Holly Budge is a pioneer in adventure and conservation. She is the first woman to skydive Everest and has embarked on many extreme expeditions globally. An award-winning entrepreneur, Holly is the Founder of How Many Elephants charity and World Female Ranger Week. Holly is an in-demand speaker due to her ability to turn extraordinary experiences into practical business insights.
Starting her career as a Skydiving Camera Operator, Holly conquered the challenge of becoming the first woman to skydive Everest in 2008, jumping from 29,500 ft and landing at 12,500 ft onto the world’s largest landing area. Holly’s next expedition set a new Guinness World Record for the World’s Longest Horse Race by travelling 1000km across Mongolia on horseback, riding 25 semi-wild horses over 9 days. Inspired by her adventures, Holly founded How Many Elephants, a women-led charity protecting African elephants and female rangers on the frontline globally. Holly also climbed Everest from the north side in a two-person team in 2017 and spent 47 days on the mountain. Growing her charity, Holly founded World Female Ranger Week, an awareness campaign to amplify the voices of female wildlife rangers on a global stage. In 2021, she became a member of The Explorers Club, further supporting causes of preservation and scientific exploration. Holly combined her spirit for adventure and charity by climbing to the top of Margherita Peak in the Rwenzori Mountains in 2022 to raise funds to stop elephant poaching in collaboration with Uganda Tourism Board.
A decorated career, Holly is well-recognised for her charity work and daring expeditions as an adventurer. She has been awarded for her non-profit work 15 times at the Stevie Awards in categories including Female Innovator of the Year, Woman of the Year and Female Thought Leader of the Year. Holly has been included in The Diversity Power List and The Natwest Women in Social Enterprise 100. She recently won the Extinction Category at the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year awards. Holly is regularly in the media as her adventures have been featured by several outlets, including Forbes, Sky News, Woman’s Hour and National Geographic Kids. Holly is also a published travel writer for titles, including Country & Town House, Wanderlust and Summit Mag.
Holly is an inspirational keynote speaker, sharing her compelling stories of adventure and unique perspectives on risk, leadership, exploration and extreme environments. Holly has worked with companies including J.P. Morgan, Shell, British Airways, The North Face and Red Bull. She has also been a keynote speaker at travel conferences and delivered two TEDx talks - The Power of Passion; Where Adventure Meets Conservation and How Audacious Goals Can Transform Your Life. If you are looking to learn how to redefine risk and succeed in the face of uncertainty, hire Holly for your next corporate event.
Holly Budge's official speaking topics are listed below:
The Risk Ready Mindset
Turning uncertainty into your competitive edge
In times of rapid change, one skill separates the bold from the burnt-out: the ability to take smart risks. The leaders and teams who win are those who act decisively under pressure and turn fear into focus. In this fast-paced keynote, Holly challenges the comfort culture that is holding many businesses back. Drawing on her own experiences, from summiting the north side of Everest, becoming the first woman to skydive Everest, to patrolling on the frontline with anti-poaching units in Africa, she unpacks what it really takes to make bold, calculated decisions when the stakes are high. This talk isn’t about recklessness. It’s about redefining risk as a catalyst for innovation, growth, and personal leadership. Holly equips audiences with the tools to embrace uncertainty, build resilience, and take purposeful action, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
Leading Under Pressure
Redefining Leadership in a World That Won’t Slow Down
The rules of leadership are being rewritten. Leaders who thrive are not those with all the answers, but those brave enough to act when the path ahead is unclear. In this thought-provoking keynote, Holly exposes what leadership really looks like when the stakes are high, drawing on her experiences of leading teams on high-altitude expeditions to ambushing poachers on the frontline of conservation. Holly explores how courage, empathy, and calculated risk-taking can unite teams, fuel innovation, and build trust in the face of uncertainty. This talk challenges leaders to think differently - to shift from control to connection, hierarchy to humanity, and comfort to growth - equipping them to lead with clarity and conviction in a rapidly changing world.
The Elephant in the Boardroom
The Conservation Risk Equation
Sustainability has become one of the most overused words in business, yet one of the least understood. Too often, it’s treated as a line item, a CSR box to tick, or a report to file. But what if we saw it for what it truly is: a leadership opportunity, a risk management strategy, and a growth driver? In this powerful keynote, Holly challenges organisations to rethink conservation and climate responsibility as essential components of business resilience. Drawing from over a decade of front-line work protecting African elephants and supporting women-led conservation initiatives globally, she translates lived experiences into actionable insights for the boardroom. Through compelling stories - ranging from working in conflict zones to participating in high-level policy conversations - Holly reveals how businesses that prioritise biodiversity and community impact aren’t just doing good; they’re future-proofing themselves. This isn’t about charity; it’s about foresight, innovation, and purpose-led decision-making that benefits people, planet, and profit alike. Audiences leave equipped with a new perspective on environmental risk - not as a problem to fix, but as an opportunity to lead differently and build enduring value.
Official Feedback From In-Person & Virtual Events
“Inspiring, funny, and down-to-earth” - HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
“Engaging. Thought provoking. Inspirational.” - J.P. Morgan
"The feedback from our customers has been so positive and real value was felt" - Kuoni
"Holly is a bold speaker” - The North Face
"An invaluable speaker to ignite change” - Paul Squirrell, Director of Mission Network
- 2026 - Won Gold Stevie Award for Female Innovator of the Year in Non-Profit
- 2025 - Included in top 50 of The Diversity Power List
- 2025 – Awarded DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year of Extinction Category by David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
- 2024 – Digital Storytelling Champion – ATTA For Action
- 2024 – Won Gold Stevie Award for Woman of the Year in Non-Profit
- 2024 – Recognised in WISE100 Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise
- 2023 – Won Gold Stevie Award for Female Thought Leader of the Year in Non-Profit
- 2022 – Climbed to top of Margherita Peak in Rwenzori Mountains to raise funds to stop elephant poaching in collaboration with Uganda Tourism Board
- 2021 – Became a member of The Explorers Club
- 2021 – Founded World Female Ranger Week
- 2017 – Climbed Everest from north side in two-person team and spent 47 days on mountain above 5000m
- 2016 – Overall Winner of City Lit Photography Competition
- 2015 – Graduated with masters in Sustainable Design
- 2013 – Founded How Many Elephants charity
- 2009 – Set a Guinness World Record for ‘World’s Longest Horse Race’ with expedition of 1000km across Mongolia on horseback
- 2008 – Became the first woman to skydive Everest
- 2005 – Graduated from Bournemouth University with an Interactive Media Production degree
- 1999 – Skydiving Camera Operator for Taupo Tandem Skydiving
How to hire Holly Budge
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Holly Budge 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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