Holly Budge
Adventurer, Conservationist & Keynote Speaker
Holly Budge turns risk into results. Her high-energy keynotes deliver edge-of-your-seat storytelling packed with practical takeaways for leading boldly and building resilient mindsets.
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Holly Budge is a world-class adventurer, Everest summiteer, and the first woman to skydive past the world’s highest peak. She is a sought-after keynote speaker on risk, leadership, and the power of a growth mindset. Holly’s deeply personal and highly actionable talks supercharge businesses and teams to think BIG, embrace uncertainty, and take bold action.
With gripping, often nail-biting stories, Holly takes audiences on a journey from the icy slopes of Everest to freefalling at 120 mph past the summit, to racing 1000 km across Mongolia on semi-wild horses. She doesn’t just talk about risk—she lives it. Through her often humorous storytelling, she reveals the mindset shifts, strategic decisions, and resilience-building tactics that separate those who dream from those who DO.
Holly believes that we all have an Everest to climb, but the fear of failure or the unknown often holds us back. After her talk, you’ll not only be inspired—you’ll be ready to take action.
Topics
The Risk Ready Mindset
Mastering the Art of Bold Action
In a world craving certainty, true success belongs to the risk-ready. Holly shares edge-of-your-seat stories – from Everest’s death zone to front-line anti-poaching patrols – revealing how to reframe risk as your competitive edge. This talk equips leaders and teams to take bold, calculated action when it matters most.
I’ve Climbed Everest, So What?
Making Bold Impact That Matters
Reaching the summit of Everest was a milestone but it wasn’t the destination. In this powerful keynote, Holly challenges the idea that success is defined by the peak. She explores what happens after the big win and why bold, purpose-led action is the real measure of impact. Through nail-biting, often humorous, stories of high-altitude risk, and game-changing missions on the front line of conservation, Holly equips audiences to set meaningful goals, and take bold action that truly matters.
How To Lead Under Pressure
What Female Rangers Know About Risk
Based on Holly’s work with 5,500+ female rangers, this talk explores inclusive leadership, courage, and risk-taking in male-dominated spaces. It’s a powerful, practical keynote for teams working in ESG, DEI, or purpose-led leadership.
The Elephant in the Boardroom
The Conservation Risk Equation
With biodiversity on the brink and climate impacts accelerating, conservation is no longer a side issue. Holly reveals how protecting keystone species like elephants mitigates climate risk, supports livelihoods, and safeguards our shared future. Drawing on over a decade of frontline conservation work, this talk connects ESG strategy, business resilience, and bold leadership in the face of ecological risk.
