Dr. Catherine O'Farrell is one of the founders of Incluzun.com, an organisation supporting people of determination in a holistic way across the MENA region. Catherine has been working in education and inclusion for almost 20 years, she has a PhD in Leadership, Degrees in Psychology and Education as well as a masters in Engineering. She is passionate about developing opportunities for children with individual needs. She is an award winning, international school inspector, has been a Group Head for some of the region's largest educational providers and has worked with international and national committees from the Global Sustainability Network to the Ministry of Education here in the UAE to push for a more sustainable and inclusive world. Catherine has spoken at UNESCO, representing the Committee for Inclusive Education in the Gulf, she is a regular media contributor and conference speaker.

From Trauma to Transformation in hte Third Sector: Building a National Movement for Inclusion Through Partnership, Purpose, and People                                                                           What happens when personal adversity becomes the catalyst for systemic change?         Following a life-changing accident that resulted in severe physical disability, Catherine’s journey shifted from survival to purpose — inspiring the creation of Incluzun, a UAE-based certified social enterprise now recognised nationally and internationally for its work supporting People of Determination. This TED-style explores how lived experience can become a powerful driver for innovation, leadership, and large-scale social impact. Moving beyond traditional models of support, Incluzun was built on a different philosophy: that sustainable inclusion is not achieved in isolation, but through strategic collaboration across government, education, healthcare, corporate sectors, and community networks. Through partnership activation and third-sector innovation, the organisation has scaled from a grassroots concept into a multi-million-dirham enterprise supporting more than 10,000 individuals face-to-face across the UAE. This presentation will challenge leaders to rethink how inclusive ecosystems are designed, funded, and sustained — particularly within rapidly evolving national agendas. Blending powerful personal storytelling with practical insight, Catherine will explore: Turning lived experience into transformational leadership Building cross-sector partnerships that drive measurable impact Scaling purpose-led organisations without losing authenticity Developing workforce ecosystems that empower inclusion at scale Why the future of inclusion depends on collaboration, not competition Provocative, emotional, and deeply practical, this session is designed for senior policymakers, government leaders, social entrepreneurs, and practitioners seeking to move from intention to systemic impact. Because inclusion is no longer a specialist conversation It is a national development priority