Ayo Sokale

Ayo Sokale blends engineering, AI, and leadership to deliver keynotes that spark innovation, sustainability, and inclusive thinking.

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Ayo, I just wanted to say thank you very much for the talk today. Your energy and passion was incredible and you brought some very valuable insights and practical tips, for which we are very grateful. I truly don’t know where you find the time to do it all, but the talk and what you are achieving was a real inspiration both for me personally and I know for the 120+ people listening in.

Paul Cuff

Chief Executive Officer, XPS

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Why you should book Ayo Sokale for your next event

Gain practical insights from a top 50 engineer and AI founder to strengthen your organisation’s approach to innovation and future tech.
Learn from a former Deputy Mayor how sustainability strategies can be turned into real, measurable action within organisations.
Discover how neurodiversity and mental health awareness can unlock stronger teams, better culture, and long-term performance.

Non-binding request for Ayo Sokale

Engineer, AI innovator, and advocate for sustainability and neurodiversity

Ayo Sokale is a keynote speaker who brings together engineering, AI, and leadership in a way that feels both relevant and actionable. With a background as a Chartered Civil Engineer, AI entrepreneur, and former Deputy Mayor, she connects big ideas with real-world impact. Her talks explore how organisations can move forward with technology while building inclusive cultures that support different ways of thinking. Ayo’s perspective is grounded in experience, offering audiences clear strategies they can apply immediately.

Ayo Sokale keynote speaker

Ayo Sokale is known for delivering keynotes that combine technical expertise with a strong human perspective. Her work sits at the intersection of engineering, artificial intelligence, and sustainability, making her a sought-after speaker for organisations looking to stay relevant in a fast-changing world. With a career that spans infrastructure, public leadership, and tech innovation, she brings a well-rounded and credible voice to every stage.

As a Chartered Civil Engineer, Ayo understands the systems that shape society. This foundation allows her to explain complex topics in a way that feels clear and engaging. Whether she is speaking about AI, sustainability, or the future of work, her focus remains on how these themes affect people, organisations, and long-term progress.

Innovation, AI and real-world application

Ayo is the founder of Tessellated Future Technology, an AI startup focused on practical innovation. She also developed the AI-powered coaching app Get Coached, designed to make personal development more accessible. These ventures reflect her ability to turn ideas into tangible solutions.

Her keynotes go beyond theory. Audiences gain insight into how AI can be applied within organisations today, not just in the future. She explores both the opportunities and the challenges, offering balanced perspectives that help leaders make informed decisions. The result is a talk that feels grounded, forward-thinking, and directly useful.

Sustainability with impact

With experience as a former Deputy Mayor of Reading, Ayo brings a political and societal lens to sustainability. She understands how environmental strategies are shaped, implemented, and measured. This makes her sessions particularly valuable for organisations aiming to move from intention to action.

She shares practical approaches to embedding sustainability into everyday operations, helping teams see how small changes can lead to meaningful impact. Her perspective connects environmental responsibility with innovation, showing how the two can strengthen each other rather than compete.

Neurodiversity and inclusive workplaces

Ayo Sokale is also a strong voice in the conversation around neurodiversity and mental health. Drawing from her own experience with Asperger’s syndrome, she speaks openly about the importance of inclusive environments. Her approach is honest, insightful, and focused on progress.

In her keynotes, she highlights how organisations can create spaces where different ways of thinking are recognised as strengths. This includes:

Building awareness and understanding of neurodiversity
Creating supportive structures that allow individuals to thrive
Encouraging leadership styles that value diversity in thought

These insights help organisations move beyond awareness and towards meaningful cultural change.

Book Ayo Sokale for your event

Booking Ayo Sokale means bringing in a speaker who connects technology, leadership, and inclusion in a way that resonates. Her talks are designed to inspire, but also to equip audiences with tools and strategies they can use straight away.

She speaks to a wide range of audiences, from corporate leaders to technical teams, always adapting her message to fit the context. The common thread is her ability to make complex ideas accessible and relevant.

For organisations looking to strengthen their approach to AI, sustainability, and inclusive culture, Ayo Sokale offers a perspective that is both practical and forward-looking. Her keynotes leave audiences with a clearer understanding of where they are heading and how to get there.

Customer Reviews

Paul Cuff Chief Executive Officer, XPS

Ayo was an excellent speaker for DVERSTY's Intentional Engineering series, we were humbled to have her. She represented her experiences as a Chartered Civil Engineer and Councillor extremely well. Delivering her presentation so eloquently, Ayo gave our guests an insight into the DNA of Civil Engineering. We'd like to thank Ayo for encouraging everybody to use their voice to challenge injustices seen in their environment.

Joanna Tomlin Co-Founder & Development Director- DVERSTY

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your invaluable contribution to our very first virtual IEMA members’ conference for environment and sustainability professionals. We were all so deeply inspired and empowered by what you shared with us, particularly in the area of tackling the sustainability challenge as professionals and for your ongoing commitment to a more sustainable future. We have already received so much positive feedback from our members around how beneficial and motivational they found the day and how brilliant our speakers were. This event would not have been possible without you.

Sarah Mukherjee MBE IEMA

Ayo was fantastic and the session went down really well. Please extend my thanks to her for such a well presented and well-rounded session, not only touching on race but also neurodiversity a topic we have also presented on earlier in the year.

Monty Onanuga Senior Risk Manager at ClearBank

The session with Ayo was fantastic. I have to say she was phenomenal, really inspiring, we had great feedback!

Rachel Collins, Colt Technology Services

Keynotes

Keynote by Ayo Sokale :

Sustainability

We have heard it all before, we are facing a climate change challenge. An existential crisis. What does it mean for modern day professionals? How do we all go about contextualising this and as a result taking suitable actions.

Ayo talks about the sustainability triad – The environment, Social and the Economy & the UNSDG’s goal role in outlining the breadth of the challenge. The importance of Biodiversity, Single use plastic reduction. The role of the individual, businesses, and government. As well, as environmental and climate injustice – the undue spread of consequence on certain communities with case-studies from the UK and US.

She also has a discussion on our journey as people on the journey to sustainability and humanity upcoming pitfalls such using shame and force and forgetting historical context in their bid to achieve the sustainability goals.

Her sustainability talks can also include the following lens:

Sustainability and the economy (Do our current economic practice make the cut?)
Sustainability and human psychology – growth and expansion (Natural desire to expand and grow – in natural conflict with the need to consume less etc)
Sustainability and class (The undue impact of natural consequence & policy on lower class – UK centric)
Sustainability and the future (Children, Malthusian Theory)
Sustainability and mental health (Rise in Nihilism and fear for the future)
Sustainability and technology (Case studies from the Built environment)
Sustainability and Innovation – what is innovation (research, implement technology, learning from failure, collaboration and sharing knowledge)
Climate change –The case for change - Adaption and Mitigation

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Keynote by Ayo Sokale :

Women In tech/Construction and STEM

Today, in the modern world, the focus has shifted to the fight for equal representation of women in tech, construction, and broader STEM fields. Ayo discusses the importance of this representation, emphasizing the need for women to be present in spaces where the built environment and technology that impact our lives are designed and implemented.

She also presents a different perspective by examining careers predominantly held by women and questioning how these careers are perceived and valued. Ayo explores the significant ways these industries positively influence the world and uses this exploration to challenge biases and the manifestations of these biases in these fields.

Ayo addresses myths and folklore about feminine and masculine energies, illustrating how these concepts have been redefined over time. She highlights how limiting these definitions impacts our behaviors and expectations, contributing to bias.

She also draws parallels with the natural diversity in the world, referencing Gary Ferguson’s "8 Master Lessons of Nature." She illustrates how the diversity found in wildflowers plays a crucial role in ecosystems and can be extrapolated to impact our wider lives.

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Keynote by Ayo Sokale :

Diversity

What does Diversity truly mean? What does Diversity Utopia look like? Commonly we think of diversity as diverse peoples in a space. But is that truly diverse?

The evolutionary case for in group vs Out group mentality.

How does diversity and assimilation come together?
How does diversity work in our current hierarchical structure, which values some people as less than? – Is diversity in all levels of society possible?
This is a discursive style talk, there are no answers. Just the posing of questions to support the audience in achieving ultimately a DIVERSE understanding.

Value the Difference
The world needs diversity of thought.
As a black autistic woman in STEM, Ayo was often advised to be XYZ. Because XYZ was valued more and viewed more favourable. That is not diversity, that is external difference and internal assimilation. That is not inclusion, that is a form of exclusion.

The world needs to create spaces for everyone to show up authentically knowing they will receive respect at work and their value will be seen even if their approach and style is different. So, how do you go about that? What are the current barriers? Etc These are questions Ayo explores in her talk.

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Keynote by Ayo Sokale :

Neurodiversity Talks

What is neurodiversity? It is estimated that 30-40% of the world is neurodiverse.

So, why is the conversation just getting started? Furthermore, are we having the right conversations?
Ayo chats through famous neurodiverse people to bring the message home that there are so many people that are unknown to us, that are neurodiverse. She talks about her neurodiversity and journey to sharing.

Ayo talk about what the various kinds of neurodiversity mean for the individual – strengths and potential support needs.

She advises how we can all provide space, places and be the people that allow neurodiverse individual to be themselves and to thrive?
She raises the alarm and speak on the importance of caution in our neurodiversity narrative talking about the value of neurodiversity but also Inherent worth as a counter to purely economic narrative of the value neurodiverse people bring to business. Ayo talks about this through the lens of Alan Turing’s difficult life and incredible contributions.

She shares tips and tricks for both Neurodiverse people and non-neurodiverse so all people can do their part in this journey to inclusion.

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Keynote by Ayo Sokale :

Social Commentary Talks

So, you are different and a little disruptive?

Some many of us feel different and a little disruptive in the spaces, places we find ourselves. In this informative talk, Ayo uses personal and researched case-studies to explore the idea of being different, the genetic and evolutionary reason we pay attention to our difference and how this can cause dis-ease. She makes a case for and against ditching our evolutionary desire to be a part of a tribe outlining the research and illuminating the embedded cultural stories. Ultimately, taking you on the journey to determine your values, understanding your needs and make a decision that works for you.

How to think?

Beep – Beep – Urgent Response Required

Beep – Beep - Political constraint identified.

Beep – Beep - Conflicting stakeholders needs Identified.

Does this sound like your daily radar? Picking up the valid constraints in the world around you yet wanting to achieve tangible, long-lasting useful change.

In this short and catchy talk, Ayo discusses this situation – a situation that commonly faces leaders, politicians, social change maker, thought leaders and anyone working to impact the world.

She takes reflection from her political career, leadership roles and the research and map out a talk on how you truly change the world. First, she starts with YOU – understand the reality you perceive, Then the science of problem definition and the need to truly understand the positive change you want to elicit. She will discuss identity and problem solving and the common issue of attachment to the identity of solving the problem, to the extent that you don’t want change.

Ayo will talk using the GROW model to help you identify the goal, the reality, the options, and the will to change. And finally using the Kotter 8 steps to change Model to help you make the change.

She will embed her stories to bring the topic to life and share her 5-lessons learnt in making positive change in the world – Anti De-humanisation, The value of thinking in Grey, the value of positive assumptions, Understanding systems and RADICAL self-accountability.

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Keynote by Ayo Sokale :

Coaching Talks

Mapping your career

Ayo takes a holistic approach to development and career, and she shares that in this highly personal talk. She shares her lesson on leveraging growth across the various facets of our lives and cross pollinating to accelerate growth. She found this brought more sugar to her life and she shares how you can have more sugar in your life.

Ayo talks about the How you can hack your potential and take the scary actions required. But maybe more importantly she talks about the Why – finding the why, the pyschological benefits of the why and creating your personal life framework based on this.

The power of telling a better story
How do you describe yourself?
You tell a story, right?
Stories are fundamental – they are how we see the world; we perceive ourselves and the way forward. Telling a compelling story leads to a compelling life. A hero’s life even?

Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s journey model explains how each hero got on a journey leaving their current life behind to answer the call to adventure. Ayo talks through a simplified hero journey and help the audience to see their life as an adventure, increasing their resilience and excitement about life.

Carl Jung says ‘I am not what happens to me, I am what I choose to become’
Ultimately, self-awareness of who you are, the emotions you feel and then utilising storytelling that helps you weave a new meaning to your experiences is what helps you, become your very own hero.

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Ayo Sokale Presenter Showreel 2021

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Can math help you win at sports? | Scope

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Ayo Sokale Civil engineer, BBC Presenter, Deputy Mayor of Reading, BBC Bitesize Science Presenter

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Ayo Sokale - Breaking into a Male-Dominated Industry | Exclusive Interview

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Ayo Sokale hosting the Environment Agency Awards in Birmingham

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Blog posts by Ayo Sokale

What Does Being Black Mean To Me?

I was once asked ‘What being black meant to me’. I can recall my automatic robotic answer – excellence, resilience. All nonsense rhetoric now I reflect on it.So here are my reflections on it now: What does it mean to be black?When I relocated back to the UK, at the age of 9. This is the first time I

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