Taha Riani
Who is Taha Riani?
Taha Riani is a true jack-of-all-trades and a well-known name in the world of inclusion and diversity. With more than 10 years of experience, he has become one of the leading voices in this field. As a creative entrepreneur, speaker, author and inclusion expert, he has always had only one goal in mind: to make the world more inclusive. And he is not stopping there.
What started as a personal frustration with how we often reduce each other to one label grew into a mission that reaches millions of people. In 2015, Taha launched mvslim.com, a media platform that broke negative stereotypes about Muslims. The platform went viral and reached millions of people worldwide every month, with mentions in international media such as the BBC and The New York Times.
Determined to help companies and organisations improve their communications, Taha founded a strategic agency that specialised in inclusive communications. With his agency, he helped big names like Unilever, Brussels Airport, and BNP Paribas tailor their message to the diversity of society. The approach caught on, and his agency's work was recognised with several awards, including a spot on the prestigious Forbes 30under30 list in the media and marketing category.
But Taha's impact goes beyond just helping businesses. He is a born storyteller and knows better than anyone how to discuss difficult topics such as inclusion, stereotyping and prejudice in an accessible and sometimes humorous way. This is reflected in his book Kan ik dat nog wel zeggen? in which he explains how we can break through the polarisation surrounding inclusion talks and understand each other better. The book received rave reviews and offers practical tools to start the conversation about inclusion without making it uncomfortable.
In addition to his work as an entrepreneur and author, Taha is a sought-after speaker. He has given more than 100 keynotes in recent years, inspiring people to see inclusion in a different way - not as a ‘must’, but as an opportunity to make the world a better and fairer place. Whether speaking to a small group of professionals or a large audience at a conference, Taha always manages to inspire with his no-nonsense approach and his unique combination of humour and depth.
Taha Riani visited Belfius for a keynote based on his book in which he explained the principles in his book in a very accessible way. The reactions during and after the keynote were very positive! The way of communicating, the framing within everyday situations, the use of recognisable examples, all contributed to the success of the keynote. Highly recommended also for other companies wishing to organise something around diversity and inclusion!
Jordy Vanpoucke
Team Leader Belfius Insurance