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
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: https://youtu.be/aW7zjEE329Y
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
February 14, 2021: Global Women in Leadership, Oman, UAE: Galentine’s Day Fireside Chat on leadership, diversity and inclusion and becoming the Goddess of Go-Getting!
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 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.
Photo Gallery
Speaking Venues
Speaker Testimonials
Jennifer Russell, Alumni Volunteer Manager, King’s College London
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. Following each talk, Rita delivered an interactive session which was a fantastic way to engage our guests, and really helped embed the message. We had lots of positive feedback from many happy guests!
Kabir Sagoo, President, King’s College London Alumni Club of LA and Former Board Member, USC Alumni Club of Los Angeles
Rita was asked to participate in a Trojan Talk panel co-hosted by the USC Alumni Club of Los Angeles and King’s College London LA Alumni Club on the topic “Empowering Women in the Workplace”. Most panelists assume they should just talk a lot and demand their audience listen. Conversely, Rita’s Socratic style was refreshing and invigorating. She asked her co-panelists engaging questions and challenged our audience of professionals to critically think about their assumptions on the topic – all with courtesy, grace, and finesse. Panelists are expected to be articulate and memorable, but 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.
Joash Ward, Served in the Obama Administration at the White House and United Nations
Firstly, let me again express my gratitude the experiences you shared with us at your talk. It takes a great deal of courage to share your personal experiences in an open professional space. But I’d have to prorate that expression by the fact that UMA is founded on your sharing of your experiences, and to this I applaud you. As the son of a mother who valued motherhood and left the workforce to raise myself and my six siblings, I’ve seen firsthand many of the difficulties that transition back into the workforce has for mothers. But, let me also say that your two children will learn more about women and an equitable workforce because their mother was such a powerful demonstration of the values we all say we are fighting for. Let me also share my support for the vision of UMA.
Mary, Career Transitioner, Event Attendee
Hi there, I attended the event Uma hosted with King’s College London in NYC this week and thought it was wonderful. I am currently switching career paths and I am attending law school so it was great to hear the stories. Everything Ms Kakati Shah said really resonated. Looking forward to another one soon. Please extend my thank you!!
Cristina Cuomo, Founder and Editor, Purist
Thank you so very much for speaking at our wellness lunch in the Hamptons. You’ve built an amazing company! Uma will truly empower 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!!!