Social Mobility Speakers
Social mobility refers to the ability of an individual or a family to move up or down the social and economic ladder within a society and within the workplace this refers to an individual’s ability to move upward or downward within the hierarchy or structure of a company or organisation.
We work with a few speakers that speak on social mobility and what companies can do fulfil their social and moral responsibility to ensure that everyone has a fair chance to succeed, regardless of their background.
Akil Hunte is an internationally renowned speaker, lawyer, and social entrepreneur whose life’s work is dedicated to inspiring generations to defy barriers, embrace resilience, and lead with purpose.
Recognised as one of the most influential voices in social mobility, diversity, and transformative leadership, Akil’s journey from inner-city London to the forefront of global change exemplifies his commitment to breaking down systemic barriers for others. Growing up in a single-parent household and overcoming personal traumas—including being struck by a car and witnessing the Grenfell Tower fire—Akil emerged as a resilient advocate, equipped with a profound understanding of adversity and an unyielding drive to create opportunities for others.
One of his speaking topics is on Social Mobility –
How social mobility, diversity & inclusion creates a better workforce – As a working class, black law student with an entrepreneurial flair, Akil is far from a typical trainee solicitor. He has an abundance of experience navigating conversations on race, ethnicity and social mobility. Not only was he a recipient of the prestigious Freshfields Stephen Lawrence Scholarship, he co-founded an award winning society called The New Black. This led him to advise the board of Nottingham Trent University on improving opportunities for African Caribbean Heritage students and become an External Consultant to the University of Chester in the development of their Race Advocate programme. He also chairs NRG Lawyers, a not for profit that seeks to boost social mobility in the legal industry by improving access to opportunities for Non-Russell Group students and graduates.
Sonia Blanford is an award winning leading international education practitioner and writer, with a career that has spanned five decades across 23 countries.
At the University of Warwick as Professor of Education and Innovation, she led the Achievement for All pilot on behalf of the Department for Education. Sonia moved to the Institute of Education as Professor of Social Enterprise, supporting the creation of the International Centre for Literacy and co-leading the Education Endowment Foundation teacher retention project (RETAIN).
Sonia created her first charity in 1981, founding and advising further 10 charities, including creating the Teach First programme, founding trustee of the Chartered College of Teaching, and founding Achievement for All. Sonia has continued with her engagement in European policy and research, representing the Department for Education on the European Agency for Inclusion, Raising Attainment project.
As a writer, Sonia has edited and authored 45 books, and published over 200 articles and blogs, receiving national acclaim for ‘Born to Fail? Social Mobility: A Working Class View’. Sonia has held five honorary posts including Senior Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. Sonia also chaired the Blackpool Challenge and led the creation of the Achievement for All Charity and Achievement for All Education Trust.
After leaving home at 15 and school at 16, she overcame extreme personal adversity and a period of homelessness and began her career as a firefighter. At night school, she studied for a 1st Class Honours degree in Psychology, a Masters in International Fire Service Development and a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience.
She is now recognised as a leading international expert on risk-critical decision making in crises and is an Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff University. She has presented her work all over the world and used her research to change deeply ingrained national policy. She has won international acclaim for this prize-winning work. As a Chief Fire Officer, she has attained the highest rank possible in the UK. Her operational experience includes leading the fire service response to major incidents such as the London Bridge terror attack, the Finsbury Park terror attack and the aftermath of Grenfell.
She is a strong advocate for social mobility and is an ambassador for The Big Issue and Street Vet. She was named as one of The Big Issues top 100 changemakers, a Marie Clare Future Shaper and featured in Cosmopolitan’s Millennial Power List. Her first book, Heat of the Moment, was published in 2019 and her second, The Gender Bias, will be published in Spring 2023. Dogs are an important part of Sabrina’s life, since adopting a stray dog during her period of homelessness with provided the only social and emotional connection during that time. She now has three Xolo’s and her research has extended to explore the neuroscience of dogs.
If you are looking for a speaker on social mobility and we can help with any enquiry please contact us on 020 8854 7247 or email enquiries@scampspeakers.co.uk