Sara Khan

Sara Khan, an activist, writer and government advisor, is an inspirational female boss. Hailed by Vogue as ‘the woman taking on ISIS’, she is empowering not only Muslim women across the world, but all women, with her words and her actions. Sought out by the UK government due to her unrelenting campaigning on anti-terrorism, she has had a career like no other. As a speaker, Sara Khan is completely versatile and can offer insight into the politics and policies behind anti extremism, share her inspirational story of activism or offer support as a woman in power.

As the CEO of Inspire, a non-government organisation (NGO), Sara Khan is tackling counter-extremism and gender equality head on. Since co-founding the NGO in 2008, she has worked tirelessly within the education sector in order to train teachers and develop strategies for identifying potential extremism influences in children and tackling the tough subject in schools. Through videos, talks and training programmes, Sara Khan has ensured the facts are heard and made evident the dangers of the extremist views on religion, gender and identity, from groups such as Boko Haram. Sara Khan’s work as the CEO of Inspire has been pivotal in deterring youth from joining ISIS groups overseas and being involved in extremist behaviour in the UK.

Being a second generation Pakistani immigrant, Sara Khan felt compelled to work as a human rights activist and empower Muslim women. Prior to founding Inspire, she was the president of an Islamic youth organisation and worked in a number of roles assisting the British Government. Since 2005 she has sat on the Tackling Extremism and Radicalisation Working Group for the Home Office, worked for the Department of Education’s Counter Extremism Reference group and, most recently was appointed the Lead Commissioner for Commission for Countering Extremism. Her expertise, and dedication to the cause led Sara Khan to be sought out by the British government for the role and in 2022 she was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. 

Having devoted her career to activism and empowerment, Sara Khan has received much deserved recognition for her work and involvement in the challenging topic. In 2009 she was named on the Muslim Women’s Power Listand for two years has been one of Britain's 500 Most Influential People. Winning the 2016 Marie Claire Groundbreaking Activist Award, solidified her position as one of the most influential voices of a generation. Dedicated, experienced and driven, Sara Khan is an inspirational advocate for human rights and gender equality and is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression as a keynote speaker.