Irra
Ariella Khi

CEO Zamna
Irra Ariella Khi is an award-winning tech CEO, humanitarian, and keynote speaker known for her relentless energy and fearless leadership. As CEO of Zamna AI, she is transforming global aviation security, while her humanitarian work with Sunflower Relief has raised over £3M in aid for Ukraine.

Who I’ve delivered talks for

It was an absolute pleasure to have you open our event. I was blown away by your ability to radically simplify blockchain and to brilliantly break down the key concepts for our audience in a fun & engaging way!! Thanks for your awesome talk.
Melanie Moeller
Head of Software Engineering at Sky

Portfolio

A speech for WIRED Smarter UK
The Five Principles of Good Data Security

What you’ll get from me

Core values that drive my connection with your audience and shape my service as a speaker.
Making The Boring Interesting
Things are only boring until you understand them. I am committed to sharing my insights and help you find meaning and excitement.
Boundless
Energy
Putting 110% in everything I do - because our energy changes our state and is the life force of how we show up in the world.
Challenging Status Quo
When everyone zigs, you zag. Because new solutions cannot be created using old ideas and practices.
Radical
Honesty
Life is too short to be anything other than yourself. Being direct is both my strength and my weakness.
Creating Clarity In Complexity
If you can't explain it simply, then you don't understand it enough. I challenge myself to live by this motto.

What I talk about

Fearless Leadership
My team say that I eat responsibility for breakfast. What is there to be fearful of? One day we won't be here, this is liberating and I act accordingly.
Creating Something from Nothing
Creativity is very vulnerable. It requires us to give a part of ourselves and to defend that creation to ourselves internally and to others. There is a process to it and I share my insights and learnings about this.
Selling the Impossible
It's only impossible until it's done, as one of my clients told me. All selling is change. Convincing buyers to take a journey with you, to bridge that change, is what I do every day.
Being a (Female) Founder
Founders are irrationally optimistic opportunists who bend reality to their will. I happen to be female and have to do this in parallel to growing my family and raising five children and despite my industry being heavily male dominated.
Web 3 / Blockchain
Expert buzzword busting for Web 3, Blockchain, Smart contracts and Decentralized technologies. I authored multiple patents in the space and love this topic.
Data Security / Privacy / GDPR
Cyber security is no good if you've already been breached. Data privacy is the same. I work with national regulators to improve GDPR compliance for our client airlines and governments.

Why me

A first-generation immigrant who arrived in the UK with limited English, Irra Ariella Khi grew up knowing that nothing would be handed to her. From an early age, she learned to fight for every opportunity—transforming obstacles into fuel for success.
Today, she is the CEO and co-founder of Zamna AI, a company rewiring global aviation. Using patented, blockchain-powered identity verification, Zamna makes border security smarter, faster, and more secure. Trusted by major airlines and governments, her technology is redefining how millions of passengers move across borders. But Irra’s impact goes far beyond tech. As the founder of Sunflower Relief, she has mobilised over £3 million in aid for Ukraine, delivering critical intelligence, logistics, and supplies to the frontline. Born in Lviv, she speaks all three regional languages—making her a strategic force in crisis response.
A mother of five, Irra’s story is one of relentless drive and reinvention. From homelessness to leading multi-million-pound ventures, she embodies resilience, adaptability, and vision. She has built and sold multiple startups, won UK BAA’s ‘Best Investment in Disruptive Tech’, and been named one of Management Today’s ‘35 Women Under 35’.
A sought-after keynote speaker, Irra delivers unfiltered insights on innovation, failure, and leadership. Whether tackling big data, border security, or humanitarian action, she challenges the status quo—and proves that barriers exist to be broken.

Select speaking engagements

Get in touch with me directly

" Irra gave an incredible talk to 5,000... as a speaker, Irra has an infectious energy that invites you in. Her story is compelling and unique.I have never seen people so engaged, they were literally sitting on the edge of their seats…I watched the young people left standing a little taller than when they walked in. Thank you Irra, you rock! " - Alex More | TEDx Organiser