From breaking barriers to sparking change, inspiring women are redefining leadership across industries. Discover the top female speakers to hire - visionary voices who empower, educate and ignite action at every event.
What are the Benefits of Hiring an Inspirational Female Speaker?
Hiring an inspirational woman as a keynote speaker is a powerful step towards change. With gender equality still 131 years away, amplifying women's voices is more vital than ever. Female speakers don’t just share stories - they spark movements, challenge bias, and inspire the next generation. At a time when 22% of girls aged 15–19 are not in education, employment or training, and self-harm ranks as their third leading cause of death globally, representation truly matters. Seeing and hearing successful, resilient women on stage can ignite hope, build confidence and prove that every girl has the right to dream and lead.
Sources: Focus 2030 & UNICEF
Who are the Top 10 Female Inspirational Speakers to Hire?
According to official vetted data from exclusive event polls at over 259 events with inspirational women as the keynote speaker, collected by Lucy Berry, the following speakers are the top 10 female inspirational speakers to hire!
- Deborah Meaden
- Emma Barnett
- Katherine Grainger
- Karren Brady
- Bonita Norris
- Catherine Ashton
- Cynthia Breazeal
- Amy Blankson
- Catherine Spencer
- Sherrie Hewson
1. Deborah Meaden
A leading figure within the business industry, Deborah Meaden is best known for appearing as a dragon on the BBC hit show, Dragons' Den. Starting her journey into the brutal world of business at a young age, Deborah began a simple import-export company specialising in glass and ceramics with little business knowledge.
After seeing massive success as the Managing Director of Weststar Holidays, Deborah was able to sell her shares for a staggering £33m. During her time within the company, she transformed the operation into an incredible money-making machine, which boasted both high-quality vacations and top customer service for consumers.
Now a corporate investor, as well as a household name within the UK, Deborah holds shares in industries ranging from baby products, antique valuation and even a recipe website. One of the most highly regarded and sought-after female business speakers in the UK, she has a wide plethora of knowledge spanning these different sectors and industries, making her the top dog when it comes to all things retail.
Deborah's Official Speaking Topics:
- Marginal gains
- Customer service
- Corporate turnaround
- Entrepreneurship
- Retail and sales
2. Emma Barnett
An award-winning digital journalist, there isn’t much Emma Barnett doesn’t know about the world of technology. The former Women Editor for The Daily Telegraph, she regularly provides fascinating newspaper columns for a wide range of British publications on numerous current affairs topics.
As well as this, she has frequently presented Sunday Morning Live on the BBC and the discussion programme After The News. Emma is also a keen fan of history and this year has started a podcast looking at the best 100 places in England. It has been nominated for the Best Branded Content award at the British Podcast Awards.
Emma's Official Speaking Topics:
- Period poverty
- Gender equality
- Politics and equality
- Women in journalism
- Politics and women's policy
3. Dame Katherine Grainger
One of the most successful Olympians of all time, Scottish rower and Olympic speaker Dame Katherine Grainger is no stranger to success. Having both gold and silver medals to her name, Katherine is a truly remarkable sportswoman and an extremely motivating, inspirational sports speaker.
Sharing the title of most decorated ever female British Olympian, she has several World Championships and World Cups under her belt. These include four Quadruple Sculls World Cups gained between 2005 and 2010.
With a host of other notable achievements, including smashing the record during the qualification for the women’s Double Sculls Final at London 2012, Katherine is one of the most respected and sought-after Olympic speakers that you can hire for events.
Katherine's Official Speaking Topics:
- Women and sport
- Marginal gains
- Peak performance
- Breaking world records
- Inspiring future generations
4. Baroness Karren Brady
Nicknamed "the first lady of football", Baroness Karren Brady is a well-known and respected figure within the footballing world. A successful businesswoman in her own right, Karren first found fame when she appeared on the hit BBC series The Apprentice. Baroness Brady has since continued to develop and build her business portfolio, forming ties with both the British government and many British sporting institutions.
Karren became the youngest ever female managing director of a British football club when, in 1993, she was appointed as the MD of Birmingham City FC. Karren was aged just 23.
One of the most inspirational female speakers on the circuit, Karren is an expert in business management and running large establishments, as well as managing hundreds of employees and millions of pounds worth of business.
Karren's Official Speaking Topics:
- Business management
- Corporate turnaround
- Leadership and teamwork
- Workplace culture
- Marginal gains
5. Bonita Norris
The youngest person to stand at both "tops of the world", Bonita Norris is a truly inspirational female figure. Having spoken at hundreds of events since becoming an after dinner speaker five years ago, Bonita is often described as one of the most engaging, impactful people in the industry.
Not only is Bonita a great storyteller, but she is also a highly respected mountaineer and explorer. Despite being a novice climber, she worked hard to summit Mount Everest after a short span of challenging training. Teaching lessons of perseverance and resilience, Bonita speakers of marginal gains, not giving up and always keeping our minds open to new opportunities.
Accompanied by stunning photographs from her expeditions to the Himalayas, Bonita’s talks are entertaining and humorous. The impact that Bonita has on her audience members can last beyond the evening itself, inspiring them to implement her strategies in their own lives.
Bonita's Official Speaking Topics:
- Teamwork and team-building
- Mountaineering
- Gender equality
- Calculating risk
- Overcoming self-limitations
6. Baroness Catherine Ashton
Former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton has enjoyed vast success within her political career. A hugely influential figure, Catherine was the Leader of the House of Lords as well as Lord President of the Council in Gordon Brown’s first cabinet throughout 2007. It was in this period that she played a leading role in passing the Treaty of Lisbon.
This led to Catherine being named as the British European Commissioner and the Commissioner for Trade for the European Commission in 2008. During this time, she led an ambitious and far-reaching trade agreement with South Korea, as well as solved many high-profile trade disputes with major trading partners.
Furthermore, Catherine has also championed trade as a means of promoting development around the world, putting the EU’s economic relationship with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries on a firmer footing. In late 2009, Catherine became the very first High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, a role created as a result of the Lisbon Treaty.
Catherine's Official Speaking Topics:
- Women in politics
- Brexit and international relations
- Current affairs
- Trade and British policies
- Gender equality
7. Cynthia Breazeal
Cynthia Breazeal is an Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In this role, she directs the Personal Robots Group at the Media Lab. A specialist in artificial intelligence and digital disruption, Cynthia is also the founder and Chief Scientist of Jibo Inc., and the leading pioneer of Social Robotics and Human-Robot Interaction.
Author of the book, Designing Sociable Robots, Cynthia has published over one hundred peer-reviewed articles in journals and conferences on the topics of Autonomous Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Human-Robot Interaction and Robot Learning. Cynthia has served on several editorial boards in areas like autonomous robots and multi-agent systems.
Recognised as a respected global innovator and an expert on digital disruption, Cynthia is a recipient of the National Academy of Engineering’s Gilbreth Lecture Award and an ONR Young Investigator Award.
Cynthia's Official Speaking Topics:
- Artificial intelligence
- Autonomous robotics
- Human-robot interaction
- Robot learning
- Digital disruption
8. Amy Blankson
Having been publicly praised by two presidents - President Clinton and President Bush - Amy Blankson is one of the world’s most successful business people. She is best known for co-founding the think tank, Good Think, which researches a wide range of topics to deliver results for organisations across the globe.
Amy has also held high-profile roles, including a five-year term on the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National Service in the USA, as well as working as a delegate for the President’s Summit for America’s Future. Having pioneered many businesses, she can discuss her journey to the top of the business world.
Amy's Official Speaking Topics:
- The future of happiness
- Workplace culture
- Personal development
- Sustainable change
- Global futurism
9. Catherine Spencer
Iconic former captain of the England Women’s rugby team, Catherine Spencer is a highly respected figure within the world of rugby. Having written articles for several leading publications, including The Independent, Sports International Magazine and The Sunday Times, Catherine is no stranger to being in the limelight when it comes to all things rugby.
Throughout 12 years of elite-level playing, Catherine has achieved a total of 63 caps for her country. During this time, she played in two Rugby World Cup finals, narrowly missing out to New Zealand on both occasions. Catherine scored 18 tries for England, won the England Player of the Year award in 2006, and additionally received a Rugby Writers Club Special Award.
After retiring from international rugby following a sixth successive Six Nations Championship win in 2011, Catherine is currently a patron of the Tag Rugby Trust. In this role, she regularly coaches the sport to underprivileged children in developing countries across the world. Now a regular commentator and studio pundit for Sky Sports, Catherine draws upon her wealth of experience and achievements to deliver incredibly inspiring speeches.
Catherine's Official Speaking Topics:
- Inspiring future players
- Overcoming adversity
- Equality and sport
- Peak performance
- The gender gap in sport
10. Sherrie Hewson
From the drama of the cobbles on Coronation Street to the comedy hijinks on Benidorm, Sherrie Hewson has done it all in a career spanning 40 years. A regular panellist on the daytime programme Loose Women, Sherrie isn't afraid to shed light on challenging topics like body dysmorphia and female equality.
Having started in the 1970s, Sherrie has witnessed first-hand the limitations placed on female entertainers. Despite this, Sherrie broke free of the mould to define her own future in the industry. Nowadays, she uses her platform to highlight the ongoing issues facing British women, including domestic violence, fuelled by her own experiences.
Sherrie's Official Speaking Topics:
- Television and the media
- A career in the media
Why Should I Hire a Female Inspirational Speaker?
1. Wow Your Audience
One of the best things that an inspirational female speaker can do is leave their audiences in awe. Our speakers come from a variety of different industries including sport, business, politics and entertainment. This means that no two events are the same, and whoever you hire is sure to wow audiences with their tales of success.
2. Fascinating Anecdotes
A highlight of booking any inspirational female speaker is the fascinating anecdotes that they can bring to an event. These are the things that will stick in people’s minds once the event is complete and one of the main reasons why you hire them in the first place.
3. Improve Productivity
Inspirational female speakers are also extremely good at improving productivity in a company. If you feel like your staff need a morale boost or have hit a bit of a lull which they need to get out of, then a speaker could fit the bill. By sharing their own stories of success, they can inspire people to be the best they can be in their own careers and make changes to their lives as a result.
Hire an Inspirational Female Speaker Today!
To hire one of our female inspirational speakers for your next corporate event, conference or function, simply contact the Champions Speakers agency via our online contact form. For any further information, contact a booking agent directly on 0207 1010 553.
This exclusive article on the top female inspirational speakers to hire was authored by Lucy Berry, utilising data from exclusive event polls at over 259 events with inspirational women as the keynote speaker, and vetted research from Focus 2030 and UNICEF.
An image of the 10 female inspirational speakers to make your event a success to hire via Champions Speakers, as selected by Senior Keynote Speaker Executive, Lucy Berry.
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