Ali Hannon
THEY / THEM / THEIRS
Ali is an award-winning comedy performer, inclusion consultant and communications professional who helps companies put the joy into business training, learning and development. Their focus is on creating safe spaces in which delegates can discuss and explore tricky topics and find their own way to a better understanding.
Accept and build!
Popular Talks
Disrupting Gender
A session exploring the discreet concepts of gender, sex and sexuality and the way in which we experience these in everyday life. The session offers participants the opportunity to interrogate what gender means to them, and how a more critical view can offer ways to a more inclusive and supportive work culture.
Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Planning
LGBTQ+ Inclusion – looking at the history of LGBTQ+ activism and the dominant societal shifts that have both contributed and harmed the rights of queer people. Examining case studies, personal and professional experiences, I share how we can make workplaces feel like they belong to LGBTQ+ people.
Improv for Leadership
With over 10 years of experience performing and teaching improv, I examine how the principles of improv can be a transformative way to unlock leaders’ potential, foster a more collaborative team culture as well as bring more joy and play into work life. This promotes greater innovation and diversity of thought.
Diversity & Inclusion Training and Events
Tailored workshops, talks and training focusing on developing the skills and self-awareness needed in order to make environments genuinely more inclusive for all. My focus is on discussion, exploration and collaboration, helping participants discover the answers and solutions for themselves. I encourage organizations to look at moving from allyship to kinship and to challenge the heteronormative structures that still have the most significant cultural influence on the modern workplace. My most popular work includes my flagship ‘Disrupting Gender’ sessions that invite participants to interrogate the concept of gender and how it impacts their personal and work lives, for better and for worse.
“Ali worked with us as a corporate partner to provide Diversity and Inclusion training on a lunch and learn basis – during our LGBTQ+ History Month – to raise awareness of trans and non-binary topics. Wow! What a session it was. We had well over 100 registrations and close to 90 attendees and multiple people have said that it was the best lunch and learn they have ever taken part in. Ali has a style that makes them command a room, but also makes everyone feel comfortable in sharing and probing. They bring humor and coherence to a topic that is still approached with a lack of understanding and subsequently with trepidation, in parts of the corporate world. They encouraged the most challenging questions possible, in order to really “myth bust” and create a platform for intrinsic learning. They required no powerpoint presentation or materials to deliver this; Ali simply spoke and this is what made their impact so powerful. A number of attendees stayed behind after the formal session was over, to share their experiences, ask questions and sense check and Ali was so superbly understanding and handled the individuals so sensitively; it was a delight to watch. I cannot recommend Ali highly enough. If you are thinking of doing something similar, just book them now. You will not regret it.”
— Flick Wileman, Reckitt Benckiser
“After hearing some great things from previous talks, we approached Ali to see if they would be our keynote speaker at a Zurich Pride event – and we are very glad that we did! Ali is extremely personable and confident, managing to bring the whole room together in an engaging conversation around gender and D&I. We have had nothing but positive feedback from the attendees and I would wholly recommend Ali for another event such as ours.”
— Marianne Cowie, Zurich Insurance
Ali is an award-winning comedy performer, inclusion consultant and communications professional helping companies put the joy into business training, learning and development. Their approach blends skills honed over ten years performing and teaching improvised comedy, with their established track record of developing multinational executive communications in the corporate sector. They also have extensive experience supporting senior executives and organisations on their diversity and inclusion strategy across a number of industries. Whatever the subject, Ali’s joyful approach, which is immersive and full of participation, leaves people with a solid understanding and lots of excitement. Their focus is on creating safe spaces in which delegates can discuss and explore tricky topics and find their own way to a better understanding.
Ali also led American Express’s multi-award-winning LGBTQ Network, developing a portfolio of interventions to progress the companies’ D&I agenda both internally and externally as a key sponsor of Brighton Pride. This included a successful schools’ outreach program, mentoring scheme with local universities and consultation on company policy and procedure for LGBTQ+ people.
Outside of their training and consultancy work, Ali is passionate about bringing the joy of improv to people who don’t necessarily think improv is for them. Ali has developed a uniquely safe and nurturing queer-centered teaching practice that is enjoyed by students across the world through their popular improv comedy workshops and courses. This practice informs all their work, bringing play, exploration and collaboration to everything they do.
Let’s collaborate to ensure a transformative experience.