Niluka Kavanagh

Business Leader | Futurist | Explorer

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Niluka Kavanagh's Biography

"Empowering organisations and leaders to navigate the future of work through intrapreneurial and nomadic mindsets.” Business Leader | Futurist | Explorer Experienced Consultant – Previous leader at KPMG LLP, managing projects with clients including Lloyds, Mastercard, The London Stock Exchange and Tesco Seasoned Entrepreneur – Founder of 3 businesses, including a tech start-up and global public speaking business. Current Founder and CEO of Imagine That – The Business School for Nomadic Entrepreneurs and The Modern CEO – building high performing teams through intrapreneurial and nomadic mindsets Speaker and Writer – Published in the World Financial Review and previous guest lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, Edinburgh University and Somerville College, Oxford University YouTube Host and Content Creator – Creator of @BreakingBoundariesWithNiluka and seasoned digital nomad, living and working in 14+ countries globally Niluka Kavanagh: Future of Work Leader After graduating from Oxford University, Niluka began her career as a consultant at KPMG, working with global clients including Lloyds Bank, Mastercard, The London Stock Exchange, and Tesco. She founded both the firm’s first Behavioural Science Unit and KPMG Future Thinkers, a tech and future of work initiative which hosted speakers from HSBC, The BBC, and more. After leaving KPMG, Niluka transitioned into entrepreneurship, successfully running two businesses while working from over 14 countries around the world, including Chiang Mai, Lisbon, Tokyo, and Valencia. Her tech start-up was featured on BBC Radio 4 and in The Scottish Sun, while her public speaking coaching business helped over 500 clients improve their presenting skills worldwide. Her experience of building businesses while working from anywhere led her to create Imagine That – The Business School for Nomadic Entrepreneurs, which now has a thriving community of over 1,000 members. Niluka also leads The Modern CEO, the corporate arm of Imagine That, where she helps organisations build high-performing teams through intrapreneurial leadership and nomadic mindsets. With a background spanning corporate and entrepreneurship across London, Asia, and Europe, she brings a unique blend of strategic thinking and global experience to the future-of-work conversation. She helps companies unlock the entrepreneurial potential already within their teams. Having previously built KPMG’s Behavioural Science Unit and internal initiatives, she understands what it takes to spark innovation from within. Her work also focuses on strengthening human-centric leadership in the face of change - drawing on her nomadic experience to help leaders communicate better, lead with empathy, and connect with the shifting values of today’s workforce and generations. Niluka has lectured at top Universites including Trinity College Dublin, The University of Edinburgh, and Somerville College, Oxford. Her work has been published by The World Financial Review and Cambridge University, and she hosts the YouTube channel @BreakingBoundarieswithNiluka. She holds a BA Honours from The University of Oxford and an accounting certificate with CIMA.

SPEAKING VIDEOS
PHOTOS

WORK FROM ANYWHERE special interview

Why ImagineThat 🌎 Became My Business - Revealed!

Niluka Kavanagh on Nomadic Entrepreneurship

SPEAKER TOPICS

After Dinner Speakers

Conference Speakers

Culture Speakers

Disruptive Innovation Speakers

Diversity Speakers

Future of Work Speakers

Inspiring Speakers

Leadership Speakers

Moderators

Motivational Speakers

Start-Ups & Entrepreneurship Speakers

Storytelling Speakers

Virtual Keynotes

Vision & Strategy Speakers

Niluka Kavanagh Speech Titles

The Future of Work: Key Trends Reshaping Careers and Businesses

The world of work is evolving rapidly, from AI advancements to shifting employee expectations to alternative work models. This holistic talk provides an overview of the key trends shaping the future of work today, what they mean for businesses, and how leaders can adapt to stay ahead.

The Intrapreneur Within: Unlocking Hidden Talent in Your Teams

This keynote explores how organisations can harness intrapreneurial thinking to drive innovation and performance from within. Niluka shares real-world examples from her/time building KPMG’s Behavioural Science Unit and running innovation sprints, showing how to cultivate ownership, creativity, and initiative. Ideal for companies looking to unlock dormant talent and future-proof their culture through internal entrepreneurship.

Nomadic Mindsets: Building Resilience and Adapting to a "Human-Centric" Future of Work

As AI, hybrid work, and shifting generational values redefine the workplace, leaders need more than systems - they need new ways of thinking. In this keynote, Niluka introduces the “nomadic mindset” as a framework for adaptability, empathy, and cultural agility. Drawing on her experience across 14+ countries and cultures, she shares how this mindset can help teams build resilience, foster connection, and lead to better outcomes in the workplace.

Gen Z and Millennials at Work: What They Want and How to Lead Them

Today’s emerging workforce isn’t just younger - they’re wired differently. This keynote unpacks the values, expectations, and communication styles of Gen Z and Millennials, and why traditional leadership no longer works. Drawing on cross-cultural experience and behavioural insights, Niluka offers practical tools for leaders to better engage, retain, and inspire this talent - before they walk out the door.

The Creator Economy: Why Personal Brands Are the Future of Business

In today’s economy, trust and visibility are everything - and personal brands are leading the charge. This keynote explores how the rise of the creator economy is transforming the way we build businesses, make buying decisions, and connect with audiences. Drawing from her own experience growing a following of over 15,000 across social platforms, Niluka shares practical strategies for building digital presence, standing out in saturated markets, and using content to drive real business results.

From Idea to Income: How to Build a Thriving Online Services Business

More professionals than ever are looking to monetise their expertise - but most don’t know where to start. In this practical and inspiring keynote, Niluka shares the exact path to building a profitable service-based business, even without a large following or tech skills. Ideal for career-changers, solopreneurs and anyone ready to turn their knowledge into income.

The Digital Nomad Revolution and What It Means for How, When, and Where We Work

The rise of digital nomads signals a deeper shift in how we think about productivity, freedom, and the structure of work. In this keynote, Niluka unpacks the global movement of location-independent professionals and what it means for companies looking to attract and retain top talent. Attendees will walk away with fresh perspectives on flexibility, leadership, and the untapped potential of borderless work.

Niluka Kavanagh's Biography

"Empowering organisations and leaders to navigate the future of work through intrapreneurial and nomadic mindsets.”

Business Leader | Futurist | Explorer

Experienced Consultant – Previous leader at KPMG LLP, managing projects with clients including Lloyds, Mastercard, The London Stock Exchange and Tesco
Seasoned Entrepreneur – Founder of 3 businesses, including a tech start-up and global public speaking business. Current Founder and CEO of Imagine That – The Business School for Nomadic Entrepreneurs and The Modern CEO – building high performing teams through intrapreneurial and nomadic mindsets
Speaker and Writer – Published in the World Financial Review and previous guest lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, Edinburgh University and Somerville College, Oxford University
YouTube Host and Content Creator – Creator of @BreakingBoundariesWithNiluka and seasoned digital nomad, living and working in 14+ countries globally

Niluka Kavanagh: Future of Work Leader

After graduating from Oxford University, Niluka began her career as a consultant at KPMG, working with global clients including Lloyds Bank, Mastercard, The London Stock Exchange, and Tesco. She founded both the firm’s first Behavioural Science Unit and KPMG Future Thinkers, a tech and future of work initiative which hosted speakers from HSBC, The BBC, and more.

After leaving KPMG, Niluka transitioned into entrepreneurship, successfully running two businesses while working from over 14 countries around the world, including Chiang Mai, Lisbon, Tokyo, and Valencia. Her tech start-up was featured on BBC Radio 4 and in The Scottish Sun, while her public speaking coaching business helped over 500 clients improve their presenting skills worldwide. Her experience of building businesses while working from anywhere led her to create Imagine That – The Business School for Nomadic Entrepreneurs, which now has a thriving community of over 1,000 members.

Niluka also leads The Modern CEO, the corporate arm of Imagine That, where she helps organisations build high-performing teams through intrapreneurial leadership and nomadic mindsets. With a background spanning corporate and entrepreneurship across London, Asia, and Europe, she brings a unique blend of strategic thinking and global experience to the future-of-work conversation. She helps companies unlock the entrepreneurial potential already within their teams. Having previously built KPMG’s Behavioural Science Unit and internal initiatives, she understands what it takes to spark innovation from within. Her work also focuses on strengthening human-centric leadership in the face of change - drawing on her nomadic experience to help leaders communicate better, lead with empathy, and connect with the shifting values of today’s workforce and generations.

Niluka has lectured at top Universites including Trinity College Dublin, The University of Edinburgh, and Somerville College, Oxford. Her work has been published by The World Financial Review and Cambridge University, and she hosts the YouTube channel @BreakingBoundarieswithNiluka. She holds a BA Honours from The University of Oxford and an accounting certificate with CIMA.