Jaz Ampaw-Farr

Jaz Ampaw-Farr is a compelling keynote speaker, coach, and co-founder of Be Human First Ltd, whose lived experience fuels her powerful work in racial equality and inclusion. Having grown up in foster care and experienced homelessness, Jaz overcame a profoundly disadvantaged start in life thanks to the belief of a few “everyday heroes”—teachers who saw her potential. These experiences are the foundation of her unique, human-first approach to leadership and equality. Now an internationally respected speaker, Jaz has delivered over 3,000 keynotes to more than one million people, helping audiences find strength in vulnerability and authenticity. Her most popular speaking topics include Human-First Leadership, Owning Your Leadership Voice, Courageous Conversations, and The Power of Everyday Heroes, all of which intersect with her mission to create a culture of belonging and racial equity in both personal and professional spaces.

Jaz began her career in education, becoming a teacher after defying the odds of her challenging upbringing. Her early work included co-writing and presenting Hard Spell Abbey on CBBC and appearing on season nine of The Apprentice, both of which boosted her public profile. However, it was in the classroom that she began to see the transformative power of leadership and connection. Her personal journey from surviving neglect and abuse to becoming a changemaker gives her a deeply authentic perspective, making her not just a speaker, but a symbol of what resilience and inclusive leadership can achieve.

In recent years, Jaz’s impact has been widely recognised. Her TEDx Talk, The Power of Everyday Heroes, went viral, cementing her global reputation. She was is a three-time winner of the Speaker of the Year title and has delivered acclaimed presentations for major organisations including Gucci, the BBC, The Marketing Society, RED, and Skillsoft. Her book, Because of You, This is Me, tells the full story of how individual acts of compassion shaped her path, inspiring others to be intentional changemakers in their own spheres.

With a rich catalogue of themes—from Imposter Syndrome and Balancing Life & Work in the Digital Age, to The 3 Rs of Reinvention—Jaz’s sessions always centre on personal empowerment and systemic change. Her emphasis on Courageous Conversations particularly stands out in the context of racial equality, as she equips leaders and teams to navigate complex dialogue with empathy and honesty. Jaz is hired because she doesn’t just deliver speeches—she ignites transformation, inspiring individuals and organisations to move beyond performative allyship and embrace real, human-first leadership.