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Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley

Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley

Keynote Speaker: Highly Successful IT Entrepreneur & Philanthropist

Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley Biography

Dame Stephanie Shirley CH, also known as Steve, is a workplace revolutionary and successful IT entrepreneur turned ardent venture philanthropist. At 88 years old, her story has many strands which, woven together, have produced a lifetime of exceptional achievements. Dame Stephanie’s story begins with her 1939 arrival in Britain as an unaccompanied five-year-old Kindertransport refugee. This defining experience equipped her with fortitude at a very young age and made her determined to live a life worth saving.

In 1962, she started a software house, Freelance Programmers, and pioneered radical new flexible work practices that changed the landscape for women working in technology. She went on to create a global business and a personal fortune which she shared with her colleagues, making millionaires of 70 of her staff at no cost to anyone but herself.

Since retiring in 1993, Dame Stephanie’s life has been dedicated to venture philanthropy in the fields of IT and autism. She initially founded Autism at Kingwood in 1994 to support her late son Giles, and her charitable Shirley Foundation went on to make grants of nearly £70 million. It spent out in 2018 in favor of Autistica, the UK’s national autism research charity founded by Dame Stephanie. In 2009/10 she served as the UK’s first ever national Ambassador for Philanthropy.

Dame Stephanie’s memoir Let It Go was first published in 2012 and re-published in 2019 for worldwide distribution. The first translated version was launched in Germany in 2020 and a Spanish translation is coming soon. Dame Stephanie is currently working with The Development Partnership, to make a multi-part TV series with one of the major streaming services. During lockdown in 2020, Dame Stephanie produced her second book, So To Speak, a collection of 29 of her speeches given over the last 40 years. All proceeds from the book go to Autistica.

Dame Stephanie has been much honored. In 2013, she was named by Woman’s Hour as one of the 100 most powerful women in Britain. In 2014, the Science Council listed her as one of the Top 100 practicing scientists in the UK. In 2015, Dame Stephanie was given the Women of the Year Special Award, and in the same year her TED Talk received a standing ovation from more than a thousand of the world’s most recognized technical entrepreneurs, thinkers, creators and doers. It has since received 2.2m views on YouTube. In 2017, Dame Stephanie received a Companion of Honour (CH), a membership limited to only 65 individuals globally, for her services to the IT industry and philanthropy.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley and other top speakers and celebrities.

Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley Videos

Gender Equality in Tech with Dame Stephanie
Dame Stephanie Shirley
Interview With Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley

How do I book Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $20,000 - $30,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley speak about?

Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Neurodiversity, Social Activism, Non-Profit & Association, Women in Business, Women, Female Leadership, TED, Leadership, Human Resources, Business, Future Of Work, Women in Tech and Education.

Where does Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley travel from?

Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley generally travels from UK and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Neurodiversity, Social Activism and Non-Profit & Association. The estimated speaking fee range to book Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley for live events is $20,000 - $30,000, and for virtual events $20,000 - $30,000. Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley generally travels from UK and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Nataly Kogan, Tracy Chou and Jean Case. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley for an upcoming event.

Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley Videos

Gender Equality in Tech with Dame Stephanie
Dame Stephanie Shirley
Interview With Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley
Dame Stephanie Shirley: Why do ambitious women have flat heads?

Dame Stephanie "Steve" Shirley News

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