Book IWD Speaker: Fran Ayala

Award-winning brand strategist, keynote speaker & stand-up comedian

Fran Ayala is an award-winning brand strategist, keynote speaker and stand-up comedian who helps organisations and audiences rethink what confident visibility really requires in today’s workplace.

She is also the founder of Bitches in Stitches, the global all-femme/them comedy collective featured in Vogue, Rolling Stone and Tatler, which has grown from a six-woman group in Hong Kong into an international community of more than 90 performers.

With a career spanning journalism, brand strategy and live performance, Fran brings a rare dual perspective that combines sharp commercial insight with deep expertise in communication, confidence and audience psychology.

Her work focuses on one of the most persistent challenges facing high-performing professionals — particularly women — today: being capable but still overlooked.

Fran’s signature keynote, Dare to Be Disliked, explores what backlash towards outspoken women actually reveals about power, perception and progress.

Drawing on real-world case studies and her proprietary frameworks — including the Backlash Effect™ and the D.A.R.E. Method™ — she shows audiences why visibility often feels risky, how over-optimising for likability can stall careers, and what practical shifts help professionals advocate for themselves more effectively.

Blending behavioural insight, strategic clarity and warm, relatable humour, Fran delivers sessions that are both energising and immediately applicable. Audiences learn how to recognise the moments where they are unintentionally self-editing, communicate their value without over-explaining, navigate high-stakes conversations with greater confidence, and build sustainable visibility without burnout.

Fran is regularly booked for International Women’s Day programmes, leadership and development events, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and women-in-the-workplace initiatives.

Her sessions are known for being high-energy, psychologically astute and deeply practical — leaving audiences not just inspired, but equipped with tools they can use the very next day.

Based in London and available globally, Fran Ayala speaks to organisations ready to move beyond surface-level confidence messaging and create environments where underrepresented voices can be seen, heard and valued.

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