Lauren Pires | Invisible Disability & DEI Speaker Toronto

See Lauren in Action

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About Lauren

Speaker Biography

Lauren Pires is an award-winning inspirational speaker and Invisible Disabilities Association Ambassador. Born with Central Core Disease, a rare neuromuscular disorder, Lauren has about 33% of the strength of the average person but is known for her enthusiasm, yay-saying, and 100% spirit.

Lauren was honored on the prestigious 2024 D-30 Disability Impact List by Diversability for her significant contributions to disability advocacy. In October 2023, she became the first Canadian to receive the "But You LOOK Good" Inspiration Award from the Invisible Disabilities Association.

In November 2023, Lauren won the title of #2 Inspirational Speaker of the Year at Speaker Slam®, North America's largest inspirational speaking competition.

Her story and advocacy have been featured on CTV Your Morning, CHCH, Breakfast Television, CityNews Toronto, OMNI News, Global News, RareDiseaseDay.org, and InSauga. Lauren continues to raise awareness for invisible disabilities and rare diseases in her personal and professional endeavors.

Awards & Recognition

#2 Inspirational Speaker of the Year (Speaker Slam®, 2023)
D-30 Disability Impact List (Diversability, 2024)
"But You LOOK Good" Inspiration Award (First Canadian Recipient, 2023)

Credentials

Canada's Only Invisible Disabilities Association Ambassador
Rick Hansen Foundation School Program Ambassador
Rare Disease Day #LightUpForRare Campaign Leader

Areas of Expertise

Invisible Disabilities Accessibility DEIA Resilience Self-Acceptance Workplace Inclusion Bias & Beliefs Employee Wellbeing

Signature Presentations

Keynote Topics

Available as keynotes, workshops, and panel discussions

01

For Corporations, Government, HR, DEIA & Wellness Teams

Beyond What You See: Building Inclusion for Invisible Disabilities

Understanding the Unseen to Create Truly Inclusive Workplaces

Through personal stories and workplace insights, Lauren highlights the realities of invisible and non-apparent disabilities. She explores common myths, biases, and barriers while sharing practical ways organizations can foster awareness, empathy and an inclusive culture, so that all employees can thrive as their authentic selves.

Key Takeaways:

Understanding invisible and non-apparent disabilities
Identifying common myths, biases, and barriers
Practical strategies for fostering awareness and empathy
Building an inclusive culture where all employees thrive
Creating space for authentic self-expression
Actionable steps for organizational change

02

For Corporations, ERGs, Education, Associations

Bias, Belief and Belonging: Rewriting Narratives on Disability and Acceptance

The Transformative Power of Disclosure and Self-Acceptance

This keynote explores Lauren's journey of embracing her invisible physical disability after 30+ years, common biases and beliefs around disability, and the transformative power of disclosure in fostering personal acceptance, community, and workplace inclusion.

Key Takeaways:

Understanding the journey to self-acceptance
Recognizing common biases and beliefs around disability
The transformative power of disclosure
Fostering personal acceptance and community
Building workplace inclusion through vulnerability
Rewriting limiting narratives

03

For Corporations, ERGs, Associations

Seeking Strength: How to Build Resilience Through Small Moments of Joy

A Three-Step Framework to Own Your Story and Show Up Fully

Lauren shares her journey from hiding her disability to fully embracing who she is. Through personal stories, she reveals how the pursuit of normalcy holds us back from confidence and connection. She introduces a simple three-step framework to help audiences let go of self-doubt, own their story, and show up fully in their lives.

Key Takeaways:

Understanding how the pursuit of "normalcy" holds us back
A three-step framework for building resilience
Letting go of self-doubt and limiting beliefs
Owning your story with confidence
Finding your "daily yay" (small moments of joy)
Showing up fully and authentically

As Seen On

Media Features

CTV Your Morning

Featured Guest

Breakfast Television

Featured Guest

CHCH Morning Live

Featured Guest

Global News

Featured Guest

Also featured on: CityNews Toronto, OMNI News, InSauga, RareDiseaseDay.org

For Media & Event Planners

Press Photos

High-resolution images available for download

Trusted By

Past Clients & Speaking Engagements

Health Canada • Arc'teryx • The Co-operators • McKesson Canada • GroupHEALTH Benefit Solutions • Embark Student Corp • Employment & Social Development Canada • Rick Hansen Foundation • University of Guelph-Humber • Peel District School Board • and more

What Clients Are Saying

Testimonials

"After the session, I received several personal messages from our employees - they deeply appreciated the empowering space and energy Lauren brought. It also got one of the top satisfaction ratings out of many employee learning sessions we hosted this year. One employee even stated it was one of the best learning sessions so far."

Shine Jiyoun Chung Senior Consultant, Employee Wellbeing, The Co-operators

"I feel so great about how this Lunch & Learn went. When I saw the depth of questions that showed up in the chat, and some people who came off camera, I was like 'this had real impact'. It was an excellent 101 and it just opens up so many more questions on this topic."

Kurtis Chow Senior Specialist, People Operations | People & Culture, Arc'teryx

Book Lauren for Your Next Event

Ready to bring a transformative message on invisible disabilities, resilience, and inclusion to your audience? Contact our booking team to check availability.

Represented by Momentum Speakers Agency

Rina Rovinelli

Info@SpeakerSlam.org | +1 (416) 669-9152

Request Booking Call: +1 (416) 669-9152

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