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Artist Coaches
Professional performing artists trained in executive education. They teach the embodied tools from the stage to empower commanding, credible and confident leaders.
Leadership development · Performing arts + AI
Powered by Artists. Sharpened by AI.
HighNote is a leadership development platform that makes human capabilities—presence, communication, and influence—visible, measurable, and trainable.
Every programme is customized to your organization
Trusted by
What we do · By the numbers
Teach the Skills AI Cannot Replicate.
Embodied confidence. Emotional intelligence. The authority to hold attention and the charisma to persuade. These are the durable skills that distinguish great leaders.
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AI Analysis
Actionable, detailed analysis of voice, tone, pacing, facial micro-expressions, and emotional cues. Measurable signals for measurable improvements.
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Measurable Outcomes
Every programme produces a durable skills portfolio. Progress is tracked, reported, and mapped to employer-ready benchmarks.
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Demand for EQ
Projected growth in employer demand for emotional intelligence over the next five years, as AI handles more technical work.
The leadership gap
Your Competitors Can Copy Your Strategy. Not How Your People Show Up.
Presence, communication, and influence matter most, yet they remain the hardest capabilities to teach, observe, and measure. As AI automates analytical work, they are becoming the last true differentiator.
Presence report · BaselineAnalyzing
- Vocal stability4.2
- Tempo & pacing2.8
- Dynamic range3.6
- Emotional congruence3.1
Heads up: pacing rushes when the hard question lands.
Insight the room can feel
AI reveals the pattern. An artist coach builds the skill.
Title without following
A senior leader can know their proposal cold and still fail to move the room. Without presence, a leader gets compliance, not commitment.
Your brand in untrained hands
Technical onboarding is thorough almost everywhere. Communication onboarding barely exists, and the client feels the difference first.
Graduates aren't ready
of employers have avoided hiring a recent graduate, citing communication skills, professionalism, and performing under pressure.
The skills that matter stay invisible
Traditional programs rely on a subjective read. Without measurement, growth in presence and influence can't be seen, managed, or proven.
Facial & emotional analysisMicro-expressions tracked live
How HighNote works
Our Approach.
Through workshops, immersive experiences and 1:1 coaching, HighNote combines the intelligence of the performing arts, the discipline of coaching, and AI-driven analysis to develop how leaders communicate, influence, and lead in high-stakes moments.
Targeted diagnostics identify leadership and communication patterns, setting each participant's AI baseline.
Experiential masterclasses in presence, voice, and non-verbal cues, led by professional artist coaches.
Simulated meetings and high-stakes interactions with human coaching + AI feedback.
One-to-one and small-group sessions for real-world challenges.
Post-program performance evaluation and AI-informed impact analysis, for individuals and cohorts.
Powered by Figaro AIResearch-grade analysis
Inside the HighNote platform
See What Others Miss.
Benchmark
AI analysis benchmarks performance through vocal and facial recognition.
Reveal
AI reveals patterns in communication and presence.
Develop
An artist coach develops a custom program mapped to leadership signals and behaviours.
Track
Continuous monitoring and progress reports measure progress across the program journey.
Workshops
Choose the Room You Need to Command.
Experiential workshops, masterclasses, and immersive performance experiences. All programs can be customized to your specific requirements.
Spotlight
Women, performance & career growth
- Embodied confidence
- Voice and authentic authority
- Visibility and influence
- Communication under pressure
- Career confidence and self-advocacy
Overture
Enterprise leadership & influence
- Strategic thinking
- Cross-functional influence
- Decision-making under ambiguity
- Executive communication and alignment
- Leadership confidence
Resonance
Creating connection with clients ages 30–45
- Curiosity and deep listening
- Authenticity
- Empathy
- Adaptive communication
- Embodied connection
Who we serve
Human Capability Development Across Contexts.
The same method, shaped for the room each leader needs to command.
Enterprise
Corporations
Leadership, executive communication, influence, presence, and organizational capability development for leaders and teams navigating transformation and complexity.
Schedule a free demoFounders
Founders
Executive presence, storytelling, investor communication, influence, and performance coaching for high-stakes professional environments.
Upskill yourself or your team
One method. Every room.Boardrooms · investor rooms · classrooms · coaching practice
University partnerships
Universities
AI-enabled communication, employability, leadership, and human capability development integrated across curricular and co-curricular experiences.
University programmeCertification
Coaches & Facilitators
Training and certification in performance-based developmental practice supported by AI-enabled communication analytics and coaching infrastructure.
Get certified
The HighNote Ensemble
Artists, Coaches & Leadership Experts.
HighNote brings together performing artists, executive coaches, and leadership experts with deep experience in executive education and organizational development.
Client voices
What Our Clients Say About Us.
Great job! Your Stage to Boardroom session at the Partnerships National Conference was a huge hit. In just one afternoon, you took us from discomfort to laughter to real growth — and the team couldn't get enough. Thank you for bringing such energy, authenticity, and impact. We truly appreciate your support and the experience you created for all of us.Kevin Ramsubhag, MBADirector, Strategic Partnerships, Scotia Wealth Management
I was sceptical and then came Shakespeare! The biggest take away, of course, was learning that everything you need is inside of you. Awareness and understanding of your neurophysiology, the signs, and symptoms of whatever negative emotion you might be feeling, and knowing there is a way to control your parasympathetic nervous system by simply pausing, breathing and being in your body. But boy, does it take practice. Your guidance on embracing silence has been particularly transformative, giving me time to practise the above and ground myself more effectively.KarenAVP, Program Execution Lead, Sun Life Inc.
Lucia's workshop pushed us out of our comfort zones, encouraging risk-taking in front of peers and bosses. Whether in person or remote, she kept our business leaders engaged, showcasing the creativity needed for strategic thinking in today's fast-changing landscape. Her communication techniques helped us gain confidence while maintaining a lighter approach. Thanks, Lucia, for a captivating session at the Bell Inspire Conference!Dimitri VafiadesSenior Manager, Bell Media
Frequently asked questions
Your Questions, Answered.
How the artists, the coaching, and the AI connect into one system.
What is HighNote?
HighNote is a leadership development platform that makes human capabilities, presence, communication, and influence, visible, measurable, and trainable. It combines performance psychology from the performing arts, executive coaching, and AI-driven analysis into one system.
Who founded HighNote?
HighNote was co-founded by Lucia Cesaroni, an internationally acclaimed opera artist and executive educator, and Dana Brown, a Dean and executive education leader. HighNote uses Figaro, an AI software developed by Mihnea Moldoveanu, Dean of the Desautels Centre for Integrative Thinking at the University of Toronto.
What does "Powered by Artists. Sharpened by AI." mean?
It describes HighNote's two-part method: professional performing artists, trained in executive education, teach the embodied techniques of stage presence and vocal command, while AI analysis measures whether that training is actually changing how someone communicates.
How is HighNote different from traditional executive coaching?
Traditional coaching relies on a coach's subjective read of a session. HighNote adds an objective layer: AI analysis of vocal and facial signal gives the coach and the client a shared, measurable record of what changed, rather than an impression of what changed.
How is HighNote different from a generic AI coaching app?
HighNote's AI never operates without a human coach. Figaro reveals patterns, pacing, tone, emotion, non-verbal cues, but a trained artist coach translates those patterns into practice. The AI does not replace the coaching relationship; it gives it better material to work with.
What is Figaro?
Figaro is the AI platform built by Mihnea Moldoveanu (Professor, Economic Analysis and Policy, Marcel Desautels Professorship in Integrative Thinking) that HighNote uses to analyze communication and presence. It reads vocal and facial signal in real time and maps it to known leadership behaviours.
What does Figaro actually measure?
Facial recognition (reading microexpressions), voice variance (pitch, pace, and energy against a personal baseline), and emotional cues in what's said versus how it's said.
Does Figaro replace the coach?
No. Figaro produces data; a human artist coach interprets it and builds the actual coaching plan around it.
How does HighNote measure progress?
Through a baseline-to-capstone model: a diagnostic assessment before the program starts, midpoint insights partway through, and a final report comparing outcome to baseline, for both individuals and cohorts.
Is client data or recorded session content kept private?
Yes. Session recordings and data are kept private to HighNote and are not shared with third parties or used to train external models.
Does HighNote have client results or proof it works?
Yes. Named client testimonials exist from Scotiabank, Sun Life, and Bell Media, describing measurable shifts in confidence and engagement from HighNote-style sessions. HighNote's enterprise trust roster also includes Bell, Salesforce, and Weston.
Lead on a HighNote
Ready to Build Leaders Who Perform?
Every HighNote engagement is built around your requirements. Tell us about the leaders you want to develop.