Meet Usha Kong
In the world of social impact and equity leadership, few voices resonate as deeply as that of Usha Kong. Based in London, England, Usha is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of novi FUTURES, a social enterprise working to ensure that no young person is left behind due to circumstance. With nearly four decades of professional experience spanning corporate, public, and social enterprise sectors, she has transformed early hardship into a lifelong commitment to systemic change. Her focus on social mobility, inclusive leadership, and coaching has made her a trusted advisor, mentor, and advocate. As a keynote speaker, certified coach, and Non-Executive Director, Usha brings the credibility of lived experience to boardrooms, communities, and classrooms alike. “Your circumstances do not define your potential, your belief, action, and resilience do.”
From Typing Pool to the London Stock Exchange
Usha Kong’s story does not begin with privilege, pedigree, or polished credentials. It begins at 16, leaving school in London with no formal qualifications. Raised in a strict cultural environment and thrust into early marriage, she entered adulthood under circumstances that might have defined her limits but for Usha, they only marked the starting line.
“I felt like I was navigating two worlds, the professional space I aspired to grow in, and the personal struggles that kept me grounded.”
Usha stepped into her first job as a junior typist in a building design company. It was the first window into the working world, where she began observing how systems operated and where access often depended on background rather than ability. At 19, she moved into a position at the London Stock Exchange, initially handling administrative tasks and data entry. It was there that she became acutely aware of the disparities between her lived experience and those around her. Discover more about Usha here.
Reinvention Through Crisis
Everything changed in 2003 when she lost her job in the city. With no qualifications, no networks, and no mentor to guide her, the path ahead was anything but clear. She was also a single mother, facing both financial and emotional uncertainty. Instead of retreating, Usha reinvented. She trained as a personal development coach, launched One2One Professional Coaching Ltd., and began transforming lives, starting with her own. From the ground up, she built her practice, learning sales, finance, negotiation, and leadership by doing, without a safety net.
She expanded her focus to work with a diverse client base, including entrepreneurs, private individuals, and corporate professionals. Her expertise grew into business, executive, and life coaching, enhanced by certifications in NLP.
“That moment of hardship became the catalyst for reinvention,” Usha reflects.
Her practice evolved into advocacy as she began working directly with young people in schools. This led to the co-founding of Network for Teaching Young Entrepreneurs (NTYE), a not-for-profit that introduced entrepreneurship to disadvantaged youth. Students were given business mentors, real-world training, and the chance to compete in European entrepreneurship competitions.
Advancing Social Mobility: Policy, Practice, and People
NTYE wasn’t just a program, it was a movement. Through it, Usha helped young people write business plans, pitch ideas, and believe in futures they had never imagined for themselves. Her efforts were recognized nationally, earning her the British Community Honours Award. Later, she took her vision into the public sector, joining the London Borough of Tower Hamlets as Careers and Social Mobility Manager. There, her work became even more expansive, engaging over 9,500 young people annually through interactive career education, employer engagement, and life-changing experiences like STEM career fairs, Next Steps, Future Pathways Roadshows and university immersion programs for students and their families.
She also co-chaired the Council’s Disability Staff Network, where she led a powerful video campaign highlighting lived experiences of employees with disabilities
“Inclusion is not just about welcoming people; it’s about ensuring they feel valued, heard, and respected.”
As someone who lives with chronic pain and mobility challenges, Usha’s advocacy is deeply personal. She is a renowned multi-award winner and finalist, recognised for her exceptional leadership, transformative impact on social mobility, contributions to education and academia, advocacy as a disability role model, and influence as a rising star in local government and community engagement. Today, Usha Kong stands as a recognised voice in equity, inclusion, social mobility and transformative leadership.
Transforming Beliefs Through Coaching and Keynotes
As a certified NLP Master Practitioner and personal development coach, Usha works across generations, from students to senior executives. She helps clients break limiting beliefs, shift mindset patterns, and take ownership of their journeys. One of her most memorable coaching stories involves a client who had internalized decades of self-doubt. Usha helped her reframe limiting beliefs, eventually empowering her to secure a leadership role she had never thought possible.
“Resilience is not about avoiding challenges but about having the right tools to navigate them.”
As a keynote speaker, she speaks candidly about the obstacles she has faced, and the power of rewriting your own narrative. Her talks focus on unlocking human potential, using adversity as a source of strength, and holding institutions accountable for creating truly inclusive environments. If you’re looking for a speaker who doesn’t just move audiences but moves them to action, Usha Kong is the voice you’ve been waiting for. With her lived experience, commanding presence, and powerful message of transformation, she doesn’t just inspire, she equips. Book her for your next keynote, panel, or leadership event, and prepare to leave your audience changed.
“Your circumstances do not define your potential, your belief, action, and resilience do.”
Launching novi FUTURES: A Mission to Impact One Million Lives
In 2025, Usha co-founded novi FUTURES alongside Griselda Togobo, a social enterprise committed to empowering young people aged 9–25, including those with SEND and care experience. The goal is audacious: positively transform one million lives over the next five years. For Usha, the mission is deeply personal.“I left school with no qualifications, no support, and no guidance, but I refused to let that define my future.” Reach out today to bring Usha’s voice, energy, and impact to your stage.
Usha reflects, “novi FUTURES is deeply personal to me. It’s about ensuring that no young person has to navigate the unknown alone.”
Their model connects businesses, educators, and policymakers to create systems of access, not just inspiration. From career exposure to mentorship frameworks, novi FUTURES builds long-term outcomes, not one-time interventions. Explore more about novi FUTURES here.
A Voice for Gender Equity and Global Dialogue
Beyond the UK, Usha brings her voice to global platforms. In 2025, she participated in the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) as a digital delegate through UN Women UK. That experience deepened her perspective on intersectionality, leadership, and the need for transnational dialogue. As a digital participant for UN Women UK at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), Usha has engaged in global dialogues on gender, equity, and representation.
“Equity and inclusion cannot be solved in isolation, they require global solidarity and systemic change at every level.”
She also serves as a Non-Executive Director and advisor, ensuring representation at the highest levels of organizational leadership.
Living the Change She Advocates
Usha’s leadership is rooted in lived experience. A widowed mother of two by age 24, she knows the cost of adversity and the strength it demands. Her approach to coaching, governance, and social strategy is not theoretical, it’s deeply personal. “Legacy is not about titles or recognition, it’s about impact that endures beyond one person.”
Today, whether she’s in a boardroom, keynote stage, or classroom, Usha remains focused on one truth: systems can, and must work for everyone. Usha challenges organizations to move beyond symbolic inclusion toward structural accountability.
“We must eliminate performative inclusion and create real, equitable spaces where talent is nurtured and championed.”
Looking Ahead: Building Legacy, Not Just Success
Today, Usha Kong stands as a recognized voice in equity, inclusion, and transformative leadership. Her focus remains bold: expanding novi FUTURES, amplifying her voice as a keynote speaker, and taking on new governance roles that drive structural change. Now, she is actively seeking global stages where her message can drive change and inspire leadership transformation. Whether at a corporate summit, university, or social impact forum, Usha is ready to bring her story and strategies to your audience.
“What’s next for me? Bigger impact, bigger conversations, and breaking even more barriers.”
From a school-leaver with no qualifications to an executive shaping national discourse, her story is a masterclass in turning lived experience into leadership.
Connect with Usha Kong
Ready to bring Usha to your stage? For speaking engagements, panels, or media inquiries, connect directly:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/usha-kong-33389/
Website: https://www.wearenovi.com/novi-futures/
Editorial Note:
Usha Kong’s journey from exclusion to executive influence offers a masterclass in what it means to lead with truth, purpose, and lasting impact. Every initiative she drives is rooted in lived experience, not theory. Her work stands as a reminder: when we remove barriers, we don’t just change lives, we change futures.
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