Ergin Özdemir

Ergin Özdemir is a social entrepreneur, diversity advocate, and one of Sweden’s foremost public speakers. His approach to increasing diversity literacy is multifaceted. By working with leaders, employers, and institutions, he increases their diversity IQ so they can build, preserve, and harness the power of diverse teams. At the same time, he helps individuals learn how to use their diversity to their advantage when entering the workforce. Additionally, Özdemir empowers organizations by equipping teams with practical tools and strategies to foster inclusion, thereby cultivating workplace cultures that enhance employee satisfaction and retention.

For over two decades, Özdemir has worked tirelessly towards creating dignified opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds to not only become part of, but also fundamentally transform workplaces. He has initiated around 50 internships in Sweden, facilitated scholarships for students in Turkey to pursue tertiary education, and created the annual Diversity Achievement award, which carries a prize of 100,000kr. His commitment extends to delivering keynote speeches such as "Diversity as a competitive advantage" and conducting the ADA workshop, designed to increase diversity awareness and innovation capability within organizations.

Through his presentations and workshops, Özdemir uses countless real-life examples, his personal journey as an immigrant and a parent of a child with autism, and the latest research to show that rather than a burden, diversity in all its senses offers a competitive edge for every organization. His TEDx talks, including "Tuning into the hidden superpowers around us" and "Never Trust Good Advice," reflect on the benefits of diversity and the importance of trusting one's instincts, respectively. All that is required is that we widen our view of where our society’s superpowers reside.