Bariz Shah grew up in Aotearoa in the shadow of 9/11, an Afghan kid caught between two worlds, looking for belonging in all the wrong places.
Expulsions, run-ins with the law, and eventually prison became the landmarks of his youth. But it was behind bars — stripped, that everything turned. With nothing left but time and intention, Bariz confronted who he'd been, realigned his purpose, and discovered that real transformation doesn't come from hustle. It comes from planting seeds with sincerity and trusting the process.
After his release he earned a civil engineering degree and a diploma in humanitarian engineering from the University of Canterbury. When the March 15 attacks struck Christchurch in 2019, he was serving as President of the UC Muslim Students Association and threw himself into the community's response — later raising $20,000 with his wife Saba to establish 51 micro-businesses in Afghanistan in tribute to those lost. A small act of service whose ripple effects continue to grow.
Today Bariz is an Engineer helping build the new Ashburton Bridge, the Executive Director of Asturlab, author of Beyond Hope, and co-director of Project Fiftyone, a feature documentary released in New Zealand cinemas in 2025. He has served on the Muslim Reference Group for incarcerated Muslims and on Kapuia, the Ministerial Advisory Group advising the government on its response to the Royal Commission into the March 15 attacks.
Talking Points
Prison to Purpose: Self-Leadership When the Stakes Are Real
Bariz Shah learned to lead himself long before he earned any title, first in an Auckland prison, then through a civil engineering degree, a terrorist attack response, and a feature documentary production. In this keynote he shares the raw, practical discipline of self-leadership: how intention, not just hustle, is the real engine of change, how to rebuild credibility from zero, and why the leaders who endure are the ones who serve something greater than their own ambition.Prison to Purpose: Self-Leadership When the Stakes Are Real
Key Takeaways:
• How to build unshakeable personal accountability by anchoring action in sincere intention, not external validation
• A framework for converting past failure into present authority, doing more with less by focusing on what truly matters
• Why self-leadership rooted in purpose outlasts self-leadership driven by performance metrics
Steady in the Storm: Leading Through Uncertainty
From navigating life as a young Muslim in post-9/11 New Zealand to standing in Christchurch on one of NZ’s darkest days, Bariz has lived uncertainty most only read about in case studies. This keynote unpacks what it takes to lead when the ground is shifting, adopting a gardener's mindset that combines hard work with patience, making clear-eyed decisions without full information, and holding space for grief and action simultaneously. It's a talk about trusting the process when you can't see the harvest.Steady in the Storm: Leading Through Uncertainty
Key Takeaways:
• The gardener's approach to crisis: how to stay focused and hardworking while releasing your grip on outcomes you cannot control
• How to lead others through collective trauma with authenticity, not performative positivity
• Strategies for protecting your identity and values when external circumstances try to redefine you
Brand Building: Legacy Through Service
Bariz has spent time in rooms most people never expect to experience in one lifetime: prison cells, university lecture halls, ministerial advisory groups, and film sets. Those places couldn’t be more different, but they all taught him the same thing. Real impact doesn’t come from chasing attention or trying to look important. It comes from showing up with sincerity, doing the work that actually helps, and planting seeds that keep growing long after you’ve left the room.Brand Building: Legacy Through Service
In this keynote, he talks about why genuine service to community, not networking, not polishing a personal brand, is one of the most overlooked leadership strategies today, and why the leaders who leave a real legacy are the ones who stopped making everything about themselves.
Key Takeaways:
• Why trust-first, service-driven community building outperforms top-down diversity efforts and creates momentum that compounds over time
• How to step into unfamiliar spaces and earn credibility quickly, drawing on lessons from prison, policy, and production
• A practical approach for turning shared stories into collective action that lasts longer than any single project or campaign
Video
Ex-Criminal: Life at Mt Eden Prison, Leadership Lessons from Christchurch Terror Attack
Bariz Shah, author of Beyond Hope and a remarkable leader who turned his life around. From his challenging youth to becoming a pillar of his community, Bariz’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and purpose.Celebrity Speakers Showcase 2025
“Today marks 10 years since I was released from prison. Life can truly change.” Meet Bariz Shah, a remarkable speaker, author, civil engineer, and changemaker whose story proves that no past mistake has to define your future. At just 18, Bariz entered prison as an addict, alcoholic, and young man filled with hatred and shame. But behind bars, in the silence of his cell, he began asking life’s hardest questions — and made a vow to turn his life around. In this deeply personal talk, Bariz shares: His early experiences with racism and alienation in New Zealand after 9/11 How he fell into crime, addiction, and ultimately prison The turning point behind bars that ignited his journey of transformation Earning his civil engineering degree with honours from University of Canterbury Surviving the Christchurch mosque attacks and losing two mentees His mission to honour the 51 lives lost in the attacks by building 51 micro-businesses in Afghanistan The power of choosing not to be a victim and using pain for positive change Today, Bariz is a husband, father, author, filmmaker, and founder of an organisation helping others build brighter futures. His journey shows how radical accountability, hope, and action can turn even the darkest chapters into a force for good.The Ex-Con Who Became NZ's Most Unlikely Changemaker
Bariz was a wonderful and inspiring keynote speaker at our conference. We have had overwhelming positive feedback about his talk and highly recommend him to others looking for a speaker who ... keep reading New Zealand Planning Institute NZPI
