Jaz Ampaw-Farr is an international keynote speaker, bestselling author and social commentator helping shape the national conversation on childhood adversity, safeguarding, resilience and human connection. A three-time Speaker of the Year, TEDx speaker and UK Speaker Hall of Fame inductee, she helps audiences understand the human reality behind systems and statistics.

Jaz Ampaw-Farr is an international keynote speaker, author of Because of You, This Is Me and social commentator helping shape national conversation on childhood adversity, safeguarding, resilience and the power of human connection. Drawing on lived experience, professional practice and academic research, she helps audiences understand the human reality on the other side of policies, systems and statistics. A three-time Speaker of the Year, inductee into the UK Speaker Hall of Fame and recipient of two honorary doctorates, Jaz has spoken on more than 3,000 stages worldwide. Her record-breaking TEDx Talk has been viewed more than 176,000 times.

Jaz Ampaw-Farr is an international keynote speaker, bestselling author, social commentator and one of the UK’s leading voices on childhood adversity, safeguarding, resilience and the extraordinary power of everyday human connection.

Drawing on lived experience, professional practice and academic research, Jaz helps audiences understand the human reality on the other side of policies, systems and statistics. Her work explores why ordinary people have the power to change extraordinary lives.

Over the past three decades, Jaz has spoken on more than 3,000 stages across the UK and internationally. She is a three-time Speaker of the Year, an inductee into the UK Speaker Hall of Fame and the recipient of two honorary doctorates. Her record-breaking TEDx Talk, The Power of Everyday Heroes, has been viewed more than 176,000 times.

Few people have experienced the education, care and justice systems from as many perspectives as Jaz. Growing up in extreme poverty, she experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, foster care and homelessness before becoming a teacher, government adviser, published academic author and co-founder of Be Human First. That rare combination of lived experience, professional expertise and academic research gives her a distinctive voice in national conversations about safeguarding, belonging and resilience.

Featured in the Daily Mail, Jaz is a regular podcast guest, writer and contributor to the education press. Her bestselling memoir, Because of You, This Is Me, and the multi-award-winning documentary Re-Story Your Life continue to shape conversations about safeguarding, belonging and resilience.

Known for leaving audiences laughing, crying and thinking in equal measure, Jaz helps people see the human story behind the systems and reminds us that one conversation, one act of kindness and one person who refuses to give up can change everything.

Jaz Ampaw-Farr is an international keynote speaker, bestselling author and social commentator helping shape the national conversation on childhood adversity, safeguarding, resilience and the extraordinary power of everyday human connection.

Drawing on lived experience, professional practice and academic research, Jaz helps audiences understand the human reality on the other side of policies, systems and statistics. Her work explores what happens to children, families and communities when human connection is present… or absent, and why ordinary people have the power to change extraordinary lives.

Over the past three decades, Jaz has spoken on more than 3,000 stages across the UK and internationally. Her record-breaking TEDx Talk, The Power of Everyday Heroes, has been viewed more than 176,000 times. She is a three-time Speaker of the Year, an inductee into the UK Speaker Hall of Fame, and the recipient of two honorary doctorates in recognition of her contribution to education and public life.

Most recently featured in the Daily Mail, Jaz is a regular podcast guest, writer and contributor to the education press, where her articles on safeguarding, belonging and childhood adversity are helping shape the national conversation. Earlier in her career she presented for Children’s BBC, appeared across national television and radio, and has performed stand-up comedy at both the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and The Comedy Store, bringing warmth, wit and humanity to every audience she meets.

Few people have experienced the education, care and justice systems from as many perspectives as Jaz. Growing up as a mixed-race child in the 1970s and 80s, she experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, foster care, homelessness and extreme poverty before becoming a teacher, government adviser, published academic author, parent and co-founder of Be Human First. That rare combination of lived experience, professional expertise and academic research gives her a distinctive voice in national conversations about safeguarding, belonging and resilience.

Jaz doesn’t simply share lived experience.

She interprets it.

Her work helps people understand the human consequences of the decisions made by teachers, leaders, social workers, parents and policymakers. She challenges what she calls mindset poverty, helping people re-story the narratives they have inherited about themselves, each other and the systems they are part of.

Her bestselling memoir, Because of You, This Is Me, celebrates the everyday heroes whose ordinary acts of care change lives in extraordinary ways. Her story is also told through the multi-award-winning documentary Re-Story Your Life, which follows Jaz back to the schools, streets and neighbourhoods of her childhood. The film has received international recognition, winning awards at festivals including Cannes, Los Angeles and Miami, alongside Official Selection at the BAFTA-qualifying Carmarthen Bay Film Festival.

Known for leaving audiences laughing, crying and thinking in equal measure, Jaz challenges people to see what is possible when we choose curiosity over judgement, courage over comfort and connection over assumption.

Jaz has spent a lifetime proving one simple truth.

Your past is not a script for your future.

The teachers who changed her life never imagined they were changing the world. They simply chose not to give up on one child.

Today, through every keynote, every article, every interview and every conversation, Jaz invites others to do the same.

One conversation. One act of kindness. One person who refuses to give up. It can change everything.

The best introductions are personal.

If you’re introducing Jaz, please don’t feel you have to read the script below word for word. Your audience will connect far more with hearing, in your own words, why you invited Jaz and what you hope they’ll think, feel or do differently after her keynote.

If you’d prefer, please feel free to use the introduction below as a guide or read it in full.

Our next speaker has spent more than three decades helping people understand the extraordinary difference one human being can make in another person’s life.

Jaz Ampaw-Farr is an international keynote speaker, bestselling author of Because of You, This Is Me and social commentator helping shape the national conversation on childhood adversity, safeguarding, resilience and the extraordinary power of everyday human connection.

She has spoken on more than 3,000 stages across the UK and internationally, is a three-time Speaker of the Year, an inductee into the UK Speaker Hall of Fame and the recipient of two honorary doctorates.

Drawing on lived experience, professional expertise and academic research, Jaz helps audiences understand the human reality on the other side of policies, systems and statistics. Her record-breaking TEDx Talk, The Power of Everyday Heroes, has been viewed more than 176,000 times, and her work has recently been featured in the Daily Mail.

Before Jaz begins, I’d like to share one small invitation. Her keynote includes references to her lived experience. If anything she shares resonates with your own experiences, her invitation is simple. Please find someone you know and trust and have a conversation. Looking after ourselves is one of the bravest things we can do.

Today, Jaz invites us all to become somebody’s everyday hero.

Please join me in giving a very warm welcome to Jaz Ampaw-Farr.

Media Introduction – News, Current Affairs & Safeguarding

For safeguarding, education, childhood adversity, parenting or resilience.

Joining me today is Jaz Ampaw-Farr, an international keynote speaker, bestselling author and social commentator. Having experienced the education, care and justice systems from multiple perspectives, Jaz now helps the nation understand the human reality on the other side of childhood adversity, safeguarding and resilience.

She has spoken on more than 3,000 stages around the world; her TEDx Talk has reached more than 176,000 people, and she is a three-time winner of Speaker of the Year, an inductee into the UK Speaker Hall of Fame, the recipient of two honorary doctorates. Her story was recently featured in the Daily Mail.

Jaz, welcome.

Media Introduction – General Interviews, Podcasts & Features

For podcasts, magazine interviews, profile pieces or conversations about Jaz’s work, book or speaking.

My guest today is Jaz Ampaw-Farr, an international keynote speaker, bestselling author of Because of You, This Is Me and social commentator whose work is changing the way we think about childhood adversity, safeguarding, resilience and the extraordinary power of everyday human connection.

Drawing on lived experience, professional expertise and academic research, Jaz helps us understand the human reality on the other side of policies, systems and statistics. She has spoken on more than 3,000 stages internationally, her TEDx Talk has reached more than 176,000 people, and she is a three-time Speaker of the Year, an inductee into the UK Speaker Hall of Fame and the recipient of two honorary doctorates. Her work has recently featured in the Daily Mail and she is a regular contributor to podcasts and the education press.

Jaz, it’s wonderful to have you with us.