International Women's Day
- Award-winning journalist and author
- Mental health advocate and suicide prevention ambassador
- Champion for diverse representation in fitness
Poorna Bell is an award-winning journalist, author, and powerlifter whose work champions mental health advocacy, women's empowerment, and inclusive fitness. Her unique blend of personal experience and professional expertise offers authentic perspectives on resilience and strength. A former UK Executive Editor for HuffPost, Poorna has authored five acclaimed books, including Chase the Rainbow, Stronger (which was named Sports Performance Book of the Year by The Sunday Times), and her novels In Case of Emergency and This Is Fine. She also founded See My Strong, a platform celebrating diverse women in fitness, and serves as an ambassador for suicide prevention charity CALM. A dynamic and insightful speaker, Poorna has delivered keynotes and hosted events for organisations including Spotify, Meta, Twitter, Ernst & Young, Moët Hennessy, and The Financial Times, as well as NHS mental health summits. Trained in presentation at RADA, she helps organisations navigate complex challenges through her keynotes on mental resilience, inclusive leadership, and authentic storytelling. Her work with Spotify, Meta, NatWest, and the NHS demonstrates her ability to translate personal insights into actionable strategies for workplace wellbeing and cultural transformation. Audiences leave Poorna's presentations with practical tools for building mental resilience, frameworks for creating inclusive environments, and inspiration to embrace vulnerability as a leadership strength. Book Poorna for a transformative experience that combines journalistic insight with the hard-earned wisdom of someone who has turned personal challenges into professional purpose.
Poorna's showreel and videos
Topics, sessions and talks
Poorna Bell draws on deeply personal experiences of loss, identity, and renewal to explore what true resilience looks like. From navigating racial intolerance after moving from India to the UK, to rebuilding her life following the death of her husband, Poorna shares how vulnerability and strength can coexist. Through her journey into powerlifting, she illustrates how finding physical strength transformed her mental and emotional wellbeing, offering powerful lessons in courage and reinvention.
Thriving In The Face Of Adversity
Through a compelling blend of honesty and insight, Poorna Bell charts her journey from grief to empowerment. After her husband’s passing, she turned to physical strength training, discovering confidence, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose. Her story challenges outdated perceptions of fragility and highlights the transformative impact of strength, both mental and physical, on identity and self-belief. This talk inspires audiences to embrace adversity as a catalyst for growth and authentic empowerment.
Changing The Perception Of Female Strength
Poorna Bell challenges cultural narratives that confine women’s physical and emotional power. Building on themes from her award-winning book Stronger, she reveals how embracing strength, beyond appearance, can transform confidence, connection, and leadership. Her approach blends storytelling, social insight, and humour, inviting audiences to rethink the relationship between body and identity. Through her message, she encourages women to claim space, break free from limitation, and discover strength as a source of freedom and community.
Women's Empowerment And Leadership
Poorna Bell examines the barriers that continue to shape women’s experiences in leadership, from internalised self-doubt to systemic inequality. Drawing from two decades in journalism and advocacy, she unpacks how women can cultivate confidence, self-advocacy, and collective support to thrive in modern workplaces. Combining practical insight with lived experience, Poorna’s engaging and candid approach encourages audiences to lead with purpose, build resilience, and redefine success on their own terms.
Why we recommend booking Poorna
Poorna Bell's powerful blend of award-winning journalism, mental health advocacy, and inclusive fitness expertise equips organisations with actionable strategies for resilience, wellbeing, and cultural transformation. Book this transformative speaker to provide your team with practical tools for mental resilience and inclusive leadership, delivered with the clarity and impact that has already impressed organisations like Spotify, Meta, and the NHS.
A massive thank you to Poorna, the session this morning was an absolute hit and definitely got a lot of us in the office talking.
Charlotte Blower
Alvarez & Marsal, Alvarez & Marsal
So much amazing feedback. The staff I was sitting in the room with viewing the watch party were pumped after the call, namely two of my colleagues who've been going through a tough time and said they felt quite emotional as it really resonated with them. There were also tonnes of positive comments and thank you's to Poorna [Bell] in the online chat.
The webinar was a great success. All went smoothly and we have had great feedback. Please pass our heartfelt thanks on to Poorna. She has such a refreshing perspective on the topic discussed and I think it really resonated with people here.
Cannacord, Cannacord
Cannacord, Cannacord
