Work Smart, Live Well
A practical guide to smarter working and sustainable living — bringing together the professional and personal in one integrated framework for modern life.
Speaker · Author · Community Activist
Vanessa bridges the gap between AI capability and human flourishing. Her work spans organisational learning, change management, and future skills development—with a deep focus on ensuring AI deployment strengthens rather than diminishes human judgement, ethical reasoning, and wellbeing.
She works across education and professional services organisations, helping them rethink how they develop people, structure work, and build cultures where both innovation and sustainability matter. Her background spans learning design, leadership development, payroll and accountancy.
Vanessa is Head of L&D at the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers, founder of TCW Accounting Solutions, and speaks regularly at UK and international conferences on AI, future skills, and human-centred change.
Speaking Topics
From Coal to Code to AI
A personal journey through transformational change, from traditional industry to tech innovation to AI ethics and responsibility.
The Six Human Skills That Count
The capabilities that matter most in a world of AI and automation—and why they're about people, not technology.
AI Literacy Is the New Professional Literacy
Why every professional needs to understand AI—not to code, but to think critically about its role in their work and world.
Capability Over Knowledge
How to build learning that sticks and changes behaviour—moving beyond information dumps to genuine capability development.
Learning at Scale Without Losing Humanity
Scaling learning globally while keeping the human connection, empathy, and cultural responsiveness at the centre.
Change That Sticks
A framework for leading change that actually lasts—combining leadership, learning, and human-centred design.
Upcoming Speaking Events
| Date | Type | Event | Venue | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 14 | KEYNOTE | The Six Human Skills That Count | Accountex London | Listen to Podcast → |
| Sep 23 | PANEL | Assessment in a Changing World | TPAC | Find Out More → |
| Oct 17 | TEDx TALK | Festival of Ideas 2026 - Undermined | TEDx Doncaster | Find Out More → |
| Nov 16 | KEYNOTE | Adding Value to Business | The Bookkeepers Summit | Biggest Bookkeeping Event → |
Voices from the Community
"Vanessa has the ability to speak on issues in a way that not only informs but also inspires her audience. She is able to take difficult and complex ideas and express them in a way that people can easily understand, creating a meaningful learning experience."
Co-Chair, Doncaster Green Party & Parish Councillor
"Vanessa brings rare energy, vision and momentum to everything she does at ICB. I thought I was hiring an exceptional learning professional — what I actually hired was a force. Almost every conversation with her ends in a genuine mic-drop moment: a bold idea or a fresh perspective. She combines big-picture thinking with real warmth and humility, making complex learning feel human, exciting and achievable. Approachable, wise and just the right amount of unhinged in the best possible way, Vanessa is helping us make things happen that simply wouldn't have happened without her."
Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Certified Bookkeepers
"What sets Vanessa apart is her visionary energy and her understanding of blue ocean strategies. She doesn't just think about how to do things better—she thinks about entirely new ways to create value. Her work on the AI Academy is a perfect example of innovation that actually serves people."
Head of Global Partnership
"Vanessa gave her time freely and generously to the #LnDGathering, and we are incredibly grateful. Her sessions brought together real practical value, plain English insight, and a genuine willingness to help people think differently about their work, their organisations, and the opportunities in front of them. From pushing the boundaries of AI in Learning and Development to helping SME owners ask better questions about business value, Vanessa created space for people to learn, reflect, and take action. We gained a great deal from her contribution — not just in knowledge, but in confidence, clarity, and momentum. A huge thank you, Vanessa."
Founder, Be More L&D
Building Things That Matter Globally
Community Data Working Groups
Co-founding data literacy and citizen science initiatives that put data power back in community hands.
Explore →Parish Council & Green Initiatives
Working at grassroots level on environmental policy, sustainability planning, and community-led change.
Learn More →AI Academy for Finance Professionals
Building hands-on AI capability programmes for accountants and bookkeepers—ethical, practical, human-centred.
View Course →AI in Professional Qualifications
Shaping how AI literacy is embedded into professional learning and development frameworks across the sector.
Read More →AI'm Only Human
A community-focused exploration of AI's role in human flourishing—stories, frameworks, and practical wisdom.
Discover →Commonwealth Anti-Gender Violence Campaign
Working with communities and organisations to end gender-based violence and build safer, more equitable societies.
Get Involved →LETGO™
Change is no longer a one-off event — it's the backdrop of our lives. Despite billions spent on training and transformation, most initiatives fail to create lasting impact. LETGO™ offers a fresh, practical solution.
Developed by Vanessa Aradia after decades of leading teams, designing learning programmes, and navigating high-stakes organisational change, this five-step model helps individuals and teams unlearn what no longer serves them, and grow new patterns that stick.
Enquire about LETGO™Identify habits, assumptions, and systems holding you back.
Understand the feelings that anchor old patterns in place.
Create deliberate moments that break the cycle.
Embed behaviours that support your future goals.
Sustain change through accountability and celebration.
Leadership · Teams · Personal Development
Guides, Tools & Thinking
Curated resources to support your journey toward smarter work, sustainable living, and human-centred change.
Watch
Speaking, presentations, and conversations exploring AI, learning, and change.