The Unlock Moment · 2026-04-27 · 58 min
Chris Whitaker has spent his life navigating systems that weren’t built with him in mind … and then choosing to change them. Born six weeks prematurely with cerebral palsy, Chris grew up learning how to operate in a world that often underestimated him. That early experience only served to sharpen his ambition. From university rowing squads to national-level sport, and later into leadership roles across the charity and disability sectors, he developed a perspective grounded in both lived experience and performance. Today, as founder of Purple Advantage, Chris works with organisations to rethink how they approach disability, employment, and inclusion. His focus is on closing the disability employment gap, unlocking overlooked talent, and helping leaders move beyond uncertainty into confident, human conversations. We explore the moments that shaped Chris’s identity, his competitive drive, and his approach to leadership … including the role his wife, a Paralympian, played in helping him fully embrace his own story. This is a perspective formed through experience, challenge, and reflection, and it invites a different way of seeing the people around us.
190 Christine Barnes, Coach and Author: The Inclusion Trap - Why Leaders Are Getting It Wrong Without Knowing It57 / 100188 Luisa Baldini, Broadcast Journalist: Composure Under Fire - What Leaders Get Wrong About Handling The Pressure187 Mildred Yuan, Talent Agent and Coach: How to Play the Discomfort Olympics - A Masterclass in Negotiation186 Dr Joshua Coleman, Psychologist and Media Personality: Why Estrangement Happens - and How Repair Begins185 Dr Michelle K. Johnston, Professor, Author and Coach: The Seismic Shift, How Connection Unlocks Purpose