Jasmina Negrini | BE Chief Operating Officer - VP | Barclays
Jasmina has a career in financial services spanning over 25 years. She has lived in five countries and travelled extensively developing strong cultural awareness and sensitiveness.
Jasmina is passionate about bringing DE&I and Sustainability together as she believes that achieving inclusion and creating a level playing field is an enabler to finding the many innovative and diverse solution needed to address climate change and the loss of nature and biodiversity. As a side of desk job, she chaired the Gender Network at J P Morgan pioneering intersectionality through collaboration and partnership across different diversity networks and is currently the London regional lead and co-chair of the London Environment Network at Barclays. Jasmina dedicates her spare time and expertise to business development programmes including mentoring of charities, helping social businesses addressing strategic challenges and coaching entrepreneurs tackling social and environmental challenges. Her passion for stewardship and her talent in finding scalable solutions were acknowledged in the 2021 ‘Micro Tyco for Leaders’ entrepreneurial challenge championing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in recognition of designing and implementing an inclusive ‘Menopause Strategy’ that provides tools and resources for all colleagues. She is also a Board Trustee, a Climate Reality Leader, a Climate Safe Lending Fellow and a UN CSW 68 and 69 UK participant. Jasmina is focusing on mindset shift and system change to accelerate the transition to net 0 and considers gender equality a prerequisite and, specifically women, key leaders in significantly contributing to the solutions needed.
Sharon Oranekwu | Co-Founder | Emboldened
Sharon Oranekwu is a strategic ESG and corporate governance leader with a decade of experience driving compliance, and ethical leadership across multiple industries.
She has advised C-suite executives and board members on aligning with international sustainability frameworks, including CSRD, SFDR, and others, ensuring organisations meet evolving regulatory expectations. She is currently the co-founder of Emboldened, and has held a number of senior positions leading enterprise-wide sustainability transformations across energy, banking and mining, sectors across the EMEA region. Her work has improved ESG reporting efficiency by 45%, strengthened climate risk mitigation strategies, and positioned organisations for regulatory readiness. Beyond corporate governance, Sharon is deeply committed to empowering women in their careers and advancing ESG in organisations. As Founder of Corp N’ Femme, she has used her voice to empower women across the UK and has built an online community of 47,000+ women from around the world; providing advice, career development tools and resources, and strategic networking opportunities for women in corporate spaces. Her advocacy extends to education and community impact as a Non-Executive Director for the Fizi Community, where she integrates ESG principles into refugee education programs in Kenya. A recognised thought leader, speaker, and author, Sharon has contributed to publications on regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and sustainable leadership. She has worked with organisations like UK Power Networks, Barclays, and WIMBIZ, helping shape policy, compliance, and ethical governance practices. Sharon’s career is defined by a passion for a world where governance is not just a duty, but a graceful dance of ethics and leadership.
Hannah Spence | Founder and Social Media Strategist | Clockflower Solutions
I am a dedicated social media entrepreneur with a diverse background that spans education, social impact, and business.
After spending over 10 years as a primary school teacher and an asylum caseworker, I transitioned into the entrepreneurial world in 2023. Driven by a desire for more flexibility and financial freedom for my two children, I founded a business that helps female entrepreneurs raise their visibility on social media platforms. During the COVID pandemic, Hannah founded an online tutoring business, aimed at supporting children from the BAME community, helping them gain access to top 11+ grammar and independent schools. My focus on educational equity and social mobility led me to empower underrepresented children by providing tailored academic support, ultimately helping many secure places at prestigious schools such as Croydon High GDST, Trinity Croydon and Wilsons. Alongside running my social media business, I am a board member for the University of Greenwich Business Generator, where I support aspiring entrepreneurs. I also organise events designed to foster a supportive network of women in business, creating opportunities for collaboration and growth. Throughout my career, I have consistently demonstrated a commitment to uplifting others. Whether as an educator, mentor, or business leader, I have dedicated myself to supporting communities, especially those facing systemic challenges. My experience across multiple sectors, combined with an entrepreneurial spirit, makes me a trailblazer and an inspiring role model in the business world.
Grace Smith | Founder | Forge Female Fitness
Grace is the founder of Forge Female Fitness, Northern Ireland’s No.1 Female Health Studio, dedicated to transforming women’s health across every stage of life.
Her journey is one of extraordinary resilience and transformation—after losing 156lbs in 12 months, she overcame debt, depression, and homophobia to build a multi-award-winning business that has helped thousands of women locally and globally. With zero funding, zero mentoring or help, just a determined attitude to use her transformation to inspire others to change their lives and be a positive force in women health and wellness. From struggling with confidence and self-worth to becoming a Guinness World Record holder, National Weightlifting Champion, and Ireland Cycling Representative, Grace has proven that strength is more than just physical. She built Forge Female Fitness to provide a safe, empowering space for women of all backgrounds, abilities, and ages to reclaim their health. Her work has been recognised with multiple industry awards, including Gym of the Year Northern Ireland, Best Female Coach Northern Ireland (twice), and Great British Entrepreneur of the Year. She has also raised £9,000 for local charities, including funding a custom sports wheelchair for an athlete now competing at the national level. Her story is proof that adversity can be turned into impact—helping others to find their own strength, inside and out.
Sajna Rahman | Co-Founder | Tomorrow Meets Today
A pivotal moment in my journey was when I read Heels of Steel by Vanessa Vallely. The book resonated deeply with me, inspiring me to take ownership of my career and ambitions.
Around the same time, I participated in a workshop called Project You, which challenged me to think bigger about my impact. This experience led me to create Tomorrow Meets Today in 2015 as a side hustle, addressing the lack of women and ethnic minorities in senior positions. What started as a networking initiative quickly evolved into a powerful platform that not only connected future leaders with executives but also became a sustainable revenue stream. From Tomorrow Meets Today, I expanded into public speaking, corporate workshops, and facilitating leadership programs. I developed the Global Leadership Program for Women, helping professionals advance in their careers, and later built a customer service training and consultancy business, embedding DE&I principles to drive cultural change. This journey—from a single idea sparked by a book to a thriving entrepreneurial career—has reinforced my belief in the power of community, visibility, and strategic networking. Every initiative I’ve created stems from the same mission: to empower individuals and organizations to excel, create more compassionate leaders, and drive meaningful change in workplaces
Louise Lyons-Appiah | Co-Founder | Synkora Consulting
At 20 years old, I co-founded BreatheUni, a student-led mental health initiative that provided safe spaces for young people to discuss mental health, identity, and resilience.
This experience showed me the power of lived experience in driving change and the gaps in traditional support structures. Recognising the need for more emotionally engaging and intersectional DEI approaches, I transitioned into self-employment at 21, launching LLA Consulting to deliver high-impact workshops and consultancy. By the end of 2024, I founded Synkora Consulting, a youth-led EDI consultancy disrupting traditional DEI training with gamification, storytelling, and active learning. I have given talks at BETT (the world’s largest EdTech conference), HSBC, The Foreign Office, Superdrug, and the UK’s largest International Women’s Day Expo & Conference. My workshops have reached thousands of young people across 100+ schools, tackling topics such as race and mental health, gender inequality, and gender-based violence. Testimonial: “It was a great session quite insightful presentation from speaker to allyship principles and inclusion of diversity, the inter-activeness was exceptional. – Employee, The Kier Group
Bella Reid | Founder, Product Designer | Clens Cosmetics
In my early twenties, I worked as a commercial MUA at counters within department stores, as a freelance MUA, working with photographers, theatres and magazines.
This gave me huge experience and understanding of the market as a B2C consumer and as a B2B worker. Over the years working in this industry the lack of innovation and focus on the prevalent issue of hygiene frustrated not only me but other MUA’s and domestic users. Graduating Brunel University’s Industrial Design & Technology course, worked a placement year with AV Specialist Green Hippo, PhD within the Human Centred Design Institute London working with Jaguar Land Rover on ”Autonomous vehicles & how do we trust them”. I lectured & taught Graphic Communications, 3d software Solidworks and Rhino, Design for Manufacture & loved every second. Due to a flare up of my chronic illness, I was hospitalised for 2 years, meaning I had to stop my PhD, my job lecturing and I lost everything and had to start over. This led me to found Clens Cosmetics. Blending my background as a Makeup Artist from my early 20’s, with my engineering background at Brunel University, and my deep understanding of healthcare, Clens Cosmetics was born.
Cath Harrison | Virtual Lifestyle PA | Bee-Assisted Limited
Working since the age of 15,I have had a career in various admin support roles in the private and public sector at businesses including tech giant Hewlett-Packard.
Working as a ’secretary’, ”PA” and ”EA”, for Directors, Board members and Execs within various industries over 35 years as an ’employee’. Then, in 2020, at the start of the pandemic, I was made redundant. With little other option at that time I took a leap of faith, to become a business owner at the age of 49, and launched Bee-Assisted as a Ltd company and began my own VA (virtual assistant) company overnight. Since starting the business I have supported many business owners, private individuals and organisations with support. I now also offer support to new VAs and I am a guest speaker at networking groups, schools and other businesses across Derbyshire. I regularly help in schools with CV writing skills workshops and talks, I regularly appear on podcasts. I have also been featured in a women’s magazine, and have been asked to write blogs for PA / VA organisations, and written an article for the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce. Since becoming a Virtual PA, my title has changed a little to reflect the services I tend to provide, so now I brand myself as a Virtual Lifestyle PA, this is because I now mainly work with Lifestyle PA clients virtually, and support them with personal life admin.
Ekua Cant | LinkedIn and Career Coach | Be Your No.1 Cheerleader
Ekua is a dynamic author, LinkedIn and career coach, and a passionate advocate for diversity, equality, and inclusion in the tech industry.
As a neurodivergent professional with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia, she brings a unique perspective to her work, empowering leaders and organizations to harness LinkedIn for success through her signature CASH method. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice for Career and Job Search, Ekua is dedicated to helping individuals unlock their potential and achieve professional growth.Ekua’s career journey began in the UK Civil Service, where she served as a personal assistant to a Director and progressed to become an IT Project Manager, leading multi-million-pound public sector digital transformations across key Government Departments, including the Cabinet Office and Home Office. Her entrepreneurial spirit shone through as she founded two startups, Layover Adventure and the Hackathon Queen, alongside her corporate career. She has excelled in multiple roles throughout her professional life as an employee, contractor, and entrepreneur.Her book, Be Your No.1 Cheerleader, leverages the entrepreneurial mindset to encourage self-development and motivation. She was honored with an invitation to Barack Obama’s Democratic nomination acceptance for her civic engagement with DCVote. She served as the former Co-Vice Chair of GTA Black Women in Tech. A Finalist in the SME Rising Star Category for the Great British Women’s Awards 2025. Ekua is also the Founder of the Get Paid to Speak Movement. This initiative empowers social justice advocates, to change the world through their powerful words.
Emily Bailey | Co-Founder | GREEN-BiT Software
Before games, Emily’s history spans from working in the NHS to powerhouse marketing giant Red Bull.
Over the course of her six years of being in games, alongside being Co-Founder & CEO of award winning game developer Antler Studios, Emily previously led BD & Ops at CULT Games, participating in two private equity fundraising rounds and signing powerhouse Developers including BAFTA winners Witchbeam. She has worked on games such as Galacticare (Brightrock Games, 2024) and Tempopo (Witch Beam, 2024 ETA). Em is currently on the Board of Code Coven CIC, a non-profit which focuses on introducing and elevating underrepresented persons into the games and tech industry, as Director of BD she has been instrumental in introducing additional revenue streams to future-proof the org in a period of flux in both games and the DEI space. In 2023 she Co-Founded Greenbit, a new software company with a mission to decarbonise the software industries by innovating with automated optimisation tools for developers and tools for users to understand their energy costs and consumption. Em is a BAFTA Member, becoming a Juror in 2024 for the Multiplayer category, as well as being selected for Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list. By age 29, Emily has fundraised over £2m+ throughout her six-years in the industry across private equity, grants and crowdfunding.