Minal Bopaiah is the Robin Hood of big ideas. She raids ivory towers and turns ideas into real-world, practical advice. She’s an international keynote speaker, award-winning author, and strategic advisor who has a knack for making complex concepts feel like lightbulb moments. Think of her as your favorite brainy friend who’s really good at explaining stuff and making you laugh.
As the Founder of Brevity & Wit, Minal helps mission-driven organizations use strategy, design, and storytelling to create more equitable and innovative workplaces. She’s teamed up with everyone from public media outlets to global companies to help build cultures that are both humane and high-performing.
Back in the day, Minal did some pretty cool things—like working at Sesame Workshop (the creator of Sesame Street) and becoming the first press intern for Doctors Without Borders’ New York office. Her career journey is delightfully non-linear, and you can find it all online—she’s literally the only Minal Bopaiah on the internet.
Minal loves public speaking the way some people love jumping out of airplanes — it’s a total adrenaline rush that makes her come alive. Her talks blend research, humor, and powerful storytelling, making her a sought-after speaker for conferences and companies like SXSW, Salesforce, Victoria’s Secret, Booking.com, and NPR.
Her first book Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives (Berrett-Koehler, 2021) has been called everything from “a succinct jewel” (by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jody Williams) to a “guidebook for change” (by Switch co-author Dan Heath) and “an elegantly written skeleton key” (by Philanthropy News Digest). It also won the 2022 Terry McAdam Award for the book most likely to change the way nonprofit professionals work. And yes, people beside her mom think it should be a bestseller. You can help make that happen by buying a copy wherever books are sold.
Like most working professionals, Minal serves on some boards and loves her family. She also went to college (Go U Bears!), and then grad school for clinical psych, and also got some formal training in organizational development. She’s probably doing something creative right now, like hosting a podcast or writing a viral blog post, and you should check out her LinkedIn profile if you’re curious. If not, just remember her name and how to pronounce it — it’ll make you sound smart and worldly at your next Zoom meeting.
