These speakers provide fresh perspectives, encouraging teams to embrace cultural understanding and inclusivity, which boosts employee morale, productivity, and overall workplace harmony.
At Great Business Speakers, we specialise in finding the ideal EDI speaker for your event— whether virtual or in-person. Our curated roster of diverse talents includes professionals who address timely and impactful topics like systemic bias, allyship, and the importance of celebrating diversity in the workplace.
For notable occasions such as Black History Month, an EDI speaker can emphasise the significance of African American contributions, discuss historical and ongoing challenges, and inspire ongoing efforts toward equity and inclusion. With our support, your event can create a lasting impact by educating and empowering your audience to build a more inclusive future.
Discover our EDI Speakers below, or contact the team at Great Business Speakers to enquire or book. +44 1753 439 289
After waking up paralysed from the waist down in January 2014 due to a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), Jamie McAnsh embarked on an incredible journey.
Instead of allowing his wheelchair to confine him, he chose to live life unconventionally. Jamie McAnsh’s determination led him to climb a mountain using only his hands.
His inspiring story includes being capped for Wales in rugby in 2014 and currently playing wheelchair basketball for Cardiff.
Best known for his stint on Dragons’ Den (2007-12), James Caan CBE is a successful entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, and author.
He is the founder of headhunting company Alexander Mann, management advisory company Hamilton Bradshaw, and investment company Recruitment Entrepreneur. In 2009, James worked with the UK Government to create the iAwards to support innovation in the UK. Three years later, he was appointed the Chairman of the UK Government start-up loans scheme.
James now utilises his years of experience by being an in-demand keynote speaker, event host, and conference panellist. He has worked for companies including Google and Samsung, and appeared at events such as The Business Show, and the MADE Festival. A veteran of entrepreneurship, James inspires his audiences with anecdotes and motivational tips.
James was appointed a CBE in 2015 for his services to entrepreneurship and charity.
Inge Woudstra is an expert in equity, diversity and inclusion, with a specialism in gender inclusion.
She is also the author of Be Gender Smart – The Key to Career Success for Women, a book that received feedback such as “men and women bring a great deal of value to the table. The sweet spot is in appreciating the need for both” – Helena Morrissey, founder of the 30% club.
She is an inspiring speaker, with a message that resonates with women, men and senior managers: “stop changing women, start changing organisations”.
Inga has a unique take on gender diversity. She has reviewed bio-psychological and brain research to find those gender differences that are relevant in the workplace. She applies those to solve the enigma of the lack of women in senior positions and in the pipeline, and gives real examples on how to move forward and not just keep women in but also leverage what they bring.
She is a highly qualified speaker, facilitator and tutor, and experienced panel moderator, researcher and consultant.
Helen Gibson MBE is an award-winning international business entrepreneur, speaker, author and leadership expert.
Helen is CEO of Agencia, which delivers meaningful, sustainable and beneficial change to organisations. Under her leadership, Agencia has delivered on the frontline with health, justice, policing and security services. With an impressive client list including the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, NHS, PwC, the EU and the United Nations, Agencia has successfully delivered in 27 countries.
Helen Gibson MBE has an understanding of the challenges facing countries in conflict and transition. From many modern-day issues such as terrorism, corruption, cybercrime, pandemics, addiction and migration, the work of Helen’s company has affected millions of people around the world.
In 2022 Helen was awarded an MBE by the Queen for services to international trade.
Hakeem “Mr Impact” Onibudo: Inspiring Lives on and off the Red Carpet
Hakeem Onibudo is a multifaceted individual whose journey has been marked by passion, motivation, and the glittering lights of the red carpet.
As the CEO, Artistic Director, and Founder of Impact Dance, a nationally recognized art-for-social change organization and Hip-Hop Theatre company based in their new studio on Shaftesbury Avenue in London, Hakeem empowers young people between the ages of 11-19 to become the best versions of themselves through the medium of dance.
He is an in-demand speaker on leadership and cultural intelligence and a sought-after red-carpet interviewer.
Global transformation director Gina Buckney is a two-time TEDx global speaker, former head of UK customer services for BT, author, and keynote speaker.
Qualified in a range of subjects from neuroscience to emotional intelligence to business management, Gina is the founder of YOUR PEOPLE POWER, a company built to revolutionise industries and redefine work cultures through scientifically backed education.
With over two decades worth of experience, Gina is a passionate female leader on organisational change and cultural transformation. She is also a meditation and mindfulness champion, a published author, and in-demand corporate speaker.
Current most requested speaking topics are: The Power To TAP (Transform At Pace), Power Skills For A Players, Building Winning Teams With D&I, Emotionally Intelligent Leaders, Beating Burnout.
Gabby Jahanshahi-Edlin is a creative consultant, social entrepreneur, female business leader, and speaker on social and cultural change, specialising in bold branding and business growth. She helps inspire teams to be bolder and braver, to work with compassion, be daring and be fun. Gabby works with founders to nurture their brands for extraordinary and sustainable growth.
In 2016, she founded the first-of-its-kind charity, Bloody Good Period, and worked as CEO until 2022. Through her charity, she changed the way we talk about periods at home, in the workplace, and on a wider national level. Her entrepreneurial skills and charitable nature has seen her named one of London’s Most Influential People by The Evening Standard, a Top 50 Trailblazer in Gender Equality by We Are The City, and one of the 100 trailblazers redefining the creative art industry by recruitment website The Dots.
She has appeared on television shows, including The Last Leg, Sky News and BBC News. She has been featured in several written publications, including The Metro, The Sunday Times, Third Sector Magazine, Vogue, Stylist, The Evening Standard, and Glamour.
She is a much sought-after keynote speaker, having worked with brands such as Adidas, Apple, Disney, The Guardian, and the University of the Arts London.
Fehinti Balogun is a British-Nigerian actor, writer, performer and climate advocate whose work blends powerful storytelling with urgent social themes.
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he uses theatre, film and public speaking as platforms to explore issues such as environmental justice, diversity, and identity, with the aim of engaging audiences and prompting meaningful dialogue and change.
On screen, Fehinti has appeared across major global platforms including BBC, HBO, Netflix, ITV and Paramount+, with standout roles in productions like I May Destroy You (2020) and the sci-fi epic Dune: Part One (2021). His range spans television drama, major cinema, and experimental theatre, establishing him as a versatile and compelling talent.
Beyond acting, Fehinti is a leading voice in climate activism and a sought-after public speaker. His groundbreaking multimedia theatre piece Can I Live?, created with Complicité, brought together spoken word, rap and documentary to explore the connections between climate breakdown, race, and inequality.
He has since spoken at major events and institutions including the United Nations COP26 Climate Summit, the Scottish Parliament, Cambridge University, the Greater London Authority, the English National Opera, TED Countdown, NBC Universal, and YouTube’s Creator Summit.
Esther Stanhope is a highly sought-after confidence speaker and travels all over the world spreading her ‘Impact’ and ‘oomph’ to encourage people to speak up and get their voice heard in business.
She speaks on topics including pitching, presenting, confidence, getting promoted, and succeeding in your career.
A legendary female British Olympian who really doesn’t need much of an introduction, Dame Kelly Holmes once set the British records in the 600m, 800m, and 1,000m – achievements that have only recently been surpassed.
She is an Olympic, World, Commonwealth, and European multi-medallist. After winning gold in the 800m and 1,500m at the 2004 Athens Olympics, she won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, European Athlete of the Year, World Athlete of the Year, and was honoured with a Damehood by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
During Pride Month in 2022, Kelly shared her “relief at coming out as gay.”
She is one of the most popular and sought-after speakers on the circuit, with speaking topics including athletics and mental health. Dame Kelly Holmes has motivated audiences across the world.
Cynthia V Davis is a successful businesswoman, Founder and CEO of Diversifying Group, an entrepreneur, diversity specialist, leadership fellow, and international speaker.
Cynthia V Davis began her business, with a new baby in tow, determined to make the world a fairer place. With her own experience as a woman of colour, Cynthia originally founded her business under the name BAME Recruitment due to the historic marginalisation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities in the UK, before expanding into Diversifying Group.
She was nominated as one of the ‘Most Inspirational Women in Tech 2020-2023′ by Computer Weekly. Cynthia is also a Board Trustee at Over The Wall and a sought-after speaker on topics like diversity, equality, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Crystelle Pereira is best known for making it to the final of the 2021 Great British Bake Off alongside Chigs Parmer and eventual winner Giuseppe Dell’Anno. She became a popular figure on the show after showcasing her Portuguese-Goan recipes and exciting flavour combinations.
In December 2021, Vanity Fair named as one of their Top Performances of the year alongside a host of Hollywood stars. She is fluent in four languages, including French, Spanish, and Italian.
Since her appearance on The Great British Bake Off, Crystelle has been a regular fixture on a number of popular television shows, both in the UK and in the USA.
In 2023, she released her first cookbook, My Flavour Kitchen, and hopes to educate people about Portuguese-Goan cuisine.
Crystelle is available for private and public appearances, ambassadorial work, corporate partnerships, and speaking commitments. She is open and honest about overcoming obstacles, empowering women, diversity, and finance, as well as her own baking journey.
Clive Myrie is one of the main presenters and roving reporters for BBC One. He has anchored on location for several key stories including the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, the wildfires in Australia, Donald Trump’s state visit to London, the resignation of Prime Minister Theresa May and Boris Johnson’s first day in office.
His work in 2018 covering Mexico’s drug cartels received universal acclaim and was nominated for no less than eight international awards. Since 2021 he has been the main presenter for Mastermind and Celebrity Mastermind, taking over from John Humphreys.
Clive is an accomplished and talented conference facilitator, panel host, business speaker and humorous after-dinner speaker. He is available for a range of corporate events, sharing his experiences as a journalist and presenter and his views on business, diversity, politics and education. Most recently Clive has reported live from Kyiv covering the unfolding war in Ukraine.
Christine Armstrong is a researcher, author and vlogger on the future of work, and founder of Armstrong & Partners.
By exploring current working trends, workplace culture, workplace communication, work/life balance, remote working and all the data that comes with it, she examines the challenges present in using old business practices. These include being overloaded with communication, the challenges between professional/personal boundaries and burnout. She also explores how these working practices can impact different groups such as carers and parents.
Christine is a much sought-after keynote speaker on the future of work and has worked for companies including the BBC and NHS to help them use more up-to-date working trends to ensure employee health, happiness and productivity.
Chris Hines MBE has spent over 30 years campaigning for the environment and inspiring positive change.
He was the co-founder and director of Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) from 1990 to 2000. Regarded as “some of the Government’s most sophisticated environmental critics” by the BBC and “Britain’s coolest pressure group” by The Independent, SAS helped deliver massive environmental improvements. He then became the sustainability director for the Eden Project for five years, which involved him conceiving and delivering ‘Waste Neutral’, an early version of the circular economy.
He is now the owner of A Grain of Sand, a company dedicated to saving the environment. Shortlisted for the 1999 Green Politics Award and having provided evidence to Commons and Lords Committees, Chris is now booked as a highly-popular sustainability and environment speaker.
Emmanuel Asuquo is a financial speaker, advisor and founder of Noir Excel and The Eman Effect. He works with individuals and business owners to help them plan and prepare for their financial future.
Emmanuel has a fun, energetic and passionate delivery style and manages to bring financial advice to life in a relatable and easy-to-understand way. The feedback from his seminars and talks has been extremely positive and he looks forward to helping change the lives of many more people.
A personable, down-to-earth, entertaining character, Emmanuel Asuquo’s career has been driven by his desire to help everyone with their finances, making him the perfect speaker for all audiences.
Chloe Combi is an ex-teacher, educator, researcher, brand consultant, political consultant, broadcaster, podcast host, film director, bestselling author, and international speaker.
Using a data-driven approach, based on over 30,000 interviews, she works with global companies, governments, institutions, and schools to give them an insight into the future and help them prepare for what the future brings.
Chloe coined the term ‘Generation Z’ – people born between 1997 and 2012 – when she wrote the first bestselling book on the topic, way before the rest of the world became fascinated with them. In her book Generation Z: Their Voices, Their Lives (2015), she interviewed over 3,000 people, and has since added over 20,000 more for her next book about Generation A.
Her unprecedented research into generational shifts makes her one of the world’s leading experts on the matter, and she has become a popular keynote speaker, appearing at events including Edinburgh Book Festival, the London Festival of Education, and Latitude Festival.
A passionate thought leader with multiple business and charitable interests, experience at the highest corporate level, and motivational speaker, Leila McKenzie-Delis is moving the dial on diversity, inclusion and equality in business.
In 2019, she founded DIAL Global, a global community for ‘Diverse Inclusive Aspirational Leaders’. She aims to foster a more open, diverse and inclusive society by helping organisations think differently about their working culture, attitudes and understanding of diversity. Not only does this include gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, mental health and disability, she also promotes the inclusion of neurodiverse employees.
Leanne Spencer is a keynote speaker and wellbeing consultant and has specialised in wellbeing for over ten years.
Leanne has over 13 qualifications in exercise and nutrition but began her career in sales and spent over 15 years working in the City of London before leaving in 2012 to set up an award-winning wellbeing company, after suffering from burnout.
Leanne is the bestselling author of three books, hosts a podcast and is a Bear Grylls Survival Instructor.
Chanelle Lady McCoy is one of Ireland’s most successful businesswomen, winning the All-Ireland Business Champion Award and recently ranked no 23 in the ‘50 incredible people shaping modern Ireland.
Having previously been a co-founder of Ireland’s largest indigenous pharmaceutical company and more recently Chanelle McCoy Health, a research and development-led pharmaceutical company, Chanelle is a very motivating speaker on business and leadership.
Chanelle was previously one of the dragons on Ireland’s Dragons’ Den where she enjoyed sharing her experience of growing successful businesses and supporting entrepreneurs on their journey to business growth. She is also a huge supporter of women in business and mentoring young entrepreneurs.
Caroline Scott is an engaging television presenter, panel moderator and broadcast journalist, having grown up hosting Irish television on RTE.
Caroline hosts panels, conferences and interviews for corporate organisations on topics such as gender diversity, ESG, biodiversity, renewable infrastructure and current themes permeating the investment industry.
She studied Law at Trinity College Dublin and worked extensively in the legal profession in the City of London for various asset managers, giving her direct insight into many issues facing corporate entities today.
Incorporating her corporate experiencing with her excellent presentation and communication skills, Caroline Scott makes an excellent, moderator, facilitator and event host.
Elizabeth Cowper brings almost 30 years of HR experience to her role as the founder of Ludo, a company that provides innovative technology solutions and HR expertise to the workplace.
As a working mother of three, Elizabeth has established a reputation for her work with renowned brands such as Planet Organic, Harvey Nichols, LVMH, and Tapestry, the parent company of Coach, kate spade, and Stuart Weitzman.
At Tapestry, Elizabeth served as VP HR Europe, Global Head of Wellbeing, and a member of the Global DEI Committee. Known as the ‘Culture Adjuster’ Elizabeth has been recognised in the HR Most Influential Awards for five consecutive years. Her expertise lies in engaging talent, promoting workplace well-being, empowering women’s success, and fostering a culture of inclusion—her speciality.
Elizabeth’s speaking engagements have included facilitating conferences such as The Retail Bulletin and participating in public and private events. She has addressed large corporate audiences and led more niche sessions with smaller businesses.
Laura Henry-Allain MBE is a global award-winning producer, consultant, educationalist, and keynote speaker. She is also the mother of two grown-up sons, one of whom is autistic.
She is the creator of the well-loved BBC cartoon JoJo and Gran Gran, which is based on the relationship she had with her own grandmother. The series was produced by BBC Studios Kids &Family, and she is the associate producer.
In 2021, Laura received an MBE for Services to Education as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Nursery World Awards.
Brendan Hall is a renowned figure in the fields of speaking, coaching, and consulting, with a focus on fostering high-performance cultures within teams and organisations. His expertise lies in unlocking the untapped potential of teams, cultivating resilience, fostering connections, promoting collaboration, and enhancing leadership qualities.
As a sought-after speaker, Brendan has earned recognition for his ability to inspire audiences and deliver tangible outcomes.
He has been trusted by esteemed organisations such as PwC, Toyota, GSK, Nestle, Financial Times, Tesco, and Lloyds Banking Group.
He also holds positions as an adjunct lecturer at Ashridge Executive Education and Cranfield Business Schools, where he imparts his knowledge and experience to aspiring leaders.
