Ruth Rathblott

DEI Expert, Bestselling Author & Award-Winning Former Nonprofit Leader

Ruth Rathblott

DEI Expert, Bestselling Author & Award-Winning Former Nonprofit Leader

Add to List Availability & Fees

Biography

Ruth Rathblott, MSW is an expert on workplace culture and leadership; she's a TEDx and global keynote speaker, bestselling author, and award-winning former CEO who’s redefining what it means to lead with humanity.

Born with a limb difference, Ruth spent years hiding what made her different. Now she’s made it her mission to help others unhide, to bring their potential, creativity, and power into the world. Her message is simple but transformative: when we unhide, we unlock freedom, connection, and performance at every level.

Her bestselling books, Singlehandedly and Unhide & Seek, explore how accepting our differences leads to deeper connection and greater impact. Her TEDx talk, When I Stopped Hiding, I Found Freedom, has inspired thousands globally to live and lead unhidden.

Speaker Videos

When I stopped hiding, I found freedom

Speaker Reel

Speech Topics

Unhide & Thrive: How Connection is the Key to Unlock Performance

What would happen if your people stopped hiding? What brilliance are you losing without even knowing it? Ruth Rathblott reveals the real cost of hiding and the explosive impact of unhiding on trust, engagement, and performance. Through stories, research, and practical steps, she shows leaders how cultures transform when people feel safe enough to show up as their best selves.

Unhidden Leadership: Why Going First Changes Everything

What if the future of leadership is not about being perfect, but being real? What if the most powerful thing a leader can do is go first? Ruth Rathblott introduces a new model of leadership rooted in openness, connection, and belonging. She challenges the old model of arm’s-length leadership and offers a roadmap for creating spaces where people speak up, contribute fully, and stay engaged because they feel seen.

Unhide & Seek: Live Your Best Life. Do Your Best Work

What if the thing holding you back isn’t lack of skill or ambition, but the quiet ways you’ve been hiding your voice, your dreams, or your full self? In this powerful and deeply relatable keynote, Ruth Rathblott helps audiences name what they truly want and uncover the subtle hiding patterns that block confidence and growth. Through story, reflection, and a simple framework for unhiding, she ignites a shift toward clarity, courage, and possibility.

Singlehandedly: Learning to Unhide and Embrace Connection

What happens when you spend years hiding the very thing that makes you different? Ruth Rathblott knows this story well. Born with a limb difference, she hid her left hand for more than 25 years. In this deeply human and relatable keynote, Ruth shares how hiding shaped her identity, leadership, and relationships, and how finally unhiding changed everything. Through humor, honesty, and powerful storytelling, she reveals how we all hide something and how those hidden parts keep us from connection, belonging, and possibility. Audiences don’t just listen. They see themselves. They begin to unhide.

Testimonials

“Ruth Rathblott is a true leader and visionary in the area of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Qlik hosted sessions with Ruth sharing her experiences and knowledge on living with disabilities and embracing inclusion. Ruth is now engaged with our team to implement an Employee Resource Group focused on disabilities, both visible and invisible. I highly recommend working with Ruth in any capacity for companies looking to focus on the value of inclusion for all employees. Her experience and knowledge transcends individual issues and speaks to everyone. Please feel free to contact me for further reference information.”

- VP Sustainability and DE&I, Qlik

“Ruth Rathblott recently appeared as a guest speaker at CUNY – she was dynamic! Her passion and enthusiasm for inclusion is heard loud and clear in her message, and as a speaker she is totally gifted – a true talent. What is so fascinating about Ruth’s presentation is the honesty and real emotion she shares with the audience. I am a LEADS (Linking Employment Academics and Disability Services) Specialist and through Ruth sharing her own experiences she motivated our students and fellow counselors in the most positive way. She was just the voice we needed to start the academic year. If anyone out there is looking for a guest speaker who is relatable, informative, and entertaining I’d highly recommend Ruth Rathblott! We are definitely having her back at CUNY… as much as possible!!”

- CUNY

“Ruth is one of the most inspiring and engaging people you could ever meet. There is nothing she can’t do and if you are looking to educate your team to understand that inclusion is a broader term than many of us realize, you won’t find a more compelling and compassionate person to do it. Ruth spoke to our FOX Advertising Sales Team and the response was absolutely incredible. I have known Ruth a long time and was blown away by what I learned and I am eternally grateful because by sharing her personal story with such grace, she made us all a little more self-aware and left the team with a kinder outlook towards both our co-workers and people in general!”

- FOX, Head of Global Sales and Partnerships