Ailbhe & Izzy Keane

Award-Winning Founders of Izzy Wheels, Global Innovators in Branding, Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Design

Why book Ailbhe & Izzy Keane?

Ailbhe and Izzy Keane turned a final-year college project into Izzy Wheels, a globally recognised brand selling in more than 60 countries, featured in a BBC documentary and named to the Forbes 30 Under 30
They have built collaborations with Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Barbie and Star Wars, working with more than 100 world-renowned artists to grow Izzy Wheels into an internationally recognised brand.
Ailbhe and Izzy have won more than 30 national and international awards, including the EU Prize for Women Innovators, and have spoken for Google, Microsoft, Disney and Adobe.

Biography

Ailbhe and Izzy Keane are the award-winning Irish sisters behind Izzy Wheels, the globally recognised brand transforming wheelchairs into bold expressions of personality, creativity and identity. What began as Ailbhe’s final-year college project has grown into an internationally recognised brand that sells in more than 60 countries and collaborates with some of the world’s most recognisable brands.

At the heart of Izzy Wheels is a deeply personal story. Izzy, who has spina bifida, has always seen her wheelchair as a symbol of freedom, but she wanted it to reflect her vibrant personality. While studying at the National College of Art and Design, Ailbhe designed a range of colourful wheel covers for her sister’s wheelchair to match her style. Their tagline, “If you can’t stand up, stand out!”, quickly resonated with people around the world.

Izzy Wheels captured global attention after going viral online, reaching more than 16 million people in one week. Today, the company collaborates with Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, Hello Kitty, Barbie and more than 100 world-renowned artists and global brands. Their work has been featured by Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Good Morning America, CBS News, TechCrunch, Oprah Magazine and many other international media outlets.

Their success has earned them more than 30 national and international awards, including the EU Prize for Women Innovators, a place on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list and a BBC documentary. Most importantly, Izzy Wheels has given thousands of wheelchair users around the world a new way to express their individuality, helping shift the focus from the wheelchair itself to the personality of the person using it.

Beyond their remarkable story, Ailbhe and Izzy share practical lessons in innovation, branding, entrepreneurship and inclusive design. Drawing on the experience of building a globally recognised business from a single college project, they show how purpose-driven innovation, authentic storytelling and an unwavering sense of purpose can become powerful competitive advantages. Their journey demonstrates how creativity and inclusive thinking can uncover overlooked opportunities, build globally recognised brands and create lasting commercial impact.

Warm, engaging and thought-provoking, Ailbhe and Izzy combine humour, creativity and genuine passion with real business experience to deliver keynotes that inspire audiences to think differently about innovation, branding and the opportunities hidden in plain sight. Whether speaking to corporate teams, business leaders, educators or entrepreneurs, audiences leave feeling energised to think differently, challenge assumptions and recognise that the most impactful ideas often come from seeing the world through a new perspective.

Topics

Innovation

Innovation comes from questioning assumptions, seeing problems differently and understanding real human needs. Drawing on the Izzy Wheels journey, Ailbhe and Izzy explore how curiosity, creativity and human-centred thinking can uncover overlooked opportunities, inspire better ideas and drive meaningful innovation.

Entrepreneurship

From a final-year college project to a globally recognised brand, Ailbhe and Izzy share the practical lessons behind building Izzy Wheels. This keynote explores resilience, decision-making, growth and the realities of scaling a purpose-led business while staying true to your vision.

Branding

Strong brands are built on authenticity, not just marketing. Discover how Izzy Wheels used storytelling, design and purpose to build a distinctive global brand, create lasting customer connections and collaborate with some of the world’s biggest companies.

The Power of Perspective

The biggest opportunities are often hiding in plain sight. By looking at a wheelchair differently, Ailbhe and Izzy built a business that changed an industry. This keynote explores how challenging assumptions and seeing familiar problems through a new lens can unlock innovation, creativity and commercial opportunity.

Masterclasses

Interactive Workshops

Alongside their keynote presentations, Ailbhe and Izzy also offer interactive workshops that allow participants to explore the ideas from their talks in greater depth. These sessions combine discussion, practical exercises and real-world examples, and can be tailored to leadership teams, innovation programmes, employee resource groups, students or organisations of all sizes.

Creative Experimentation: A Framework for Innovation

How do organisations create ideas that genuinely stand out? Building on the Izzy Wheels story, this workshop explores how questioning assumptions, experimenting with new ideas and understanding real human needs can uncover overlooked opportunities and drive innovation. Through discussion and practical exercises, participants will learn practical approaches to experimentation and creative problem-solving that they can immediately apply within their own organisation.

Building Strategic Partnerships

Strong partnerships don’t happen by chance. From collaborations with Disney, Marvel, Universal Studios and Barbie to working with more than 100 artists around the world, Ailbhe and Izzy explore how to identify the right partners, create mutually beneficial relationships and build collaborations that strengthen both brand and business. Participants will leave with practical frameworks for developing meaningful partnerships that create long-term value.

Building a Brand That Matters: From Idea to Global Brand

What transforms a simple idea into a globally recognised brand? Through the story of Izzy Wheels, Ailbhe and Izzy explore the practical realities of building a purpose-led business, from defining a clear vision and creating a distinctive brand to growing an engaged community and securing partnerships with some of the world’s biggest brands. Designed for entrepreneurs, founders, marketing teams and innovation leaders, this interactive workshop examines the role of purpose, storytelling, creativity and strategic decision-making in building a brand that people genuinely connect with. Participants will leave with practical insights into developing a strong brand identity, communicating their organisation’s story and turning ambitious ideas into lasting commercial success.

Videos

On Becoming Entrepreneurs: Izzy Wheels

Girls With Goals - Ailbhe & Izzy of 'Izzy Wheels' join us to talk business and Barbies!

"Why ignore it?" | The Late Late Show | RTÉ One 2018

IE Skip navigation Search Create Avatar image Pimped Up Custom Wheelchairs: Meet The Designers

Testimonials

“Your talk was truly inspiring and it was wonderful seeing the engagement across the audience, thank you for your time and great energy. Looking forward to seeing what you continue to create and hope we cross paths again soon! “

Selin İpek - Google Ireland

“Based on an effusive recommendation from a team member who’d worked with Ailbhe and Izzy on a previous event, we booked them as our keynote speakers for an event hosting 200 education leaders and educators from across Ireland. It was a brilliant decision. Their session was one of the highest rated of the day and the feedback we received was phenomenal. The content was inspirational and uplifting, and the delivery was so genuine and engaging. The message deeply resonated with our audience and guests were queuing up to chat with Ailbhe and Izzy after the session. From a logistical standpoint, they were so easy and lovely to work with, meeting any deadline and open to feedback. We wholeheartedly recommend them to any organisation seeking truly inspirational and uplifting speakers.”

Kirstie Weston, Marketing Manager, Google for Education

“This combination of passion, enthusiasm, good humor, the fact that they are both tremendous human beings and punchy delivery makes them compelling listening and often left our audiences inspired and a little bit humbled. We would highly recommend them as speakers and look forward to welcoming them into Accenture again in the near future”

Peter Cleary, Innovation Manager for the Leaders of Tomorrow program, Accenture

“We have had the privilege of having Ailbhe and Izzy Keane speaking at some of our larger events like Inspirefest and International Women’s Day and more intimate fireside chat-style meetings with some of our start-up teams. Ailbhe and Izzy are sensational speakers. They are passionate and driven to make a difference and are above all authentic and utterly sincere in how they go about doing that. They also appeal to audiences on multiple levels from inclusion and diversity to commercial to fashion to people’s interest”

Enquire about today!

Enquire about Ailbhe & Izzy Keane today!

Ailbhe Keane & Izzy Keane

Multi-Award-Winning Entrepreneurs, Forbes 30 Under 30, Disability Activists & Inspirational Speakers

why book ailbhe & izzy?

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Ailbhe and Izzy turned a college project into Izzy Wheels, a global brand that sells in over 60 countries, collaborating with 100 world-renowned designers and famous brands

They have collaborated with major brands including Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, Hello Kitty, and Barbie, creating the first inclusive wheelchair Barbie doll

Their work has culminated in over 20 national awards including the EU Women’s Innovator Award, a BBC documentary, a place on the prestigious Forbes Under 30 list, and most importantly they have provided an outlet for expression for wheelchair users all over the world

‘We have had the privilege of having Ailbhe and Izzy Keane speaking at some of our larger events like Inspirefest and International Women’s Day and more intimate fireside chat-style meetings with some of our start-up teams. Ailbhe and Izzy are sensational speakers. They are passionate and driven to make a difference and are above all authentic and utterly sincere in how they go about doing that. They also appeal to audiences on multiple levels from inclusion and diversity to commercial to fashion to people’s interest.

Biography

The story of Izzy Wheels is a personal one that has seen a college project become a global brand. Izzy, who has spina bifida, regards her wheelchair as a symbol of freedom but felt it never expressed her bubbly personality. Ailbhe, who was studying art at The National College of Art and Design, designed a range of colourful wheel covers that matched her sister’s exuberant style. Their tagline became ‘If you can’t stand up, stand out!’.

Overnight, what started as a passion project went viral online (16 million views in one week) and business exploded. Today Izzy Wheels sells to 60 countries and has collaborated with over 100 world-famous artists and major brands including Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, Hello Kitty, and Barbie. It’s also featured in some of the world’s biggest publications including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Good Morning America, CBS News, TechCrunch, and Oprah Magazine. This has culminated in over 20 national awards including The EU Prize for Women Innovators, a BBC documentary, a place on the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list, and most importantly, it has provided an outlet for expression and individuality to wheelchair users all over the world.

The sisters’ success shows what can happen when your business is driven not just by innovation but an unshakeable sense of purpose that brings a level of brand integrity that is compelling – and enviable.

These are also young women entrepreneurs who are helping to break down the stigma of disability by bringing attention to the personality in the wheelchair instead of the wheelchair itself. And they do so seamlessly, partly because they love what they do, but also because it makes business sense to tap into a market whose potential many others overlook.

As a duo, Ailbhe and Izzy are warm, confident, and inspiring. Their positivity, determination, and sense of purpose are striking. Audiences who hear them speak leave feeling motivated and energised.

Topics

Diversity and Equality

Social Inclusion

E-Commerce

Social Media

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Marketing and Branding

Women in Business