Amanda Johnstone

3x Technology Founder, TIME Next Generation Leader, Inclusion Champion, CEO Magazine Startup Exec of the Year, LinkedIn Top Voice AI

Amanda’s IWD2025 keynote goes beyond celebrating progress. It provides a roadmap for the future.

"Leadership is about creating space where all voices are heard and valued." – Amanda Johnstone

Thirty years ago, the world united behind a bold vision for gender equality through the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Since then, women like Amanda have broken barriers, reshaped policies, and ignited global movements. Yet, despite progress, the promises made remain largely unfulfilled for millions of women worldwide. We are not where we should be. Amanda Johnstone, is optimistic that will change, but it starts with us.

This International Women’s Day, the call is clear: March Forward. It is time to turn promises into progress together.

WHY AMANDA JOHNSTONE?
As one of Australia’s most globally recognised AI technologists and leadership visionaries, Amanda Johnstone stands at the intersection of technology, business, and social impact. Named a TIME Next Generation Leader, LinkedIn Top Voice in AI, and Start-up Executive of the Year (CEO Magazine), Amanda has built and led companies that harness AI for social good. She is an award-winning entrepreneur, STEM advocate, and inclusion champion who helps organisations embrace diversity, intersectionality, and modern leadership practices to drive tangible change.

KEYNOTE OVERVIEW:
Her keynote will explore the evolution from the era of power suits to a more inclusive and empathetic leadership style. Amanda's story of seeking mentorship from Nigel Austin at 16 years of age and her approach to building diverse teams highlights the importance of asking for help, offering help and embracing vulnerability.

Amanda will communicate fresh and inspiring methodologies and demonstrate how the rise of women is not about the fall of men. Daring leaders fight for the inclusion of all people, opinions, and perspectives - because it makes us all better and stronger. Inclusion also means having the courage to acknowledge our own privilege and to stay open to learning about our biases and blind spots in gender equity. For men, it also means listening and honouring stories that reflect experiences that are different from their own.

Courage is listening, learning, unlearning, knowing when to lead, and knowing when to let others lead. Women thrive when men meet women where they are. It’s beyond paperwork, lunches, fancy words and reports; all humans thrive when they feel truly seen. Amanda will reference and share her organisation's proprietary award-winning, evidence-based strategies and frameworks. She will use easy-to-implement examples showing how each person in your organisation can utilise these learnable and buildable skills to enhance wellbeing and morale in the workplace.

Empathy and role modelling vulnerability must be on the front page of every modern leader's playbook. These qualities make us more humane and are what created the sense of community and affinity we experienced during lockdown during a hybrid workplace.

Amanda’s IWD keynote is an insightful and action-driven session that challenges conventional leadership models and champions inclusion, collaboration, and innovation.

THE OUTCOMES:
- A renewed spirit of togetherness and community.
- A reinvigorated sense of self and empowerment.
- Brand new leadership tools to foster inclusion and equity.
- A transformational International Women’s Day experience that extends beyond March.

BOOKING DETAILS:

Amanda is available for in-person, virtual, or pre-recorded keynotes tailored to your organisation's needs.

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