The Tempest Two Keynote Speaker

Rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic in 54 days (2015–2016)
Climbed El Capitan’s 3,000 ft wall in 72 hours (2019)
World-first Patagonia ultra-triathlon (1,600km/75km/100km)

The Tempest Two's Biography

The Tempest Two—adventurers and keynote speakers James Whittle and Tom Caulfield—help organisations “remove can’t” by translating expedition-tested lessons into practical shifts in mindset and performance. Relatable and high-energy, they show how ordinary people can achieve extraordinary outcomes with the right habits, focus and team culture. Their client list includes global brands such as Google, Microsoft, JP Morgan, Nike and Airbnb.

Their story began on the Atlantic. In 2015, with no prior rowing experience or support crew, they pushed off from Gran Canaria and spent 54 days covering 3,000 miles of open ocean—sleep-deprived, problem-solving in real time, and learning to control the controllables. That crossing forged the mindset they now teach: clarity of goal, disciplined execution and resilient teamwork under pressure.

Since then, The Tempest Two have continued to stress-test themselves and their methods—completing a world-first triathlon across Patagonia and climbing El Capitan in three days. These feats aren’t told as stunts, but as case studies in decision-making, trust and adaptive thinking when the stakes are real.

On stage and in executive offsites, they blend gripping storytelling with actionable frameworks that teams can use the next day—building growth mindset, shared accountability and the confidence to operate outside the comfort zone. Beyond speaking, they co-founded Dose in 2018 to help organisations embed habits for sustained wellbeing and performance. Recent highlights include partnerships and live tours with leading brands and events such as Nike, Airbnb and High Performance Podcast Live.

Remove the Word “Can’t”: Building a growth mindset that sticks

Resilience Under Pressure: Lessons from a 3,000-mile ocean row

High-Performance Teamwork: Trust, accountability and clarity

Risk & Adaptability: Decision-making in uncertainty

Leading Outside the Comfort Zone: Habits for sustained performance

They draw on extreme expeditions from crossing the Atlantic to climbing El Capitan to demonstrate how disciplined mindset and teamwork drive performance under pressure.
They translate high-stakes decision-making and resilience into practical frameworks that help leaders and teams take action beyond their comfort zones.
They equip organisations to build cultures of accountability, clarity of goal and sustained performance in fast-moving and uncertain environments.
They deliver high-energy keynotes and offsites that combine compelling storytelling with immediately applicable tools for improving focus, collaboration and execution.
Their sessions help leaders remove limiting beliefs, align teams around shared objectives and unlock the confidence to achieve ambitious outcomes.

Videos of The Tempest Two

The Tempest Two - 2026 Speaking Showreel

What is the most toxic word in the English language? | The Tempest Two | TEDxSt Albans

Articles, Media & Podcasts

The Atlantic Row: 3000 miles, 54 days. An adventure of a lifetime.

The Tempest Two

The White Mountain: A winter ascent of Mont Blanc

The Tempest Two

Wild Sweden: Wild camping and kayaking in the Stockholm Archipelago

The Tempest Two

London to Sahara on motorbikes

The Tempest Two

Project Patagonia

The Tempest Two

Climbing El Capitan

The Tempest Two

Comments & Testimonials

"”We booked Tom & James for a global conference in Denver after speaking to a London colleague who told us ‘we had to use them’. She was not mistaken. What The Tempest Two delivered in 60 minutes, has been spoken about amongst attendees for months following. The way they crafted their keynote around a specific brief was incredible. I speak about them regularly to friends and family, a genuine impact was made.”

Head of Department- Google

"Inspirational doesn't come close to describing Tom and James's achievement. Similarly; enthralled and captivated fall short of describing how our team our team felt in London. I have been involved in team off-sites for the past 5 years, and I have no hesitation in saying this was the best - by far. I gave the boys a challenging brief, and they delivered something this group of people have been talking about for weeks following.”

Head of Ground Control - EMEA

“We had the Tempest Two come out to the World Headquarters of Nike to work with leadership for both Brand & Training. First of all, they did an incredible job of engaging the entire group, and as delivery skills go, they were without doubt some of the best speakers & facilitators I’ve seen, and we have had some great people speak here at Nike. There is a fine line between purely entertaining and delivering a message which they did beautifully. The value we gained from those sessions is evident across the departments. Real life, genuine change in behaviour. We have worked with some of the biggest names in the consultancy world, and none of them have achieved what Tom & James have.”

Global Brand Director- Nike

“Epic Dot Com! I worked with The Tempest Two to design our NextGen Star Summit in Berlin. Tom & James are officially part of the Bacardi family and the reaction from the group was something pretty special. The Tempest Two are daring, future thinking, fun, collaborative and all round champions. I would recommend them again in a heartbeat.

Chief Next Gen Officer- Bacardi