Born Deafblind, Haben Girma grew up navigating a world not built for her. Rather than accept limits, she chose to boldly advocate for change — not just for herself, but for communities everywhere. From Harvard Law to the global stage, Haben champions the belief that challenges, in all their forms, are catalysts for innovation, and that every obstacle holds an opportunity to create better, more inclusive solutions. Through her own personal story, Haben asks leaders to reimagine barriers as sparks for creative problem-solving, leadership, and systemic change. Her approach to influencing and overcoming adversity shows how courage, self-advocacy, and a willingness to challenge the status quo can drive meaningful, lasting impact.
|
Haben Girma
The First Deafblind Graduate of Harvard Law School & Bestselling Author
Connect Online with this Speaker
|
The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is an award-winning advocate, author, and keynote speaker. She earned the Helen Keller Achievement Award, reached Forbes 30 under 30, and President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She believes disability challenges are opportunities for innovation, sparking new technologies that move society forward. Haben travels the globe teaching organizations how to build stronger, resilient, and more connected communities.
Her bestselling book Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law takes readers on adventures around the world, including training with a guide dog in New Jersey, climbing an iceberg in Alaska, fighting for blind readers at a courthouse in Vermont, and talking with former presidents Biden and Obama at The White House. Warm, funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, this captivating book shows how we can resist isolation and find the keys to connection. The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, TODAY Show, and Stephen Curry have all praised the book.
A spellbinding speaker, her keynotes have touched the stages of Apple, Bottega Veneta, Disney, Gartner, Google, Microsoft, Oxford University, and many more. Her engaging presentations ignite audiences to make positive changes in their communities. TIME included her as a speaker in TIME100 Talks.
In 2023 she became one of the first leaders appointed to serve as a Commissioner for the World Health Organization’s new Commission on Social Connection. Haben was born and raised in California, where she currently lives.
She travels with her Seeing Eye dog Mylo. He often falls asleep during her keynotes.