10 Best Keynote Speakers for National Inclusion Week 2024

Chris Tompkins Official Author Picture
Senior Keynote Speaker & Entertainment Manager
National Inclusion Week

National Inclusion Week is an annual opportunity for employers nationwide to invest in their diversity and inclusion policies. The event celebrates the companies already embedding inclusion into their daily practices and teaches other businesses how to tackle discrimination, stigma, and bias.

In our latest blog post, we at The Motivational Speakers Agency have outlined the top 10 diversity and inclusion keynote speakers to book for National Inclusion Week 2024. We have also included when National Inclusion Week is taking place and what you can expect from the event – do not miss this ultimate guide!

Contents

What is National Inclusion Week?

National Inclusion Week is a tenth-year UK-round event celebrating inclusion and encouraging employers to prioritise inclusion in their workplace culture. In previous years, National Inclusion Week has reached over 60 million participants, who use the event to source inclusive employers or transform their current place of work.

Source: Inclusive Employers

When is National Inclusion Week 2024?

National Inclusion Week will take place from September 23rd to September 29th, 2024. The theme is Cultural Intelligence: Inclusion Across Cultures.

The importance of National Inclusion Week is clear to see; simply look at the statistics. Companies with higher-than-average diversity enjoy 19% higher innovation revenues, reflecting the value of an inclusive workplace where employees can thrive as their authentic selves.

Who are the best keynote speakers for National Inclusion Week 2024?

Discover below our top pick of the top keynote speakers available to hire for National Inclusion Week 2024.

Asif Sadiq

Senior VP Of Equity & Inclusion for Warner Media

Quick Fire Facts About Asif Sadiq:

  • One of the most highly regarded diversity and inclusion experts
  • Received the Head of Diversity Award at the European Diversity Awards
  • Former Global Head of D&I at Adidas and current Senior VP of Equity & Inclusion at Warner Media

Testimonial

Asif Sadiq spoke with authority, clarity and provided excellent insights and practical examples of how we can take the drive for equity in our workplaces and society forward. The audience engagement and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

- Ali, TSB

Billie Jean King

Ranked World No.1 Professional Tennis Player

Quick Fire Facts About Billie Jean King:

  • Formerly ranked the world’s number-one tennis player
  • First President of the Women’s Tennis Association and founder of Women Sports Magazine
  • A passionate advocate for female inclusion in sports and LGBTQ+ representation

Testimonial

The depth of what [Billie Jean King] accomplished as a player and activist makes choosing one singular milestone impossible. Cumulatively, there have been few who have had a greater impact on their sport than King.

- International Tennis Hall of Fame

Nicola Adams

GB’s Most Successful Female Boxer

Quick Fire Facts About Nicola Adams:

  • First female boxer to win Olympic Gold and Team GB’s most successful female boxer
  • First British boxer to successfully defend Olympic title in 92 years
  • Advocate for LGBTQ+ representation who was first in the 101 Most Influential LGBT People in Britain

Testimonial

What an amazing role model to us all. Nicola’s unique humility and wonderfully warm personality inspired us all in what is achievable in life with purpose and hard work. The Q&A format was a big success, everyone loved the format I would wholeheartedly recommend Nicola for the incredible impression she can make.

- Brian, SVP & GM EMEA, Blue Prism Ltd

Inga Beale

First Female CEO of Lloyds of London

Quick Fire Facts About Inga Beale:

  • First female CEO of the top insurance firm, Lloyds of London
  • Listed first in the OUTstanding & FT Leading LGBT Executive List
  • Patron of Insuring Women’s Futures and a member of the Stonewall Development Council

Testimonial

Helped secure Dame Inga Beale for our growing diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) program... Dame Inga exceeded all our expectations. Her personal approach directly connected with our employee audience. She took personal storytelling to a new level.

- Mary, Claire’s

Jake & Hannah Graf

UK’s Most Influential LGBT Power Couple

Quick Fire Facts About Jake & Hannah Graf:

  • Named the Most Influential LGBTQ Couple on The Independent’s 2018 Pride Power list
  • Duo includes an award-winning actor/director and an Officer in the British Army
  • Hannah judges the British LGBT Awards, and Jake judges the Rainbow Honours

Testimonial

Listening to Jake and Hannah's story and having the opportunity to watch Jake's film was educational, emotional and enjoyable. Huge thanks to them for their honesty, openness and for being their authentic selves.

- Sara, MD, EMEA CEO Chief of Staff, Citi

Nigel Owens

Gay Sports Personality of the Decade

Quick Fire Facts About Nigel Owens:

  • Broke the world record for the most test matches refereed, including 100 international matches
  • Voted the Gay Sports Personality of the Year 2007 and Gay Sports Personality of the Decade
  • A passionate advocate for gay representation in sports and LGBTQ+ inclusion

Testimonial

On behalf of all the staff at Gilead, we would like to thank you for such an inspiring webinar today. The messages we have received have been overwhelming. We had just over 200 on the call (some were watching from a large screen in our meeting room). Thank you so much for your time!

- Donna, HR Business Partner, Gilead

Charlie Martin

First Professional Transgender Racer

Quick Fire Facts About Charlie Martin:

  • First transgender racing driver to be affiliated with the FIA Formula E
  • First Sports Ambassador for Stonewall, also part of the Athlete Ally’s Ambassador Programme
  • Raced in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, 24 Hours of Nürburgring and Race of Remembrance

Testimonial

In a male-dominated sport that lacks visible diversity, she is changing perceptions and championing inclusivity" "If there is anyone to inspire you to follow your dreams with passion and determination, it’s Charlie.

- Katherine, AON

Michelle King

MD of Equality Forward

Quick Fire Facts About Michelle King:

  • Author of the award-winning book, The Fix: How to Overcome the Invisible Barriers that Are Holding Women Back at Work
  • Former Director of Inclusion for Netflix and current Managing Director of Equality Forward
  • World-renowned equality advocate who was named in LinkedIn’s 2020 Top Voice for Equality

Testimonial

Michelle is not only extremely knowledgeable with her background and research on gender inequality, but she applies those insights specifically to the workplace and brings it to life. Michelle has a truly unique way of connecting with her audience. 

- Claudia, CEO, SHE Global

June Sarpong

First Director of Creative Diversity for the BBC

Quick Fire Facts About June Sarpong:

  • Named the first Director of Creative Diversity at the BBC
  • Regular Loose Women panellist who has stared on several prime-time programmes
  • Founder of the Decide Now Act Summit, which celebrates female empowerment

Testimonial

We absolutely loved the session with June Sarpong. And June made for a formidable duo that rocked the house of Co-Op! Haha, that sounds like a quote out of Pose. But it was truly a fantastic session. June was powerful in her storytelling and very honest in sharing her thoughts around inclusion, bias and allyship. 

- Ash, Co-Op

JJ Chalmers

Former Royal Marine Lance Corporal

Quick Fire Facts About JJ Chalmers:

  • Earned a Gold medal at the Invictus Games in 2014 after surviving an IED explosion
  • Television personality who took part in Strictly Come Dancing and presented Money for Nothing
  • Tackles disability stigma and is a vocal supporter of diversity and inclusion for the disabled community

Testimonial

The conference went very well, and JJ was excellent. The informal feedback we have had is overwhelmingly positive. People have described JJ as inspirational, authentic, kept their attention at all times and good balance of humour and excellent content.

- Fiona, Revolution Bars Group

Book a Speaker for National Inclusion Week 2024!

To hire a National Inclusion Week speaker, contact The Motivational Speakers Agency today via our online contact form. One of our experienced booking agents will supply a free, informative quote based on your requirements. With The Motivational Speakers Agency, your event aspirations are in safe hands.

Chris Tompkins Official Author Picture
Senior Keynote Speaker & Entertainment Manager

Chris Tompkins is a prominent Senior Keynote Speaker & Entertainment Manager at The Motivational Speakers Agency. Having joined the team in October 2019 as an After Dinner Speakers Sales Executive, Chris has swiftly made his mark. His previous roles as a Sales and Service Representative at James Boylan Safety Ltd and an Account Manager at Flogas Britain provided a strong foundation for his current position.

 

In his time at The Motivational Speakers Agency, Chris has successfully booked speakers for prestigious clients such as GoCardless, the Ministry of Defence, the NHS and Boots. He has collaborated with notable speakers including Jamil Qureshi and Jason Fox, showcasing his ability to connect with top-tier talent. As the agency’s resident expert on diversity and inclusion speakers, Chris has established significant relationships with advocates for equality and social mobility globally. His expertise spans various aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion, from neurodiversity to racial equality.

 

Outside the office, Chris is equally dedicated. He coaches his son's under-8 football team and enjoys golf, football and quality time with his wife and children. At work, his passion for sports shines through as he also specialises in booking Olympic and Paralympic athletes, footballers, rugby speakers and more. Chris's multifaceted expertise and personal passions make him an invaluable asset to The Motivational Speakers Agency.

 

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