
Rashmi Airan
Rise Through It™ and Leadership Speaker; Former Attorney, Finance & Sales Professional, and Felon; Empowering People to Rise through Challenges with Courage and Conviction
Rashmi Airan is a captivating and motivational speaker, consultant, and catalyst for transformation with a mission to foster organizational cultures centered around authenticity. Her powerful story transcends the pitfalls of making a life-altering decision; it's a tale of leadership, core values, and decision-making, capable of creating a safe haven for courageous and often challenging conversations.
As a first-generation immigrant of Indian descent raised with lofty expectations, Rashmi excelled as a lawyer, graduating with honors from Columbia Law School. After gaining experience at major corporations, she embarked on an independent law practice in Miami. During the housing boom, she developed an ethical blind spot collaborating with a real estate developer engaged in questionable practices. Driven by her desire for success to provide for her children, Rashmi refrained from questioning her client's actions despite her inner voice urging caution. This led to a federal prison sentence for bank fraud.
During her six months in federal prison, Rashmi found inner peace and self-forgiveness. This humbling yet invaluable experience made her realize that while living with remorse is one thing, allowing it to define one's identity is another. Now a "recovering lawyer and investment banker," female leader, and community entrepreneur, Rashmi is an internationally recognized keynote speaker and TEDx presenter.
With over thirty years of real-world experience in finance, business and law, Rashmi Airan intimately understands the complexities modern leaders face. Her expertise is bolstered by years of research in behavioral psychology and collaborations with renowned global brands like Coca-Cola, Cardinal Health, Merck, Comcast, Sotheby's, and Hershey's. Deloitte has recognized the transformative power and relatability of Rashmi's journey, which spans from an Ivy League education to federal prison.
Rashmi has partnered with Fortune 100 companies, financial services groups, CPAs, lawyers, real estate professionals, and dozens of women’s conferences and groups to share her transformational journey and create a RISE movement. She has been featured on ABC, PBS, in the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.
An avid hiker, travel enthusiast, and proud mother of two teenagers, Rashmi serves on the Board of Directors for the Overtown Youth Center/Alonzo Mourning Foundation and is an Ambassador for The Key Clubhouse.
Her inspiring journey instills the power to overcome obstacles and unleash human potential.
Rashmi Airan is a captivating and motivational speaker, consultant, and catalyst for transformation with a mission to foster organizational cultures centered around authenticity. Her powerful story transcends the pitfalls of making a life-altering decision; it's a tale of leadership, core values, and decision-making, capable of creating a safe haven for courageous and often challenging conversations.
As a first-generation immigrant of Indian descent raised with lofty expectations, Rashmi excelled as a lawyer, graduating with honors from Columbia Law School. After gaining experience at major corporations, she embarked on an independent law practice in Miami. During the housing boom, she developed an ethical blind spot collaborating with a real estate developer engaged in questionable practices. Driven by her desire for success to provide for her children, Rashmi refrained from questioning her client's actions despite her inner voice urging caution. This led to a federal prison sentence for bank fraud.
During her six months in federal prison, Rashmi found inner peace and self-forgiveness. This humbling yet invaluable experience made her realize that while living with remorse is one thing, allowing it to define one's identity is another. Now a "recovering lawyer and investment banker," female leader, and community entrepreneur, Rashmi is an internationally recognized keynote speaker and TEDx presenter.
With over thirty years of real-world experience in finance, business and law, Rashmi Airan intimately understands the complexities modern leaders face. Her expertise is bolstered by years of research in behavioral psychology and collaborations with renowned global brands like Coca-Cola, Cardinal Health, Merck, Comcast, Sotheby's, and Hershey's. Deloitte has recognized the transformative power and relatability of Rashmi's journey, which spans from an Ivy League education to federal prison.
Rashmi has partnered with Fortune 100 companies, financial services groups, CPAs, lawyers, real estate professionals, and dozens of women’s conferences and groups to share her transformational journey and create a RISE movement. She has been featured on ABC, PBS, in the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal.
An avid hiker, travel enthusiast, and proud mother of two teenagers, Rashmi serves on the Board of Directors for the Overtown Youth Center/Alonzo Mourning Foundation and is an Ambassador for The Key Clubhouse.
Her inspiring journey instills the power to overcome obstacles and unleash human potential.
RISE THROUGH IT™: Empowering Women to Redefine Leadership and Shatter Barriers
60 minute Keynote with Q&A
This program is perfect for Leaders and Organizations that have people facing everyday challenges of life:
Women carry the weight of unspoken expectations, societal judgment, and internalized shame that too often define the trajectory of our lives and careers. Rashmi Airan’s journey is a testament to a truth too rarely spoken: failure does not define us—our response to it does....
DHARMA LEADERSHIP™ - Finding Your Why?
60 Minute Keynote with Q&A
This program is perfect for:
- any leader or organization focused on growth and competitive edge
In our tech-driven world, top talent often struggles with identity and purpose, which significantly impacts engagement and performance. Rashmi Airan, a leader with extensive expertise in finance and law, addresses this critical challenge through her...
Opposites Attract: The Power of Turning Enemies into Allies - Driving Sales and Growth through Relationships
60 mnute Keynote and Q&A
This program is perfect for:
- every individual as each person will face an adversary or conflict at some point
The audience will leave with:
- Embrace transformation: Learn from Rashmi Airan's journey from attorney to federal defendant to motivational speaker.
- Foster understanding: Discover how adversarial...
RISE THROUGH IT™: A Lawyer’s Journey to Federal Prison and Beyond
Format: 45-60 minute Keynote
This program is perfect for:
- Leaders, C-Suite, Executives, Teams
- all organizations
The audience will leave with:
- Master the RISE Process™: Learn a proven framework to face challenges, transform obstacles into opportunities, and rise stronger.
- Reframe Your Identity: Embrace that...
DON’T RISK IT! Ethics & Decision-Making
Format: 45-60 Minute Keynote
This program is perfect for: LEADERS and TEAMS dealing with change or organizational risk challenges
In this engaging keynote, Rashmi Airan emphasizes the critical importance of ethics and decision-making in today's fast-paced business environment. Drawing from her personal journey from Wall Street to law school to prison, Rashmi highlights the dangers of ethical blind spots and the...