Eddie Ndopu was born in 1990 with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a rare degenerative motor neuron disease affecting his physical mobility, and told that he wouldn't live beyond age five. Now, thirty-one years old and stronger than ever, he continues to celebrate each year as an existential defiance of the odds. Along the way, he has fought for his education in an archaic and ableist school system, becoming the first disabled African to receive a full scholarship to Oxford University.

As a gay, Black, and a wheelchair user, Eddie has taken on leadership roles at the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, challenging the biases of those in power. Through his journey, Eddie has redefined the boundaries of identity and ability, proving that true leadership comes not from occupying a particular space, but from breaking the mould entirely.

From flirting with diplomats on dancefloors to wearing lipstick to board meetings, Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and a reminder to never let anyone else define our limits.

Eddie Ndopu is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed social justice advocate, humanitarian, public intellectual, and bona fide changemaker. Born in 1990 with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and given only five years to live, he has gone on to become a beacon of hope and possibility for people with disabilities around the world. Eddie currently serves as Special Advisor to RTW Investments, a leading investor in scientific and medical innovation. He has also advised organizations such as the World Economic Forum, UN Women and Amnesty International. Eddie holds a Master's degree in Public Policy from Oxford University and is setting in motion plans to deliver a televised address to the UN from Space, in an effort to prove that our bodies, our minds, and the limitations placed upon them can defy gravity.