Speaking | Nicky Wake

SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES

Nicky Wake is a serial entrepreneur, speaker, and CEO who turns personal challenges into purpose-driven action. She founded Don’t Panic Events in 2005, building it into a thriving events and awards business, and has since gone on to create multiple ventures that combine community, connection, and social impact. Along the way, Nicky has raised over £300k from investors, demonstrating her skill, resilience, and strategic vision as a female founder in competitive markets.

In 2020, Nicky’s life was transformed by the sudden loss of her husband, Andy. Rather than retreat, she channelled grief into creation, founding initiatives such as Chapter2Dating.app, a safe dating platform and community for widows and widowers exploring their next significant relationship; WidowsFire.Dating, which acknowledges and supports the taboo subjects of sex and desire after grief and SoberLove.app which create spaces for connection and relationships that aren’t defined by alcohol or consumption.

Nicky has also founded two CIC not-for-profit organisations; TheWidowedCollective.com and SoberAFCollective.Com – organisations built to support the widowed and sober communities.

Her journey blends the rawness of grief, the challenges of rebuilding identity, and the discovery that hope, joy, and success can re-emerge in unexpected ways.

Nicky’s speaking style is raw, honest, and deeply emotional, often pulling on heartstrings with stories of love, loss, and reinvention — yet always balanced with humour and self-deprecating wit that makes audiences laugh as well as cry. She shares her personal story with courage and candour, leaving audiences inspired, moved, and motivated to take action in both life and business.

Her talks cover a broad spectrum, from resilience and personal reinvention, to female entrepreneurship, fundraising, and building businesses with impact.

Nicky helps audiences see that challenges — personal or professional — are not the end of a story, but the beginning of a powerful new chapter.

Upcoming work includes her book, "In the Wake of Widow’s Fire: My Quest for a Million Happy Endings", which gathers lessons, reflections, and inspiration from her journey as a widow, entrepreneur, and community builder.

Nicky speaking at the GDI Conference

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Suggested Talk Topics

Grief, Resilience & Reinvention

From Widow’s Fire to New Beginnings: Building Your Second Chapter
When Your Story Seems Over: How to Rewrite the Ending
Invisible Battles: Grief, Sobriety & the Courage to Rebuild

Female Founder & Entrepreneurship

Purpose Born in Pain: How Grief Became My Why in Business
Breaking Barriers: My Journey as a Female Founder in the Events & Tech World
Raising £300k and Beyond: Lessons in Funding, Pitching & Resilience
From Idea to Impact: Building Businesses That Change Lives
The Founder’s Rollercoaster: Resilience, Risk & Reinvention

Community, Connection & Innovation

Where Hope Lives: Building Communities in the Midst of Grief
Love Comes Again: Designing Platforms for Connection After Loss
Sober & Thriving: Creating Spaces Beyond Alcohol
The Unexpected Pivot: Turning Crisis into Creativity
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How My Entrepreneurial Spirit Saved Me from My Ultimate Grief | Nicky Wake | TEDxManchester

I loved working with Nicky Wake as part of TEDxManchester. She brought incredible energy and professionalism in her preparation and delivery. It’s been great to see her speaking portfolio grow & grow since then too. I have worked with her in a wide variety of capacities and Nicky is always a delight to work with and can recommend her highly to any future collaborators.

Herb Kim, Organiser, TedX Manchester