s license in seven different U.S. states, a fact that says as much about his wanderlust as anything else.
Before building a career around connecting people with ideas, Seth spent years in the classroom as a teacher and on the sidelines as a basketball coach, shaping young people both in mind and in game. He is also a photographer, drawn to capturing the same world he cannot stop exploring, an instinct that pairs naturally with a life spent discovering new cities, languages, cultures, and adventures.
At home, Seth is a husband and father of three daughters, the role he considers most important. Between raising his girls, exploring new corners of the world, and chasing whatever captures his curiosity next, he has built a life that values discovery over routine.
Off the Clock
Adventures in between.
Tennis. The long walk. The longer flight. The places that keep the work honest. The best ideas come from somewhere else, so these are the somewhere-elses.
Long Sundays
In the kitchen.
A recipe a month, written the way a curator writes a brief. What to do, why it matters, and what I learned trying it the wrong way first.
This month, May 2026
A short braise, on the long Sunday.
I make this on the Sundays I’m home, which is fewer than I’d like. Lamb shoulder, onions, anchovies, a fistful of olives, twelve cloves of garlic that smell offensive going in and taste honest coming out.
It’s mostly waiting. You sear, you stew, you read a book while it cooks.
A real Sunday needs four hours of oven time and a book you’ve been meaning to finish. The recipe is in the waiting.
I learned this version from a chef in Buenos Aires who refused to write it down. I’ve since written it down. He has not forgiven me.
Seth’s kitchen, CharlestonBackstage
20+ years, backstage.
Backstage before her moderated conversation, while casting for the Mary Poppins sequel was underway. I offered to grab her tea and give her 15 minutes alone. She said, "Oh no, please stay." We ended up having tea together, and she complimented my suit. More Mary Poppins than Mary Poppins herself.
Oscar winner, tireless advocate for women in media, and, it turns out, a fellow parent of twins. We swapped stories only twin parents really get.
Pizza, beer, and stories of his move from Italy to Pennsylvania with his twin brother. A racing legend who just wanted to be behind the wheel. It did not matter the car or the track. Pure gentleman.
Gold medalist at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and world champion in five weight classes. On stage he was flawless; afterward, he gave the audience every bit as much of himself.
That smile could power a small galaxy. Business icon, culture icon, and he handed out signed jerseys and Lakers tickets to the audience, completely unannounced.
Watching her work a room is a masterclass. She can crystallize a business idea into something the whole audience gets in seconds flat.
Eight world titles in eight weight classes, the only fighter in history to do it. You could hear a pin drop as he told the room about leaving the Philippines for Los Angeles with nothing. We found common ground over lunch and basketball, where he is now an investor overseas.
We swapped stories about family, travel, and the moms who taught us both how to give.
A mentalist who held ten thousand people in the palm of his hand. Over sushi, we talked about our time in Israel.
One of one. Every time we work together, the connection goes deeper. Few people can lift a room the way he does.
He remembers conversations from years ago, including health, family, and hobbies, down to the detail. It is rare to find someone who listens that closely. Proud to call him a friend.
Backstage before her moderated conversation, while casting for the Mary Poppins sequel was underway. I offered to grab her tea and give her 15 minutes alone. She said, "Oh no, please stay." We ended up having tea together, and she complimented my suit. More Mary Poppins than Mary Poppins herself.
Oscar winner, tireless advocate for women in media, and, it turns out, a fellow parent of twins. We swapped stories only twin parents really get.
Pizza, beer, and stories of his move from Italy to Pennsylvania with his twin brother. A racing legend who just wanted to be behind the wheel. It did not matter the car or the track. Pure gentleman.
Gold medalist at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and world champion in five weight classes. On stage he was flawless; afterward, he gave the audience every bit as much of himself.
That smile could power a small galaxy. Business icon, culture icon, and he handed out signed jerseys and Lakers tickets to the audience, completely unannounced.
Watching her work a room is a masterclass. She can crystallize a business idea into something the whole audience gets in seconds flat.
Eight world titles in eight weight classes, the only fighter in history to do it. You could hear a pin drop as he told the room about leaving the Philippines for Los Angeles with nothing. We found common ground over lunch and basketball, where he is now an investor overseas.
We swapped stories about family, travel, and the moms who taught us both how to give.
A mentalist who held ten thousand people in the palm of his hand. Over sushi, we talked about our time in Israel.
One of one. Every time we work together, the connection goes deeper. Few people can lift a room the way he does.
He remembers conversations from years ago, including health, family, and hobbies, down to the detail. It is rare to find someone who listens that closely. Proud to call him a friend.
The Photographer
Selected frames.
Places, people, and the moments in between, photographed by Seth.
Personal archive
Frame 01
View Seth's photography collection.
Personal archive
Frame 02
View Seth's photography collection.
Personal archive
Frame 03
View Seth's photography collection.
Personal archive
Frame 04
View Seth's photography collection.
Personal archive
Frame 05
View Seth's photography collection.
Personal archive
Frame 06
View Seth's photography collection.
The TKC Podcast
On air, every week.
â–¶Ep. 45 / July 2026â–¶Ep. 44 / July 2026A year in the green rooms, what I learned
â–¶Ep. 43 / July 2026From Stage to Strategy
â–¶Ep. 42 / July 2026On saying no to clients I would otherwise want
â–¶Ep. 47 / July 2026Curating Impact: What Premium Really Means in 2026
â–¶Ep. 46 / July 2026On picking speakers the way I pick books
Featured In
Words on the shelf.
M. HouselSame as Ever2023
What I’m Reading This Month
Same as Ever
by Morgan Housel
I picked this up because every keynote planner I talk to keeps asking the same nervous question: what changes next, and how do we get ahead of it? Housel’s answer is the opposite of every futurist on my roster, and that’s exactly why I keep going back to it.
His thesis: stop chasing what’s new. Pay closer attention to what never changes. Greed, fear, envy, the way stories beat statistics, the way good news arrives slowly and bad news arrives all at once.
I’m giving this to every speaker I sign in 2026. You should read it before your next event brief.
SethGet the book →My Brands
Five brands. One master curator.
The Bureau · Est. 2014 · 20+ Years
The Keynote Curators
A boutique bureau. Twenty years of curating voices for conferences, associations, and corporate stages worldwide.
thekeynotecurators.com →The LabKeynote Speaker Lab
Where emerging speakers sharpen the craft. Coaching, content development, and stage strategy.
keynotespeakerlab.com →VerticalHealthcare Keynotes
Speakers for healthcare and life-sciences events.
healthcareeventkeynotes.com →VerticalEnergy Keynotes
Speakers for the energy transition and oil and gas sectors.
energyeventkeynotes.com →VerticalFS Speakers
Speakers for banking, asset management, and fintech events.
financialservicesspeakers.com →Trusted By
Audiences from boardrooms to ballrooms.
JPMorganSalesforcePfizerMicrosoftMastercardGoldmanSHRMYPO
Get In Touch
Tell me about the room.
If you’re planning an event and you’d like a curator’s read on the right voice for your audience, send me a note. I read every one personally.