SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Uma’s Founder, Rita Kakati-Shah, is an award-winning, internationally recognized author, and speaker at global events. She has opined on diversity, inclusion and empowerment strategies as well as company best practices. Topics have included: diversity and inclusion; gender and racial equality; gender investing; women’s empowerment; confidence, negotiation and leadership of women and minorities; successful communications; sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace; career progression for women in the workforce and return to the workforce after a career transition. Audiences span international corporations, academic institutions and global policy forums, as well as military veterans and survivors of domestic violence. Rita has co-authored books on women in business and diversity and inclusion. Visit her author page here.
BOOK OUR FOUNDER, RITA KAKATI-SHAH TO SPEAK AT YOUR EVENT
If you are looking for a speaker to make an impact, bring international experience and resonate with every audience member in the room, contact us today and explore having our Founder at your event. Simply fill out your details and one of our experts will get back to you.
For book readings, signings or to order copies of Rita’s books, please also complete the Details of Event / Speaking Role / Comments section.
RECENT / UPCOMING TALKS
- May 12, 2022: King’s College London Societies and Clubs, London, UK – A Fireside Chat with The Goddess of Go-Getting, Rita Kakati-Shah
- May 10, 2022: King’s Business School and City Women’s Network, London, UK – Book Talk on The Goddess of Go-Getting and Panel Discussion on Women in Business
- May 10, 2022: European Crowd Funding Festival, Bari, Italy – Keynote, Tactics for Crowd Funding: Finding your Passion as a Female Entrepreneur
- April 30, 2022: Global Founder’s Council, Mumbai, India – Keynote, The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Sustainability in Business
- April 12, 2022: IndUS, Harvard Club, New York, USA – Book Talk on The Goddess of Go-Getting and Leadership Strategies for Confidence, Resilience and Workplace Culture
- March 31, 2022: Ellevate, New York, USA – Book Talk on The Goddess of Go-Getting and training session for women in leadership
- March 29, 2022: USC Flow, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA – Book Talk on The Goddess of Go-Getting and Discussion on Modern Day Feminism
- March 28, 2022: King’s College London International Alumni Tour, Los Angeles, USA – Keynote on Gender Equality and Diversity
- March 27, 2022: GirlUp Amoyan, Dibrugarh, Assam, India – Panel Talk on women empowerment
- March 26, 2022: King’s College London International Alumni Tour, New York, USA – Panel talk on alumni experiences and giving back to the King’s community
- March 25, 2022: King’s College London International Alumni Tour, New York, USA – Keynote on Gender Equality and Diversity
- March 21, 22, and 23, 2022: World Higher Education Ranking Summit (WHERS), Dubai, UAE
- Keynote on the Creation of Safe Learning Environments through Communication, Inclusion, and Belonging
- Panel on the Creation of Transparent Education Systems
- Panel on how Universities can Guarantee Equality, Inclusion, and Non-Discrimination for all Students and Staff
- March 22, 2022: SundaySky, New York, USA – Book Talk on The Goddess of Go-Getting and leadership strategies to celebrate Women’s History Month
- March 20, 2022: News Plus, Guwahati, Assam, India – Women in Business Panel
- March 17, 2022: Baruch College, CUNY, New York, USA – Communications and DEI Strategies, MBA students
- March 8, 2022: Indian Consulate in New York, New York, USA – Celebration of Indian Women Globally, with a special book launch of The Goddess of Go-Getting
- March 8, 2022: Marubeni, New York, USA – Keynote talk to empower women to mark International Women’s Day
- March 8, 2022: YMCA, Chicago, USA – Keynote talk on International Women’s Day #BreaktheBias
- March 3, 2022: St. George’s Society of NY, New York, USA – Prelaunch Book Talk for The Goddess of Go-Getting
- February 6, 2022: Global Assamese Entrepreneurship Forum(GAEF), Washington DC – Chair of the Entrepreneurship panel
- February 6, 2022: Dream of a Woman, Guwahati, Assam, India – Women’s Workshop for Creating Opportunities for underprivileged women
- January 30, 2022: Global Assamese Entrepreneurship Forum (GAEF), Washington DC – Assamese Trendsetters Series, North America I panel
- January 23, 2022: Trinity School, New York, USA – Pivot-AL, Panel for women career pivoters
- December 10, 2021: British Consulate of NY, New York, USA – Female Founders Roundtable with the Rt. Hon. Nadine Dorries, UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
- November 20, 2021: IIM Sambalpur, Annual Business Conclave, Marmagya 6.0, Sambalpur, India – Keynote Speaker, Understanding Entrepreneurship and Scaling Businesses
- November 19, 2021: King’s Junior Consulting, London, UK – Strategic Insights into Careers and the Workplace
- November 14, 2021: IIM Sirmaur, Crucible of Leadership, Nirmaan 4.0, Sirmaur, India – Keynote Panel Moderator, Strategies for Women in Leadership
- November 11, 2021: Ormiston Park Academy, Aveley, UK – Motivational Careers Talk to Year 11 pupils
- November 10, 2021: King’s Business Club, London, UK – Fireside Chat: Careers in Finance Unraveled
- November 9, 2021: Chartered Association of Business Schools (CAB), Annual Conference, London, UK – Keynote Panelist, Tackling Inequality and Improving Inclusion
- November 5, 2021: The African Summit on Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ASENTI), Nairobi, Africa: Keynote Address, and Masterclass on Strategies for Entrepreneurs
- November 4, 2021: Cambridge University (Cantab) Alumni event, New York, USA: Fireside Chat on Career Strategy and tips for Workplace Success in a (post) Pandemic World
- October 28, 2021: USC Dornsife, Navigating your Career Transition, Los Angeles, USA – Keynote Talk to Trojans on Career Strategies and Tips for Re-entering the Workforce
- October 25, 2021: Week for World Parliament, India – Opening Keynote at the Closing Ceremony of Model World Parliament, Democracy Without Borders, India, We the Peoples Campaign, UNPA Campaign
- October 19, 2021: South Asian Leaders Unite to Empower (SALUTE), New York, USA – Workshop on Strategies for Success as a Woman in Leadership
- October 3, 2021: Global Assamese Entrepreneurship Forum (GAEF) – Women’s Forum Launch: Global Chairperson and Moderator
- September 20, 2021: A Celebration of Women and Minority Owned Businesses in NYC and Beyond! New York, USA: In partnership with The UK’s Department of International Trade, MicroMentor, Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade
- August 17, 24, September 3, 7, 14, 21, 25: United Nations Parliamentary Assembly Simulation, Secretary General and Chief Coordinator, India: Four sub-commissions on Gender Equality:
*Sub-commission 1: Gender Equality in the Household
*Sub-commission 2: Gender Equality in the Workplace
*Sub-commission 3: Gender Equality in Culture and Society
*Sub-commission 4: Gender Equality in Politics - August 26, 2021: Pink Pandemic and the Effect on Women and Minorities in the Workforce, Robert Half / Protiviti, San Francisco, USA: Keynote talk to Global Women’s Employment Network
- July 17, 25, 31, August 10: The Fundamentals of Leadership, Guwahati, Assam, India: Four-part Series as part of Assam and the Northeast of India’s Youth Development Programme:
*Communications and Presentations Skills
*Confidence and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
*Career Strategy and Mentoring
*International Organizations and Corporate Social Responsibility - June 14, 2021: Careers Talk, Derwent Primary School, Derby, UK: Fireside Chat to years 5-6 on business and entrepreneurship
- April 23, 2021: City of Sacramento, Innovation and Economic Development, Sacramento, USA: Mentor Sacramento, Volunteer Business Mentors: click here to view
- April 3, 2021: WOW Speaker Series, New York, USA: What’s Next? Navigating and succeeding in your next chapter with purpose
- March 31, 2021: Global Changemakers in Action, Mumbai, India: Global forum on enacting the UN’s SDGs 5, 8 and 10 for Womenomics in Action, Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade
- March 16, 2021: Baruch College, CUNY, New York, USA – Communications and Gender, MBA students
- February 14, 2021: Global Women in Leadership, Sultanate of Oman: Galentine’s Day Fireside Chat on leadership, diversity and inclusion and becoming the Goddess of Go-GettingTM
- January 16, 2021: Womenomics Global Movement, Mumbai, India: Keynote on Being a Changemaker for the UN’s SDG 5, 8 and 10, CIMSME, Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade
- January 9, 2021: Changemakers Summit, Hyderabad, India: Closing Keynote to Stanley College of Engineering & Technology for Women
- December 1, 2020: Careers Talk, Parkhill Junior School, Ilford, UK: Inspirational Career Talk to Year 6 Students
- November 26, 2020: Woman Who Matters, Moscow, Russia: Inclusive Leadership Panel Discussion
- November 24, 2020: Women Influence Community, Zambia, Africa: Opening Welcome Keynote to introduce Diversity and Inclusion for Women in Business and Girls in STEM
- October 29, 2020: Jostle, Vancouver, Canada: What Decency Has to do with Dialog, Panel Discussion
- October 28, 2020: FemTalent, London: Global Think Tank for Women in Business and Technology
- October 21, 2020: Hello Career Guru, New York: Taking Control of Your Next Career Move in Today’s Marketplace
- October 21, 2020: St. George’s Society of New York, New York: Let’s Talk About Race, Navigating Race in the Workplace, Panel Discussion
- October 6, 2020: IIM Shillong, Meghalaya, India – PGPEX-MBEE, Guest Lecture, iLead Webinar: Communication and Presentation Skills for the Managers and Leaders of Tomorrow
- September 17, 2020: Carne Group, Dublin, Ireland – Perspectives Interview with Rita Kakati-Shah
- September 15, 2020: National EAP, Long Island – Getting Started: Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, Panel Discussion
- September 1, 2020: TiE New York, New York – Featured Guest Speaker on Global Entrepreneurship, Confidence and Successful Scaling of Businesses
- August 30, 2020: Amazing NamastE, Assam, India – Keynote on being a Global Businesswoman, Assamese heritage and London life
- August 26, 2020: Women Influence Community, Ritz, Paris – Tribute to Coco Chanel, in celebration of Coco Chanel’s Birthday
- May 28, 2020: University of Southern California, Los Angeles – Keynote – Alumni Toolkit, Unleashing your Trojan Network
- May 11, 2020: Angelo Gordon, New York – Keynote – Communication, Confidence and Leadership for Women in the Workplace
- May 6, 2020: Knopman Marks Financial Training, New York – Masterclass on Creating Unshakable Confidence to meet any Challenge Head-on
- April 30, 2020: King’s Business School, London, UK: Alumni Diversity Mentoring Programme, International Mentor Presentation
- April 2, 2020: University of Southern California, Los Angeles – Guest Lecture to Marshall School of Business Students: The Communications Process – The Power of Presence, Presentation and Pitching
- April 1, 2020: University of Southern California, Los Angeles – Masterclass to Undergraduate Students: How to Work for a Mission-driven and Socially Conscious International Organization
- March 10, 2020: Women in Business, London Business School, London – Masterclass – Confidence, Communications and Leadership
- March 9, 2020: Gidea Park College, London – International Women’s Day, Empowering Talk to Form V and VI Girls
- March 6, 2020: Women in Business, London Business School, London – Keynote – International expert – Diversity, Gender Bias and Inclusion in Business
- March 3, 2020: Forest School, London – Keynote – National Careers Week and International Women’s Day, Motivational Talk to Year 12 and 13 Girls and Boys
- February 12, 2020: Association for Talent Development, Long Island City – Keynote – Diversity, Inclusion and Why you should Retain your Employees
- December 18, 2019: WSJ Podcasts, Secrets of Wealthy Women, New York – Expert Guest – How to Jump Start your Career in 2020
- December 12, 2019: Columbus Desi Radio, Ohio – Radio Guest – Tips for Returning to Work After a Career Transition
- November 13, 2019: KCL Women in Leadership, London – Fireside Chat: Pitching and Presence in the Boardroom, Tackling Imposter Syndrome, Recognizing Unconscious Bias and Including Men as Allies
- November 12, 2019: King’s Maths School, London – Keynote: The Role of Mathematics in the Career Trajectory of Finance to Healthcare to Entrepreneurship
- November 11, 2019: King’s College London Business Club, London – Special Guest Speaker: Confidence, Career Aspirations and Career Strategy
- October 17, 2019: Fordham Law School, New York – Women in Urban Law Leadership Initiative: Chaired the panel discussion on job interviews and the salary history ban, CLE credit 1.0
- October 16, 2019: European Parliament, Brussels – Presentation: UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5, Gender Equality
- October 15, 2019: Living Tomorrow, Brussels – Keynote: Increasing Women’s Influence Impacts the Global Economy
- October 13, 2019: University of Southern California, Los Angeles – Guest Lecture to MBA Students: Why Businesses and Leadership Need Diversity and Inclusion
- October 11, 2019: University of Southern California, Los Angeles – Masterclass to Undergraduate students: How to Work for a Mission-driven and Socially Conscious International Organization
- October 2, 2019: JCC, New York – Chaired the Discussion on Balancing Family with Success at Work
- September 24, 2019: New York University (NYU Steinhardt), New York – Guest Lecture to Postgraduate students: The Communications Process – The Power of Presence, Presentation and Pitching
- September 23, 2019: NPower, New York – Executive Women in Tech Roundtable | EY Wavespace
- September 5, 2019: ACP Women Veterans, New York – Lead the Panel on Re-entering the workforce after the military
- August 25, 2019: Assam Day, Nottingham – Keynote on the Importance for Gender Parity across Cultures, Society and the Global Economy
- August 21, 2019: London Business School, London – Keynote on Successful Networking for Women at Work
- July 25, 2019: Avery Moms, New York – Keynote on Networking for Career Progression at Work
- July 24, 2019: JCC, New York – Introduced Sunset Soirée for Moms Networking Event
- July 23, 2019: Bottom Line, Brooklyn – Corporate Inclusivity Workshop. Clients included Blackrock, Citi, Viacom, Sirius, TransPerfect, Jopwell, Justworks, Raised By Us, Temasek, Change for Kids, AWISCO, Cases, cSPACE, Projects
- June 11, 2019: Hornchurch High School, London – Career Speed Dating, Advice to Year 7 and 8 Students
- June 10, 2019: King’s College London, London – “Stripped Back” Fireside Chat, Unfiltered
- June 5, 2019: PRWeek Hall of Femme, New York – The Comeback Trail Panel Discussion
- May 30, 2019: Montclare Children’s School, New York – Keynote on Tips, Techniques and Proactive Next Steps on Workforce Re-Entry
- May 9, 2019: Bloomberg, New York – Presentation and Panel Discussion on Diversity and Inclusion in InfoSec
- May 8, 2019: Luminary, New York – Lunch and Luminate motivational talk to members of the women-only co-working space, Luminary
- April 17, 2019: JCC, New York – Keynote on What it takes to be a Mother Seeking to Return to the Workforce after a Career Break or Transition
- April 9, 2019: What if…? New York – Lead the discussion with 3 power women on what if you were to wake up one day to find your world was turned upside down; would you be prepared?
- March 29, 2019: Women Influence Community, Ritz, Paris – Keynote on Changing the Narrative of Mothers in the Economy
- March 28, 2019: UNESCO, Paris – Speech on the Importance of Women as National Symbols
- March 8, 2019: Global Arts Kingston, London – International Women’s Day, Guest Speaker, Women Heroes
- March 8, 2019: King’s Entrepreneurial Institute, London – Mentoring Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs
- March 8, 2019: Tilney Group, London – International Women’s Day, Guest Speaker at Women’s Empowerment Luncheon
- March 8, 2019: Gidea Park College, London – International Women’s Day, Motivational Talk to Form V and VI Girls
- March 7, 2019: King’s College London Business Club, London – Fireside Chat on Building a Global Business
- March 6, 2019: Women in Finance, London – Keynote – International expert – Career strategies for women in finance
- February 11, 2019: Motivational Careers Talk to USC Students, Los Angeles – Fireside Chat – Preparation for the future – The Hidden Truth of Career Breaks
- January 10, 2019: ACP Women Veterans, New York – Keynote – Why Network and let’s practice!
- January 10, 2019: Return with Purpose Summit, New York – Expert on career reentry panel
- December 8, 2018: Women’s Entrepreneurship Forum, Sochi – International expert – Advice and guidance for Russian businesswomen
- November 15-16, 2018: Woman Who Matters, Moscow – International expert – Gender diversity and workplace strategy – Paving the Way Forward in Russia
* Panel Discussion – Family Friendly Companies
* Roundtable discussion – Mothers who are Businesswomen
* Roundtable discussion – Women Communities as a Catalyst for Change - October 23, 2018: South Asian and Indo Caribbean Bar Association of Queens – Keynote – Lead the CLE on workplace discrimination and sexual harassment
- October 20, 2018: 2018 Young Women’s Leadership Conference in Los Angeles, hosted by the USC Unruh Institute of Politics – Expert on women’s empowerment panel for politics and public policy
- October 17, 2018: 6th annual High Water Women Symposium in New York – Lead the powerful spotlight discussion on Gender Investing and what the research shows from the public equity, venture capital, private sector angles, and strategies for investing in women
- September 22, 2018: Lycée Français de New York, The University of Edinburgh and King’s College London – Study Abroad Student Ambassador – motivational words to inspire study abroad
- September 20, 2018: TV Asia Center Stage, New Jersey – Expert Panelist – Workforce gender diversity and women’s career specialist
- June 21, 2018: King’s College London, Tour of New York – Keynote – The Art of Networking and Building a Personal Brand
- June 18, 2018: King’s College London, Tour of San Francisco – Keynote – The Art of Networking and Building a Personal Brand
- May 24, 2018: Trojan Talk at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles – Expert Panelist – Women’s Empowerment in Los Angeles
- May 1, 2018: Baker Hostetler, New York – Keynote – Tips for successful return to work and career progression for women in law
- January 14, 2018: Career Progression and Balance, Madrid – Keynote – Tips and best practices for prominent ladies of Madrid
- August 22, 2017: Purist Magazine, Wellness Lunch in the Hamptons – Keynote – Empowering talk on balancing your career with your lifestyle and family
TESTIMONIALS
Senior Manager, Capital Group
Last night’s talk was one of the best I’ve attended, seriously! The tangible takeaways of how to empower women in the workplace were unique and seemed to resonate with SO many of us. Really, this was top notch!
The WOW Series Team
Thank you so much for your talk! We were all so empowered after hearing your advice on pushing through moments of doubt. Your point on remembering past successes and believing in yourself will stick with anyone who is making efforts to achieve their dreams! Thank you again!
Viewer of Ticker News
Just watched this... you are amazing.... your energy, your vibe, your positivity and your passion in what you say and do is so empowering. Your eloquence and delivery is perfect...
Katherine Free, Early Career Coaching client
Hi Rita, I just wanted to thank you again for all your time mentoring and coaching me! You've given me so many new ideas and perspectives on how to pursue my international business and marketing goals. Thank you again so much!
Kabir Sagoo
Rita's Socratic style was refreshing and invigorating. She asked engaging questions and challenged our audience of professionals to critically think about their assumptions on the topic - all with courtesy, grace, and finesse. Rita vigorously exceeded our expectations because the audience realized the world does not need more stronger women, we need to do our part to make more women stronger.
Jennifer Russell
The team and I were thrilled to secure Rita as guest speaker for two of our alumni events this year in San Francisco and New York. Her wealth of experience, knowledge, and success within the sector, combined with her vision to create positive change within society is truly inspiring. She is a consummate professional and delivered her talks clearly, articulately, and with great passion. We had lots of positive feedback from many happy guests!
Cristina Cuomo
Thank you so very much for giving the keynote address at our wellness lunch in the Hamptons. You’ve built an amazing company and Uma is truly empowering women to be their best. In fact, after your talk, so many of our women asked how to hear more! Your talk was amazing!! So eloquent and inspiring!!!
Prof. Minna Logemann, Baruch College
Thank you for such an amazing, energizing class! I was thrilled to have you, and you saw the students were engaged in your important topics as well. Hope to have you back for an encore soon! Today’s timing was perfect for Women’s History Month!
Marcia Larson, Head of Partnerships, Knopman Marks Financial Training
The epitome of self-assurance and poise, Kakati-Shah presents confidence-boosting strategies in her live masterclasses and coaching seminars to help anyone create unshakable self-confidence to meet any challenge head-on.
Headmaster, all girls’ school
Thank you so much for your help! The student you have been working with just received an offer from Trinity College, Cambridge, and she mounts her success and confidence during her interview and preparation down to your work together! Thank you so much again for your help uplifting our year 6 girls and all our students!