Gabriella van Rij

Gabriella van Rij (pronounced “ray”) was adopted from a Pakistani orphanage at the age of three, and grew up in Holland at a time when her cross-cultural background was very unusual. Despite growing up amidst racism and bullying, Gabriella refused to remain a victim. Instead, she used understanding and empathy to defeat fear and mistrust. The techniques she developed to achieve this are ones that anyone can benefit from using to make the most of our modern society, which is increasingly global and multicultural.

The acclaimed author of three books, Gabriella does what she can to spread her message of kindness. Her book “With All My Might” is her mesmerizing memoir telling her story of being one of the first cross-cultural adoptions. “I Can Find My Might” is a practical resource for students, parents, and educators. She also writes for the Huffington Post and the NY Daily News, and has created a documentary called “Our Silence Is Complicity”. On top of all this, Gabriella has reached out to millions of viewers on Dr. Phil, ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX with her uplifting message.

Drawing from groundbreaking science, her own real-life cross-cultural experiences and her signature wit, keynote speaker Gabriella van Rij inspires organizations to tap into the power of Kindness. After all, kindness may just be the most underutilized skill in today’s world.