On the 2nd June, APA and With Not For presented The Stories In The Room, a collaborative event asking the powerful question: whose voices are represented in the storytelling of advertising?

An interview with Simone Round.

Simone Round is a personal trainer and mindfulness coach, and the owner of her own business, Shape Up With Simone. As a former flight attendant for TUI and an entertainer for Disney Cruises, Simone’s love of both performing and travel has taken her all around the world. Her passion for movement led her to become a personal trainer before Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) altered her life course. Now, Simone uses her insight and compassion to support others in improving their mental and physical health, creating the disability representation we need to see more of in the wellness industry.

An interview with Amanprit Arnold.

Amanprit is a disability urban strategist, renowned for her expertise and commitment to creating accessible and inclusive environments. She is the founder of Disability Urbanism and DeafCity Hub, where she campaigns for a groundbreaking cultural hub that empowers the Deaf community. As a Deaf urban strategist, Amanprit combines her lived experience with professional know-how to improve urban strategy, city planning, development, and research. Amanprit is also the Chair of UK deaf health charity SignHealth and the former GLA Co-Chair of the Disability Network.

An interview with Aksana Berdnikova.

Aksana is a powerhouse of creativity whose work champions disability-centred design and the power of art to shift narratives. Recently graduated with an MSc in Disability, Design and Innovation, Aksana’s journey has taken her from an art student in New York City to a creative director and marketing leader with over 13 years of experience. After experiencing sudden vision loss from retinal detachment during art school, Aksana's mission is to uplift the disabled creative community through design solutions and community collaboration, branching across industries and creative practices.

An interview with Chris Baker.

Chris is a multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, writer, speaker and actor who is passionate about improving the futures of young people across the UK. He is the co-founder of Aspire2Change, an organisation that draws on the lived experiences of its volunteers and founders to deliver mentorship and workshops in schools, prisons, and youth organisations. Chris uses his personal journey to spark transformation, inspiring long-term change among young people in challenging circumstances.

With Not For CEO and Co-Founder Kelly Gordon joins the panel of judges.

Supported by leading titles like Campaign, PRWeek, and Third Sector, The Purpose Awards celebrate the campaigns that successfully merge significant social impact with clear business results. The awards praise work and impact the visionary people, dedicated teams, and forward-thinking organisations behind them - so we are thrilled that Kelly will be contributing to recognise and acknowledge impact being made as a judge.

An interview with Shareena Emambocus.

With Not For are proud to represent some of the best diverse and disabled talent in the UK. With so much new talent on our books, we are excited to launch the monthly spotlight initiative to help you discover everything they have to offer. One such talent is Claudia Rose Walder, founder of Able Zine, writer and curator of all things related to disability culture. Claudia will be leading our new interview series that will platform the people we represent, introducing you to their unique stories, professional achievements and exciting ambitions.

This year’s IDPWD (3rd December) centres on the theme “Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future.”

At With Not For, we live this every day, championing Disabled talent, creators and speakers who are redefining leadership across the creative industries. From inclusive production practices to authentic on-screen representation, we help brands and teams move beyond good intentions to meaningful action.

Trigger warning: Article references statistics around mental health and suicide.

Ahead of Men’s Health Month in November 2025, we are proud to highlight a powerful and diverse lineup of male speakers who are available for bookings, panel contributions and event appearances. In a climate where men’s mental health must be taken ever more seriously, especially within Disabled communities often left out of the conversation, we wanted to share some of the exceptional people we represent who offer insights, lived experience and broad perspectives.