International Day of Disability
International Women's Day
- Acclaimed actress and disability rights campaigner
- Media personality across major television networks
- Face of Maltesers’ groundbreaking disability representation campaign
Samantha Renke is an actress, broadcaster, writer, and disability rights campaigner who has become one of the UK’s most recognised voices on accessibility and inclusion. Named third on The Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 List in 2020, she combines lived experience with professional insight to challenge perceptions and create tangible social change.
Samantha’s work focuses on transforming how disabled people are represented in society and the workplace. She collaborates with organisations across industries to build inclusive cultures and unlock the social and economic potential of the disability community, drawing attention to the growing influence of the Purple Pound. Samantha has delivered talks and training for leading companies including Paramount, ASOS, OMNICOM, Leo Burnett, and Save the Children, and has spoken at the Houses of Parliament, Retail Week, and the British Red Cross.
As a media personality, Samantha is a regular face on programmes such as This Morning, Loose Women, and Good Morning Britain, and her debut book, You Are The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread, was published by Penguin’s Happy Place imprint curated by Fearne Cotton. She is also a columnist for Metro and Enable magazine, and her work in advertising includes the celebrated Maltesers campaign highlighting real-life experiences of disabled people.
Beyond her professional achievements, Samantha serves as trustee of The Brittle Bone Society and ambassador for Scope, Ferne Animal Sanctuary, and Enhance the UK, while mentoring individuals and championing grassroots change.
Samantha helps organisations navigate the complexities of disability inclusion by providing practical frameworks that dismantle systemic barriers. Through her consultancy work with global brands, she empowers decision-makers to recognise both the social imperative and economic potential of inclusive practices. Her approach combines personal narrative with data-driven insights to create workplaces where disabled people can thrive rather than simply survive.
Audiences leave Samantha's presentations with concrete strategies for developing inclusive cultures, tools to identify and challenge unconscious bias, and a deeper understanding of disability as identity rather than limitation. Her no-nonsense approach cuts through corporate jargon to deliver actionable takeaways that transform good intentions into meaningful change.
Book Samantha for an unforgettable keynote that balances challenging truths with practical solutions – where authenticity meets expertise to drive genuine organisational transformation.
Photo by Nicky Johnston
Samantha's Showreel and Videos
Topics, Sessions and Talks
Resilience And The Power Of Opportunity
Samantha Renke explores how organisations can move beyond tokenism and create lasting cultural change by making space for disabled people. She examines practical approaches to inclusion, addressing both organisational challenges and the importance of authentic allyship. Drawing on lived experience and professional expertise, Samantha shows how inclusive workplaces unlock resilience, opportunity, and innovation, helping organisations build cultures that are stronger and more equitable.
Disability Isn’t A Dirty Word
Samantha Renke takes a candid look at the way disability is understood in society, unpacking the stereotypes and unconscious biases that shape perceptions. With honesty and insight, she addresses ableism, explores the medical and social models of disability, and explains how organisations can foster true allyship. Through her lived experience, Samantha demonstrates why embracing disability as part of identity is vital for dismantling barriers and creating genuine inclusion.
Samantha Renke examines how life's challenges can serve as transformative turning points rather than defining moments of defeat. She emphasises themes of resilience, female empowerment, and the need to shift perspectives on adversity. By sharing her personal experiences as a disabled woman, Samantha illustrates how to embrace setbacks and own one's identity. Attendees will learn to celebrate their resilience, recognise opportunities for growth, and reclaim their power in the face of adversity.
Why We Recommend Booking Samantha
Samantha Renke, acclaimed actress and disability rights campaigner, transforms organisational cultures through her powerful blend of lived experience, humour and practical frameworks that dismantle systemic barriers to inclusion. Book this influential voice in diversity to provide your team with concrete strategies for creating workplaces where disabled people can thrive, not just survive.
I have worked with Samantha for a few years. Samantha has delivered disability workshops for ViacomCBS which she broke down the importance of disability inclusion. Samantha is a pleasure to work with!
Samantha Renke is an engaging, authentic and inspiring speaker. She is able to relate to a wide range of people while sharing her journey and experiences, as well as to make us understand the essence of inclusion – at our core, we are all the same.
Daniel Winterfeldt
QC (Hon), Partner, Reed Smith
Sam brings the house down. I’ve worked with her for more than two years on our own stage at RISE and now with our key clients in the fashion, tech and health sectors. Part teacher, part entertainer, she wins hearts and minds with every talk. Hire her, before I do again!
Ali Hanan
CEO, Creative Equals
