Dr Rola Hallam

Rola is an award winning consultant anaesthetist, the first Syrian TED fellow and the founder of CanDo, a humanitarian organisation supporting frontline health workers to save lives in their war-devastated communities.

She has helped build 7 hospitals in Syria, including the first ever crowdfunded hospital, together reaching over 3 million people.

She is a transformational speaker and advocate for the protection of healthcare, healthcare workers and civilians in conflict, she has shared global stages with presidents, celebrities and grassroots activists and her work has featured in most media from the New York Times to The Daily Show including two BBC documentaries. Her online talks have been viewed over 11 million times, inspiring thousands to support CanDo's mission.

This year alone she has featured in BBC Panorama documentary ‘Syria’s Schools Under Attack’, as well as BBC Women’s Hour, The Guilty Feminist Podcast, Amanda Palmer Podcast and the Google #IAmRemarkable event series.

Her talks have inspired millions to be changemakers, helping people find the power of their voice and support local frontline healthcare workers.