Available to book
Toni Kent
Social Mobility
Diversity and Inclusion
Resilience
Transform social mobility initiatives with Toni Kent, speaker and founder of The Common Good Network. Toni works with corporate leaders to dismantle systemic barriers and drive equity, delivering powerful insights from her Microsoft background and as UK Social Mobility Awards host.
Inspirational Female
International Women's Day
Women's History Month
Self Improvement
Podcast
Professional Development
Entrepreneur
Mindset
Professional
Humanitarian
Women in Tech
Women in Business
Philanthropy
Inspirational
Personal Development
Motivational
Toni Kent is a bold and compelling voice on social mobility. As the founder of The Common Good Network, she has created a powerful platform that connects service users, providers and corporate partners to break down systemic barriers and widen access to opportunity.
With ten years at Microsoft and decades of lived and professional experience shaping her work, Toni brings rare insight into one of the most complex challenges facing modern Britain. Having grown up on a council estate, she speaks with clarity and credibility about the gap between policy and reality. She helps organisations see social mobility not as a tick-box exercise, but as a strategic priority that drives performance, trust and long-term growth.
Toni has delivered keynote speeches for leading organisations across technology, finance and law. She has twice hosted the UK Social Mobility Awards, reinforcing her standing as a trusted advocate in the field. She is also a stand-up comic, known for using humour to disarm, engage and challenge audiences in equal measure.
Her talks are direct, practical and grounded in real-world insight. She equips leaders with clear frameworks to review hiring and progression pathways, build inclusive cultures and measure impact with confidence. Teams leave with practical steps they can apply straight away, whether that means reshaping recruitment, strengthening sponsorship programmes or creating clearer routes for progression.
For organisations serious about tackling inequality and unlocking untapped talent, Toni offers both challenge and direction. If you want a speaker who will energise your audience and drive meaningful change, book Toni Kent for your next event.
Topics, sessions and talks
In her dynamic keynote, Toni Kent addresses how fear can hinder growth and offers a fresh perspective by reframing it as a catalyst for success. She empowers audiences to challenge limiting beliefs and embrace change confidently. Attendees will learn Toni's C.H.A.N.G.E. method, a practical framework for overcoming doubt and making empowered decisions. With actionable strategies and an optional worksheet, this session equips professionals to transform uncertainty into momentum in both their personal and professional lives.
In this engaging session, Toni Kent illustrates how personal storytelling can be a transformative tool for building connections and advancing careers. Sharing her journey from a council estate to the corporate world and founding The Common Good Network, she emphasises the importance of authenticity and optimism. Attendees will learn how to craft and confidently share their own stories, unlocking opportunities for personal and professional growth through effective storytelling. This session is available as a 1-hour talk or a 2-hour workshop.
In her keynote, Toni Kent explores the lived experience of social mobility, highlighting the hidden challenges faced by individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds and the structural barriers that complicate upward mobility. She emphasises the necessity of integrating social equity into the conversation for genuine progress. Through her personal journey in corporate spaces, Toni shares powerful stories and actionable strategies for organisations to drive meaningful change. Attendees will learn about the complexities of social mobility and how to foster a more equitable environment.
In her empowering keynote, Toni Kent shares her journey as a woman from a low socio-economic background, addressing the intimidation often felt in corporate spaces. She discusses how societal conditioning impacts confidence and career ambitions, offering strategies to embrace self-worth and challenge limiting beliefs. Attendees will learn practical techniques for voicing aspirations, negotiating opportunities, and confidently taking up space. Toni's insights provide essential mindset shifts and actionable steps to thrive in any professional environment.
In this engaging session, Toni Kent highlights the importance of social mobility for organisations and provides a clear roadmap for meaningful action. Drawing on her personal journey from a council estate to corporate success and her experience leading companies like DLA Piper and Microsoft, she shares practical strategies for fostering inclusive environments. Attendees will learn what social mobility truly means, how to assess their organisation's position, and actionable steps to create a culture that supports all backgrounds.
Toni is really well suited to corporate, DEI, and motivational events where organisations want both challenge and practical action. She works particularly well at leadership summits, company offsites, and professional development days, sharing practical insights on social mobility, systemic barriers, growth mindset, and imposter syndrome.
Testimonials
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
To book Toni Kent, email toni.kent@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Toni's availability and speaking fee. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and about your audience.
Toni Kent structures her sessions around personal narrative, drawing on her journey from a council estate to a corporate career at Microsoft and founding The Common Good Network to illustrate systemic barriers and practical pathways. Her keynotes incorporate named frameworks, notably the C.H.A.N.G.E. method, alongside optional worksheets and actionable strategies that give audiences concrete steps to apply following the session.
Toni Kent's sessions cover mindset shifts and overcoming fear-based thinking, authentic personal storytelling for career advancement, and the structural barriers and lived realities of social mobility. She is the founder of The Common Good Network and brings a decade of experience at Microsoft alongside twice hosting the UK Social Mobility Awards.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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