Shani Dhanda is one of the UK’s pioneering diversity and inclusion specialists, named the Shaw Trust’s Most Influential Disabled Person in 2023 and recognised as one of the BBC 100 Women Laureates. A multi-award-winning disability inclusion consultant, social entrepreneur and broadcaster, she is hired as a motivational speaker for her powerful storytelling, authentic lived experience, and ability to turn conversations about diversity, resilience and inclusion into practical, real-world action. Organisations such as Virgin Media, ITV and Warwickshire County Cricket Club seek her out to inspire cultural change, challenge bias and energise audiences to think and lead differently, making her one of the most impactful voices in inclusion and leadership today.
Shani holds a degree in Event and Venue Management from the University of Wolverhampton, shortly after she began her career in events management, working in the industry for over a decade before moving into inclusion consultancy and advocacy. Today, she is known for founding impactful initiatives such as the Asian Disability Network, the Asian Woman Festival, and the Diversability Card, alongside leadership roles on industry boards, government advisory work, and media broadcasting. More recently, her work has included co-founding accessibility-focused initiatives like the Access to Work Collective and Accessible Events Show, hosting the BBC Radio show Asian Network Motivation and writing the children's book “No Horn Unicorn’, a fun educational story to shape future generations’ understanding of inclusion.
Her work has been recognised through some of the most prestigious honours in the inclusion and leadership space. Shani was named on Business Live’s 35 under 35, part of ICS’s Six Most Influential Women in the New World of Work and on Inclusive Companies’ Diversity Powerlist. She has been highly distinguished by her former university, Wolverhampton University, receiving an Honorary Doctor of Social Sciences, the Contribution to Society Award and being inducted into their Alumni Hall of Fame in 2024. She has also received multiple leadership and inclusion awards across business, media and social impact sectors, including the Outstanding Contribution to Communities Award from Investing in Ethnicity.
Shani’s lived experience, combined with her leadership across business, media, policy and social change, is why she is consistently hired as a motivational keynote speaker. She brings authentic storytelling, practical insight and global perspective to audiences seeking cultural change and inclusive leadership. She has delivered prestigious talks and speaking engagements across global platforms, including TEDx, the United Nations, and World Expos, alongside major international conferences. Her ability to connect personal resilience with actionable organisational change makes her a powerful voice for audiences looking to create meaningful, lasting impact. Hire Shani Dhanda today with The Motivational Speakers Agency.
