Hello, I'm Riddi Viswanathan

Educationist I Founder I Speaker

Empowering 1 Million+ students with Career Clarity & Character Education

Hello, I'm Riddi Viswanathan

Educationist I Founder I Speaker

Empowering 1 Million+ students with Career Clarity & Character Education

Hello, I'm Riddi Viswanathan

Educationist I Founder I Speaker

Empowering 1 Million+ students with Career Clarity & Character Education

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ABOUT ME

Riddi Viswanathan’s Journey

💡 Early Spark
Even as a child, Riddi stood out for her academic excellence, leadership, and social awareness. As a school student, Riddi launched initiatives that connected peers to pressing social issues — driven by a deep belief that students have the power to shape the world.

🌍 Breaking Barriers Abroad
At just 17, Riddi became a first-generation migrant student at the University of Manchester. There, she quickly noticed the underrepresentation of migrant students, especially in leadership roles.

“The biggest weapon against global challenges is education.”

- RIDDI VISWANATHAN

Riddi's Impact

Empowered 50,000+ students with career clarity and character education

Delivered 150+ workshops and speeches across India, the EU and Asia on Leadership

Built 120+ partnerships for youth financial inclusion in education

First migrant woman to lead 40,000+ students at the University of Manchester

First Indian to lead 400,000+ international students from 192 countries in the UK

Secured fee reductions for international students at the University of Manchester

Sparked global media coverage through fight against racism and hate speech

Led policy reforms to reinstate the UK Post-Study Work Visa

Created the world’s first Character Curriculum Toolkit

Scaling Generation Purple to reach 1 million students by 2027 with the Indian Government and UK institutional partners.

Riddi's Alma Mater

Media Features

Riddi was invited by the BBC World News to share her thoughts on the reintroduction of Post-study work visas, a policy reform that was co-led by Riddi.

The BBC invited Riddi to represent the voices of migrant communities in the UK.

Riddi was featured by Forbes India, Indian Independence 2025 Edition, for her work as an Educationist, globally.

Invited as a keynote speaker by Times Higher Education focusing on Digital Technology and Employability.

Featured by Deccan Chronicle for Riddi’s Work as a Student Leader.

Speaking Engagements

Invited to speak about Career Confidence at the House of Commons, British Parliament.

Riddi launching Generation Purple at the House of Lords, British Parliament.

Riddi speaking at Westminster Policy Forum regarding student employability.

Riddi delivering workshop at the University of Manchester.

Riddi speaking at OP Jindal Global University about Student Careers.

Awards

The PIE (Global Education Award): Alumni of the Year.

Outstanding Contribution to Student Welfare- The University of Manchester.

Outstanding Contribution to International Students- NUS, UK

🤝 Championing International Voices
In response, she founded the International Student Network to address key challenges faced by migrant students — including employability, discrimination, and language barriers. Her work gained widespread recognition across the university.

🗳️ Trailblazing Student Leader
Riddi was elected Diversity & International Students’ Officer, representing 40,000+ students — one of the youngest in the university’s history. She also served as a Trustee of the University of Manchester Students’ Union.

✊ Facing Adversity with Courage
As the only migrant women of colour in leadership, Riddi faced gendered and racial abuse, including rape and death threats following her media appearances. Instead of stepping back, she stood stronger — co-launching “Speak Up, Stand Up”, a platform to report abuse and encourage active bystanders.

📚 A Promise for Future Generations
During this time, Riddi made herself a promise: to create a curriculum beyond classrooms, equipping youth with the values, resilience, and vision to thrive in an uncertain world.

🇬🇧 National-Level Impact
Her impact grew nationally — Riddi became the first Indian to lead the National Union of Students (NUS) International, representing 400,000+ students from 192 countries across the UK.

🚀 From Activism to Social Entrepreneurship
Post-student politics, Riddi transitioned into social entrepreneurship while balancing a full-time job. She began delivering career clarity workshops after identifying a growing gap in student guidance and confidence.

🌏 Empowering at Scale
Over the past 5 years, Riddi has empowered 50,000+ students across India, the EU and Asia with career guidance, clarity, and confidence.

🧠 A World-First in Education
Recently, Riddi developed the world’s first Character Education Toolkit — a formal curriculum structured around 3 pillars: Health & Wellbeing, Active Global Citizenship, Digital Safety & Responsibility. This toolkit equips students with essential life skills and nurtures them into global changemakers.