More than applause.
Change that lasts.

Choosing Resilience

The World Economic Forum lists resilience as one of the top five critical skills of the next decade. I'd argue it isn't a skill at all. It's a decision you make, one moment at a time. From a hospital bed, where I'd been told my life as I knew it was over, to the Great Wall of China two years later, I share the three lessons that got me there. Audiences leave with a framework for choosing resilience when it matters most.

"Sacha did a keynote for the itag Digital Women's Christmas gathering in December 2025 and it was genuinely one of the most moving talks I've experienced. She shared her deeply personal journey of reclaiming her independence after a surgical complication left her paralysed down one side of her body. A story that could so easily have been defined by loss was instead a masterclass in courage, resilience and determination. What struck me most was her honesty. She didn't shy away from the darkest moments of her recovery, and it was precisely that vulnerability that made her talk so powerful. She held the room in complete silence."

Dee Timoney · Skillnet Network Manager, itag

"I invited Sacha to speak for our team as part of the International Day of People with Disabilities, and it made a lasting impression on our team. Drawing on her lived experience, she helped the audience understand what genuine resilience looks like. Sacha is inspirational without trying to be, and our employees walked away with implementable lessons and a stronger sense of how they can choose resilience in their own lives. Sacha's story also helped them gain a deeper understanding of disability and, crucially, a clearer sense of why psychological safety around disclosure matters. Sacha is a compelling and thoughtful speaker, and I would recommend her without hesitation for any organisation serious about inclusion."

Siobhan Sweeney · Global Senior Director Talent Development, Engagement & Inclusion, Element Materials

Disability in the workplace

1.3 billion people globally live with a disability. Most are capable of work, yet the majority are not hired. Less than half of employees feel safe enough to disclose their disability at work, afraid of being held back, stigmatised or alienated. I've been on both sides of the hiring process and became part of that number with both an invisible disability and, after a surgery that went wrong, a visible one. This talk names what disabled employees actually experience versus what companies say they do, and gives managers a concrete set of behaviours to close the gap in their own teams.

"Sacha delivered a talk on disability awareness in the workplace for one of our Common Purpose leadership programmes that went far beyond facts and figures. By using a mix of humour and lived experience, she helped our participants understand the obstacles faced by employees with disabilities. Her use of practical examples gave participants a clear understanding of what they can do as leaders to ensure a more inclusive workplace and work towards closing the disability employment gap."

Dara Connolly · CEO, Common Purpose Ireland

"Sacha is a very compelling, moving and effective speaker on DEI and disability inclusion in the workplace. She is powerful in increasing awareness and engaging people, bringing real life insights with both humour and seriousness to bear in a unique way, with great impact."

Michelle Ní Longáin SC · Head of Employment Law, Byrne Wallace Shields LLP

Social learning in a hybrid environment

When you come back from a conference, the most valuable thing you walk away with is rarely the keynote. It's the conversation in the coffee queue or over dinner. That's social learning, and in a hybrid world it's becoming both more important and harder to design for. Drawing on my award-winning master's dissertation, I give managers and L&D leaders an evidence-based framework built around four elements: groups, topics, sessions, and follow-up.

"Sacha did a talk as part of the IDA's Learning Week in 2023 on Social Learning in a hybrid environment, and it really helped our participants get a better understanding of how they can better learn from each other in an informal way. By mixing data and practical examples she showed the power of social learning and how it goes beyond 'watercooler conversations'."

Aisling Dullaghan · Organisation Development, IDA Ireland