Lightning Talks — Thrive with Mentoring

Lightning Talk Applications | Thrive Annual Awards 2026

Step onto the Thrive stage and share a
7-minute story that lifts the room.

30 May 2026 | Mandarin Oriental Savoy Zurich | 100+ women in the audience

Apply Now | Speak on 30th May

What is it?

Lightning talks are short and punchy inspiring talks on the theme of ‘Moment of LIFT’.
Time Commitment

7 mins in total on stage at the event venue. You will also need to commit to 2 practice sessions in May.
Your Audience

Our awards ceremony is attended by our brilliant and vibrant community of women who are mentors, mentees, volunteers, and more.
Last Date to Apply

The last date to apply is 15th April. The application will take you 10 mins. For any questions write to awards@thrivewithmentoring.com
We're here to support!

You won't be alone on this journey, a Thrive team which has a lot of experience in public speaking will coach you and help you with feedback and practice rounds.

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“I decided to do a talk at last year’s Thrive Awards to overcome my fear of public speaking. As you can imagine, I was beyond afraid of doing it originally. However, I got not only amazing coaching from TedX speakers with takeaways that I still use whenever I need to speak in front of people now, but also warm support from fellow Awards speakers with whom we were rehearsing together. For me it was an uplifting experience that I can only recommend to everyone”

Oksana Prokhorova
I knew I had a good story to share, but I was not sure how. The confidence, support and the personalized feedback provided by Shivangi and Jasprit boosted me in a great way to develop my presentation skills and bring out my natural strengths as a speaker!

Bijna Balan
"Speaking at the Thrive Awards is a great opportunity to share our deep passion for mentoring and encourage others to give back in this special way. There is a great team in the back end that ensure all Thrive events are a great experience for all."

Bancy Gakuru
"I cannot vouch enough for this experience! © The Thrive Awards is truly a wonderful platform. Having the opportunity to deliver a lightning talk at the Thrive Awards significantly boosted my confidence and pushed me beyond my comfort zone. The coaching and guidance I received throughout the process were incredibly valuable. Kudos to Thrive with Mentoring for creating such a supportive and inspiring space for personal and professional development. "

Bijna Balan
"Thrive with Mentoring, I can encourage each and everyone to dare sharing your story. It is highly inspiring, healing and connecting. Dare to speak."

Sonja Robinson

Photos From Previous Years