View Holly’s speaker summary HERE

Watch Holly's Speaker Showreel HERE.

Holly Budge is a world-class adventurer and multi-award-winning social entrepreneur who inspires leaders to embrace calculated risk and strategic courage. She equips organizations to unlock high-stakes opportunities and drive transformative results. Holly doesn’t just talk about risk, she lives it. As an Everest summiteer and the first woman to skydive Everest, her expertise is forged in the world's most extreme environments, from scaling icy slopes to racing 1,000km across Mongolia on horseback.

Crucially, Holly leveraged this pioneering spirit into global impact. She is the founder of the international NGO, How Many Elephants and the creator of World Female Ranger Week. Her conservation work, praised by Sir David Attenborough, has reached over 500 million people and raised over £500,000, supporting thousands of female rangers on the front lines around the world. Recognized globally at the Stevie® Awards as ‘Female Thought Leader of the Year’ and as a UN Women UK Delegate, her achievements are synonymous with measurable impact.

Sought after by organizations like J.P. Morgan, Shell, British Airways, and McKinsey, Holly delivers gripping, high-action keynotes. She provides the blueprint for leaders and teams to move from risk-averse to risk-ready, take bold action, and achieve their own Everest.

Holly Budge inspires leaders to embrace calculated risk and strategic courage, unlocking high-stakes opportunities and driving transformative results. She provides a practical, real-world framework for converting extreme risk into measurable success and fostering the resilient growth mindset required for enduring achievement in volatile environments.

Holly’s expertise is forged in the world’s most extreme environments. She is a world-class adventurer, an Everest summiteer, and the first woman to skydive Everest. Crucially, she leveraged this pioneering spirit to become a multi-award-winning social entrepreneur and conservationist. After being shocked by the daily poaching crisis of African elephants, she earned a Master's in Sustainable Design and founded the global NGO, How Many Elephants. Her experience is not theoretical; it includes racing 1,000km across Mongolia on wild horses and patrolling with female anti-poaching units on the front line in Africa. This unique trajectory showcases a masterclass in calculated risk, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership.

Today, Holly channels her advocacy and unique skillset into a global movement as the creator of World Female Ranger Week and a UN Women UK Delegate. Her conservation work, which has been praised by Sir David Attenborough and reached over 500 million people, has raised over £500,000, supporting female rangers across 24+ countries.

Sought after by the world’s leading organizations, she has delivered powerful insights to executives and teams at companies including J.P. Morgan, Shell, British Airways, McKinsey, and The North Face. As an author and travel writer, her work has been featured in major global media outlets, including Forbes, National Geographic, Travel & Leisure, and Marie Claire. Recognized globally as the WISE100 'Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise', her accolades include the Gold Stevie® Award for 'Thought Leader of the Year in Non-Profit' and recognition on The Diversity Power List 2025 as a profound champion of diversity.

On the main stage, Holly delivers deeply personal, high-action keynotes that blend gripping, often nail-biting stories with highly actionable takeaways. She provides leaders and teams with the mindset shifts and strategic tools needed to embrace uncertainty, move from risk-averse to risk-ready, and supercharge their ambition. She doesn't just talk about having an Everest to climb, she provides the blueprint for getting it done.

View high res images HERE.

Copyright © Holly Budge/ How Many Elephants. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use is prohibited. For media usage please email for permission.

[Today/tonight] our speaker has been described as “one of the most accomplished female adventurers”, who is here to share her stories from skydiving Everest to climbing to the summit of Everest, to ambushing poachers on the front line in Africa. She is the founder of international non-profit, How Many Elephants and World Female Ranger Week. Her impactful work has been highly praised, including by Sir David Attenborough. To date, she has fundraised over £500K (GBP). Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves to be inspired to Think Big. Please welcome, Holly Budge.

1/ What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced on an adventure?

2/ How come you climbed Everest as a two-person team?

3/ What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

4/ You’ve worked as a skydiving freefall camerawoman? What does this entail?

5/ What gave you the idea and the impetus to skydive over Everest?

6/ How did you first become interested in the work of female rangers?

7/ What do you think women bring to conservation that is different from men?

8/ How are you hoping World Female Ranger Week will help change things for female rangers?

9/ How do we get more people interested and active when it comes to conservation?

10/ What was it like patrolling on the front line with armed rangers?

Presentation requires:

• Screen

• Data projector

• Audio speakers

• Contains videos

Note: Holly can deliver her talk with no screen if required, although her impressive collection of images and video clips is a great addition.

Microphone options:

• Lapel or

• Hand-held or

• Headset

Note: Holly can project her voice very well so she can talk without a microphone, depending on the venue and the size of the audience. She will never say no to using a mic, though!

Computer:

• Holly will bring her MacBook Pro to your venue, or,

• Holly can plug her presentation into the host computer via USB

• Holly will bring her own clicker or use the hosts