Pragya Agarwal

Professor Pragya Agarwal is a renowned data and behavioural scientist who specialises in the study of unconscious bias, anti-racism and inclusion. Currently working as a Visiting Professor of Social Injustice and Inequalities at Loughborough University, Pragya is on a mission to make the world as diverse, inclusive and equal as possible for all. If you are looking for an engaging speech on racial equality, gender inclusion, women’s leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion, look no further than Professor Pragya Agarwal.

After completing a PhD in GIS and Spatial Cognition at the University of Nottingham, Pragya was awarded the prestigious Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellowship at the School of Computing, University of Leeds. Diving into her career in academia, Pragya then went on to become a Lecturer in GIScience at University College London and then Associate Professor in Space and Places at Lancaster University. Pragya has also committed her time to working as an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University and a Senior Researcher at the University of Liverpool. Finding a passion for diversity, inclusion and equity, Pragya became the Founder of The 50 Percent Foundation in 2018 – a think-tank committed to examining the status and role of women around the world, inclusive placemaking and creating safe spaces for women.

A talented writer, Pragya has also been a contributing writer for Times Higher Education, Forbes, The Guardian and The Independent. She has also been the host of the Outside the Boxes podcast and been a Business Mentor for the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, along with working as an expert on BBC Radio 4 The Spark, The Flipside with Paris Lees and Darren Brown’s Bootcamp for the Brain. Dedicated to spreading messages about equality, Pragya is the bestselling author of SWAY: Unravelling Unconscious Bias, (M)otherhood: On The Choices Of Being A Woman, Wish We Knew What To Say: Talking With Children About Race and Hysterical: Exploding The Myth Of Gendered Emotions. In her books, Pragya details her thoughts and research on topical subjects such as stereotypes, reproductive justice, racism and unconscious bias. Selected as a Creative Thinker for Innovative and Interdisciplinary Research by NESTA, it comes without surprise that Pragya is a highly sought-after expert on DE&I.

Named as one of the 100 Influential Women in the Non-Profit Social Enterprise Sector and one of 50 people on the High and Mighty List Making a Difference in the India – UK Corridor, Pragya is now a popular choice as a diversity and inclusion speaker for corporate events. With previous speaking engagements for the likes of AstraZeneca, Unesco, United Nations, Unicef, Cambridge University, Imperial College London, Shell, The Guardian, the NHS and the Environment Agency, Pragya also had the honour of curating and organising the TEDxFormbyPointWomen, delivering the TEDx talk How To Develop A Creative Habit. Invited to deliver keynote speeches around the globe, Pragya has also appeared on BBC Woman’s Hour, Sky News, BBC Breakfast, NPR and the Australian Broadcasting Service. If you are looking for a speaker who will inspire conversations surrounding bias, anti-racism, power, privilege and social inclusion, hire Professor Pragya Agarwal for diversity and inclusion-themed events today.