Orla McKeating

Storyteller | Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Speaker | Facilitator

Orla McKeating is the founder of Still I Rise Diversity Storytelling and Business Growth Manager at Innovation Factory Belfast. She is an award-winning social entrepreneur and inclusion advocate who uses storytelling to build empathy, representation, and belonging. Through her workshops, talks, and training programmes, Orla helps organisations, educators and communities create cultures where every voice is valued.

Her work combines personal insight with professional expertise—bridging education, entrepreneurship and social impact to challenge bias, celebrate diversity, and inspire change.

Booking is easy with Great British Talent. To find out availability and fees for Orla McKeating or any other talent for your corporate event or project, contact our Great British Talent agents via [email protected], or call us on +44 1753 439289. Alternatively, fill out our talent enquiry form here . We’ll aim to respond within the hour. Our knowledgeable team of experts can handle all aspects of your booking to ensure it runs flawlessly.

Type Of Speaker

Disability Diversity Education Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Female Speakers Health & Wellbeing International Women's Day LGBTQ+ (Pride) Mental Health Parenting Resilience Speaker Talent

More About Orla McKeating

Orla McKeating’s work combines personal insight with professional expertise, bridging education, entrepreneurship, and social impact to challenge bias, celebrate diversity, and inspire change.

Speaking Topics

· The Power of Storytelling for Inclusion – How stories can transform learning, empathy, and connection in workplaces and communities.

· Privilege and Perspective: Seeing the Whole Picture – Understanding privilege and bias through self-reflection, curiosity and courage.

· Representation Matters – Why visibility in books, media and leadership shapes who we believe we can become.

· Creating Cultures of Belonging – Practical ways organisations can foster inclusion, empathy, and psychological safety.

· Inclusive Leadership and Allyship in Action – Moving from awareness to meaningful advocacy and everyday equity.

· Social Entrepreneurship for Impact – Lessons from building a purpose-driven business that combines heart and strategy.

Orla has delivered two TEDx talks, on Race Issues and the Stigma of Single Parenting (Stormont, 2019) and The 3 Pillars of Privilege (Enniskillen, 2022), which are seen below.

Workshops & Training

Orla delivers interactive storytelling sessions, EDI workshops and consultancy tailored for:

· Schools, libraries, and youth programmes

· Community groups and charities

· Corporate and public-sector organisations

· Educators and parents seeking to raise inclusive, confident children

Her work covers themes of race, bias & privilege, neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ inclusion, disability, diverse family structures, and equitable language.

Orla McKeating hire Equality Diversity Inclusion TEDx speaker book at agent Great British Speakers

Notable Achievements

· First Northern Ireland Fellow of the Acumen Academy UK programme (2021)

· Founder of Still I Rise Storytelling, reaching over 50,000 people through education, events and training

· Featured in the Small Business Britain Top 100 (2025), Sheroes Global Educator of the Year (2024) Female Entrepreneur Top 100 (2019) and Northern Ireland 40 Under 40 (2018)

· Recognised in the 13 Women Who Break the Bias List (2022) and nominated UK Positive Role Model (2021) at the National Diversity Awards

· Regular keynote speaker for inclusion events including Connected Minds (Our Generation 2025), STEP NI’s “You Do Not Know What You Have Not Lived” report launch, and multiple TEDx talks on privilege and belonging

Why Book Orla McKeating?

Orla McKeating delivers every talk with warmth, authenticity and action-focused inspiration. She blends storytelling, strategy and lived experience to spark connection and change.
Ideal for conferences, corporate training, education, and community events, Orla leaves audiences more aware, more compassionate, and ready to lead with inclusion at the heart of everything they do.

Orla McKeating Equality Diversity Inclusion parenting EDI TEDx speaker book at agent Great British Speakers

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers today to book Orla McKeating for your corporate event.

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Testimonials

At the BBC Staff Network Book Week Event 2023, Orla McKeating curated an engaging storytelling experience. Orla’s genuine passion for storytelling, delivered in a down-to-earth manner, made the event memorable. The event planning fostered inclusivity and meaningful conversations, highlighting Orla’s strengths in diverse storytelling and leaving a lasting impact.
Angie Tandon, Chair of Embrace Staff Network, BBC NI

As the host and facilitator of TEDx Enniskillen Women, I extended an invitation to Orla to speak at our event based on my prior exposure to her compelling speaking experience, including her inaugural TEDx talk. Orla’s profound expertise in the subject matter was readily apparent, and her unwavering dedication to the event, coupled with a profound respect for the TED brand, was evident throughout the entire process. She demonstrated a meticulous approach, actively participating in all pre-talk rehearsals and coaching sessions to ensure the precision of her presentation. Orla’s remarkable ability to captivate the audience and articulate her message resonated universally, transcending diverse beliefs. This not only inspired individuals but also broadened our perspectives by introducing new concepts and viewpoints.
Emma Weaver, TEDx Enniskillen

At WomenEdNI we have been fortunate to have some great speakers at our events and Orla is one of the best among them. She engages her audience through demonstrating a great balance of in-depth knowledge and exemplifications, plus practical applications where appropriate. Her own personal experiences enable her to speak with passion, authority and also at times with an amazing combination of both humility and humour – this can be really powerful. Those who have attended her sessions at WomenEdNI have spoken about how inspirational she is and have stayed behind afterwards to ask questions and discuss issues further – as she has been very generous in her time and willingness to do this. Orla prepares thoroughly for every event, displaying total professionalism and commitment. I have seen people who have attended her sessions having “light-bulb” moments as Orla has shared ideas, solutions, challenges and resources to support them when working with learners – so her impact stretches further, into schools and other settings.
Jackie Hill, FCCT, Co Founder & Strategic Network Lead for WomenEdNI

Delivery of her presentation at the conference was excellent. Orla was thoroughly professional in how she conducted herself at all times. Her delivery style was both engaging and authoritative. She demonstrated deep expertise, passion and commitment for diversity and inclusion issues. I have to admit I was gripped by her delivery; every word conveyed meaning and intensity, and a deep empathy for both the subject matter and her audience.

Don Leeson, Head of the Labour Relations Agency Northern Ireland