Founder of the Professional Speaking Association, Former Chief Executive of Gendershift & First-Ever Recipient of The Speaker Awards Lifetime Achievement Award

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Rikki Arundel has become a celebrated figure within the LGBTQ+ community. Having been the proud recipient of the first-ever The Speaker Awards Lifetime Achievements Award in 2024, their expertise in LGBTQ+ inclusivity, particularly on transgender and non-binary themes, is admired by audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Passionate about implementing positive change throughout the community, Rikki has dedicated their career to empowering audiences to speak up about their beliefs and be proud of who they are. When looking to hire a transformative LGBTQ+ speaker for your upcoming events, do not hesitate to hire Rikki today.

Having developed a diverse career enriched with advocacy and public speaking, Rikki has devoted their career to educating and inspiring audiences on a wide range of LGBTQ+ matters. In 1998, Rikki began their remarkable entrepreneurial career by becoming the Founder and First President of the Professional Speaking Association. On a mission to inspire a positive behaviour change, they were selected to become the Chief Executive of Gendershift, an organisation aiming to create a fair society in which every person’s gender, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation are accepted and respected, in 2007.

In recognition of their illustrious career, Rikki has been the recipient of numerous awards in recent years, including the PSAE Speaker Hall of Fame award and being named one of 50 LGBT Icons for the 2017 UK/Euro Pride. In 2024, Rikki became the first-ever recipient of The Speaker Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of bringing unparalleled experience and a unique perspective to all events they attend. An inspiration to audiences globally, Rikki has become a must-see speaker for audiences seeking to find their place within the LGBTQ+ industry.

A leading authority in their field, Rikki Arundel is now highly sought-after to attend speaking engagements internationally. Having been selected to deliver the powerful TEDx Talk ‘Why is Gender Identity so Important?’, their professional insights are truly one-of-a-kind throughout the speaking circuit. Whether you are looking to educate your audience or inspire your business leaders to champion LGBTQ+ inclusivity, Rikki is the perfect speaker to catalyse meaningful change at your future events. Bringing critical LGBTQ+ issues to the forefront of society, do not hesitate to hire Rikki as a passionate diversity and inclusion speaker today.

How to hire Rikki Arundel

Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Rikki Arundel for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.

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** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.

Rikki Arundel's official speaking topics are listed below:

Transgender and Non-Binary Awareness
Rethinking Sex and Gender
Making your workplace LGBTQ Inclusive
Understand Social Identity and Tackling Unconscious Bias
Why LGBTQ History is so important
Mastering the Skill of Storytelling
How to become an Outstanding Speaker
How to engage your audience
The Power of Personal Storytelling

Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events:

Feedback from In-Person Events:

“I invited Rikki to give a talk to my company for International Transgender Day of Visibility. Rikki was a delight to work with from the start – they arranged an initial call to discuss our needs as a company and what Rikki could offer in turn. The talk itself was highly engaging, honest and inspiring! We would recommend Rikki as a speaker to anyone who is interested in developing their knowledge or looking to create a more inclusive workplace.” - Elle, PR Manager, TopCashBack

“Rikki delivered a session as part of our Senior Leaders CPD Days. They were fantastic and provided a detailed and comprehensive presentation around ‘Rethinking sex and Gender’ which got everyone thinking and has since created a solid basis for discussion within individual teams. Rikki is a very talented presenter and storyteller, who is able to share their personal experience and knowledge of the subject with passion and professionalism. It was a pleasure to speak with Rikki from the start- they were professional, friendly and we had some thought provoking discussions along the way! Highly recommend Rikki-fabulous keynote speaker. “ - Cecili, Leadership and Talent Development Manager, Sussex and Surrey Police

“I wouldn’t think twice when recommending Rikki. By sharing their personal experiences, Rikki made their talk a safe space for audiences to relate and understand the challenges faced by transgender and non-binary people.” - Charlotte, Marketing and PR Manager, Atalian Servest UK & Ireland

“Rikki delivered two sessions of her Rethinking Sex and Gender Workshop at the UK Atomic Energy Authority to members of our HR Team and Inclusion Ambassadors. Rikki was brilliant ! Not only informative in terms of legislation, sharing of interesting historical facts and person experience and perspective. Her impact provoked a real buzz and is still talked about weeks later.”

“Looking forward to Rikki sharing with us again in the future.” - Marce, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Partner, UK Atomic Energy Authority

“Rikki is a truly inspiring presenter – she came to a TedX event at Fidelity last month, and challenged us all to think about Transgender and our attitudes to transgender people. For me personally, Rikki helped me understand – in a way I never have before – what transgender is all about; and why it is such a challenging issue for so many. And she manages to do so without the discussion being polarized. I would come and listen to Rikki again any time – and would recommend that every organization take the time to listen to what she has to say” - Simon, Independent Non-Executive Director, Fidelity International

“The impact of Rikki’s presentation last week has stayed with me and probably will do for a long time. Her main theme was the power and value of including stories in presentations. However, we were also treated to part of her main keynote on the the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect.”

“Wow! Her message and impact were amazingly powerful. She was fun, serious, compelling and bewitching. Absolutely fabulous. Highly recommended!” - Mark, Chair, Tax Advice Network

“Rikki spoke at our first Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust to a full lecture theatre of NHS staff and external organisations. Rikki was exceptional and received a wealth of excellent feedback from all those who heard her talk. She spoke about ‘Rethinking Sex and Gender’ and thoroughly engaged the audience on what can sometimes be a complex subject to understand. Rikki is inspirational, extremely knowledgeable on her subject matter, personable, and leaves the audience informed and wanting to find out more. I would strongly recommend Rikki to speak at any event and I am very much looking forward to working with Rikki again in the future.” - Sally, Workforce Diversity Manager, University Hospital Birmingham

Feedback from Virtual Events:

“Rikki hosted a virtual event for us during Pride Month 2022, and the impact it had was far and wide. The event was part of our commitment to driving a culture of inclusivity within our large workforce, which Rikki supported by talking around the importance of breaking down barriers and empowering our colleagues to be their authentic selves in work.”