Megha Kashyap | Decolonising Research Fellow | London South Bank University
I am a social scientist with over a decade of experience of working in the development sector and academia in South Asia, parts of Africa and the UK.
My practice and politics is deeply rooted in my lived experiences of various economic, political, social and gendered inequalities. Having grown up in post-colonial hinterlands in Assam, India, I have experienced poverty up close and personal. Throughout my childhood and youth, I navigated unbelievable odds including near death experience when an abusive ex tried to kill me. My feminist awakening happened in the intensive care unit in a hospital I was admitted in. There was no going back after that. Over a decade of work in the gender and development space and now in the UK academia, my personal and professional experiences define me and my feminism. A feminist academic and activist, my mission is to diversify and make education accessible for everyone, especially for racially minoritised communities. My expertise lies in interdisciplinary research, advocacy, influencing and policy. I have led research on issues of inequality, development financing, and decolonial approaches to policymaking. I excel at translating complex social issues into actionable insights. In summary, I am living the dream of my grandmother who was married as a child bride and who couldn't go to school. I am living the dream of my mother who couldn't complete her education due to poverty and inequality. I am challenging patriarchy by refusing to accept traditional social and gender norms. My feminism is intergenerational.
Ashleigh Wakefield | Associate IT Service Manager | DWP Digital
I have worked for the Department for work and pensions for almost 10 years and undertaken many roles in operations until I recently started my career in Digital after successfully securing a temporary role as associate IT service manager.
Within 3 months I had applied for a permanent position and been successful at recruitment.
Subha Krishnamoorthy | Product Manager | Cognizant Worldwide Ltd.
Subha Krishnamoorthy is a seasoned Product Manager with over 18 years of experience in the technology industry.
Holding an Engineering degree and a postgraduate degree in Information Technology Management, Subha began her career in 2006 as a Quality Analyst in Bangalore, India. She quickly transitioned to a Siebel Functional Consultant, providing her expertise to clients in the USA. Throughout her career, Subha has excelled in various roles, including Business Analyst and Techno-Functional Consultant. She has worked with leading organizations such as Infosys, UST, LnT Infotech, and Cognizant Worldwide, serving global 1000 customers across Public Sector, Retail, Healthcare, and Banking domains. Her work has spanned greenfield implementations, upgrades, and the development of business strategies for retail products. Subha is known for her ability to drive product vision, ensure incremental value delivery, and offer technology advice that considers industry standards, team budgets, user experience, and ROI. She has extensive international experience, having worked with teams and customers in North America, APAC, and the UK. Her strong communication, presentation, problem-solving, and leadership skills have enabled her to thrive in high-pressure and ambiguous environments.
Chloe Lewis | Programme Director | The Catalyst Collective
Chloe started her career in the education sector, working in residential boarding and for education charities, in the UK and abroad.
She has spent the last 6 years working in the public sector holding a range of roles at the Department for Education including Ministerial Private Office, policy, procurement and an Independent Review. Chloe is now the Strategic Adviser to the Director for Fair Access and Participation at the Office for Students. In addition to this, she founded The Catalyst Collective over 4 years ago. The Catalyst is a non-profit organisation designed to connect young Black women up with professional Black women role models for mentorship and support. Finally, Chloe is a lifelong student, currently completing her PhD in Education at the University of Cambridge.
Shannon Rogers | Police Constable | Lincolnshire Police
I was born and raised in Lincolnshire, albeit a short stint in wonderful Yorkshire as a a teenager.
Policing was always the goal for me and keeping the county I call home safe is very important to me. I became a Special Constable for Lincolnshire Police in 2016 whilst working full time as a Childcare Practitioner before starting full time as a Police Community Support Officer in November 2017. During this time I also volunteered as a Police Cadet Leader, guiding young people into the world of policing. I joined as a PC in March 2022 before sadly resigning to focus on my pregnancy at the time. A choice I do not regret. I became a parent for the first time in October 2022. Whilst on maternity leave I was made redundant from my role as a PCSO, that I has returned to after resigning, and I applied for the role of Police Constable again. I started my training fresh from maternity leave in September 2023. During my time in probation, I used my passion for the safety of children and young people to attend a course in child car seats. I passed this course to distinction level and I am now the only Officer within Lincolnshire Police to have an accreditation in the advanced child car seat training programme and only the second person in Lincolnshire to hold the award.
Eve Calderbank | Business Growth Development Manager | Essex County Council
As someone with 10 years experience in the private and public sector, working in finance and analysis, four years ago I made the decision to change careers and look for a role which involved more direct engagement with my local community and customers.
My current role of Business Growth Manager at Essex County Council, helps to ensure that businesses across Essex are receiving all the support they need in order to thrive, grow and support the local economy. A keen networker who believes that building relationships face to face is key to understanding and providing the best support available. Three years ago, based on my own personal experiences, I created a community for women, in order to further this support and provide a platform to celebrate women in business across Essex. This has led to developing a range of personal skills from marketing to event planning, and has allowed me to build an extensive network across Essex. I have also used this passion for improving the working lives of others, to pursue EDI based projects internally within Essex County Council, including roles within the Womens Network and EDI Lead for our Workforce Ambassadors group.
Lerato Maris | Brand Ambassador, Political Activist & Influencer | United Nations
Lerato Maris is a United Nations Brand Ambassador, Political Influencer and Activist.
She is also a Global Peace chain Ambassador, where she broadens her diplomacy in a worldwide outreach as a Peace Ambassador by building a global attitude of acceptance and interfaith harmony. She is also an International Honor Golden Key Ambassador and Practitioner at SaferSpaces South Africa where she deals with Civic and Social rights movements and matters that pertain to issues that affect women and children.
Dr Hannah Nazri | Academic Clinical Fellow, Obstetrics & Gynaecology Doctor | University of Warwick/NHS
Dr Hannah Nazri is an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow and specialty registrar doctor in Obstetrics & Gynaecology and at the University of Warwick.
She holds degrees from the University of Bristol (Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery), University College London (BSc Medical Physics), and University of Oxford (MSc Clinical Embryology, DPhil (PhD) Obstetrics & Gynaecology). Aside from her clinical work which also includes performing Caesarean sections and instrumental deliveries, and managing gynaecological emergencies, she is an academic focusing on endometriosis biomarker research, as well as an advocate for gender equality. She is deeply committed to eradicating female genital mutilation (FGM/C) and improving access to gynaecological health worldwide. Hannah has contributed to global health efforts, including collaborations with international non-profits and participation in high-level events such as the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Recently, she was appointed to the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists Global Health Trainees' Committee. She is also an Early Career Ambassador for the World Endometriosis Society and a Member of the Experts' Committee for the International Planned Parenthood Arab World Region Elimination of FGM Centre of Excellence. Hannah's leadership in public health is evident in her role on the Boston Congress of Public Health Board. She has received recognition for her work, including a Royal Commonwealth Society Associate Fellowship and was invited to the 2022 Commonwealth Diaspora Reception and the 2024 His Majesty the King's Garden Party – both at Buckingham Palace, and the 2024 Pre-CHOGM Reception at St James's Palace.
Dr Bonnie Kwok | Business Development Manager | Greater Cambridge Shared Planning
Dr. Bonnie Kwok MBE, BA(Hons), Dip. Arch, Dip. Strategic Leadership, MA, MSc, PhD, AssocRTPI, Cmgr FCMI, FRSA Dr.
Bonnie Kwok is the Business Development Manager for Greater Cambridge Shared Planning (GCSP), the combined Local Planning Authority for Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. With over 25 years of experience in architecture, urban design, town planning, strategic leadership, business development, and youth engagement, Bonnie plays a pivotal role in driving growth and enhancing the quality of development projects in the Greater Cambridge region. She excels in identifying growth opportunities, building strong client relationships, and ensuring the successful delivery of placemaking projects. Passionate about youth engagement, in 2017, Bonnie developed a Youth Engagement Framework as part of her PhD research, which has been well received and informs GCSP's youth engagement work. She manages the Councils' Youth Engagement Service (YES) and Design Review Panel, providing bespoke Design Workshops that enable children and young people to contribute to the design and town planning process, fostering their skills and confidence. Bonnie's contributions to young people's education, development, and well-being are widely recognized. In 2024, she was awarded an MBE for her volunteer service to education and community cohesion. She has also received the Women of Influence Award by the Planner Magazine, the CIAC Women Volunteer of the Year Award (2023), the Thornton Education Trust (TET) 'Youth Engagement Practitioner of the Year Award' (2022), and the Blossom Award (Education Category) in 2021 for her outstanding contributions to children's well-being and education.
Hannah Toubi | Intelligence Researcher | Sussex Police
I have been working for Sussex Police since 2015 in a number of roles which has provided lots of variety and experience.
I started my working life a little directionless and decided to go to university later than my peers in order to widen my horizons, and studied Applied Social Science at Brighton University. This gave me a passion for social causes and led me to focus my career search in policing in a staff role. Policing has led to such varied and exciting opportunities, such as working in a secondment in the Violence Against Women and Girls field where I held a coordinator role, of which remains a hugely motivating factor for me. A further secondment where I project managed a partner data project really tested my resilience due to a number of difficult factors. This project required analysing large data sets and writing reports through a partnership lens in order to improve social outcomes for local communities. I have been working in the Researcher field since 2016 where I am able to exercise my strong sense of justice which drives me. This involves data analysis as well as exploring lines of enquiry for investigations. I come from a working class background in a deprived town.