Natalie Bamford | Colleague Box
After a brush with death from a childhood illness, I have always tried to live life positively with a can do attitude and smile on my face!
Back in April of 2020 when we found ourselves in the grips of a pandemic, I was put on furlough and was unsure what the future held for me.
After deciding to send out a little letterbox gift to our working from home colleagues, my husband Adam and I set up Colleague Box. A side project at the time that I was able to do whilst working from home.
After the success of our first 'batch', other companies heard about what we were doing and wanted to use our product and service to send some letterbox positivity to their colleagues too.
Before long, I was able to start working at Colleague Box full time and left my previous job. A side project became my career and little did I know I was about to embark on the biggest learning curve of my life!
Learning on the job about marketing, branding, PR, brand awareness, buyer personas...an alien world to me and far cry from the insurance checking admin role I had just left!
But not wanting too shy away from a challenge, I set about shouting about Colleague Box, got us national media coverage, TV appearances and radio interviews. Guest speaking on webinars, and interviews all paying off. We went from having one box in our collection, The Original Colleague Box, to now having over 50 gift boxes to choose from.
We sent out our first box in May and now, 10 months on we have sold over 85,000 boxes and have turned over more than £1million. We have two properties and have taken on our very own colleagues!
It's been hard work particularly juggling homeschooling a three year old and 13 year old daughters! (Oh and a puppy too!) I faced some of the toughest days in my work life but also felt the most proud to see what we have been able to achieve.
For me, it's much more than a gift box company, it's putting smiles on faces and for me, that's priceless.
Trudie Fell | BelleVie
Trudie is a social entrepreneur with a passion for creating environments in which people thrive and a love of technology.
She is the CEO and Co-founder of BelleVie, a company on a mission to prove how an innovative operating model using self-managing teams, funded by monthly subscriptions, and underpinned by great technology can fix the current crisis in care.
Trudie spent 11 years working at telco Three UK, where she founded the company’s first diversity group, Women in Tech. They ran a coding course for mothers returning to work, met over 800 school children through a variety of outreach projects and spoke at numerous events and panels including London Tech Week.
Trudie has built and led teams responsible for customer facing front end applications through to back end system architecture. She’s proud of her role transforming IT departments from traditional, command and control structures to self-managing agile teams. Having started her IT career as a software developer she is known for bridging the gap between technical and business teams. She co-founded BelleVie to use her passion for enabling people through self-managing teams to create great jobs in at-home care.
Her vision for BelleVie is to create a world where people who give and receive care are valued and thrive together.
Janet Onyia | Onyi Gifts
Janet founded the lifestyle gifting brand ONYI for the main purpose of doing her part to close the gender business gap, especially due to the unequal impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on female-owned businesses.
Onyi Gifts is grounded on the three core values of impact, the experience of gifting, and care for the environment. Onyi Gifts curates products from mainly independent female led brands, meticulously placed in elegant, reusable giftboxes and gift wrapped for a luxurious finish for personal, events and corporate gifting. Since launching the business in late 2020, Onyi giftboxes have introduced more than 300 products from female-led independent brands to new audiences and played a part in sustaining and growing their businesses.
Although in the early stages of her entrepreneurial journey, Janet actively shares every step of her founder journey in order to help and empower others, on podcasts and conferences such as Startup Summit. She also speaks on innovation and leadership, and advocates for increased opportunities and representation for Black founders. She's also a member of the Founders of the Future Fellowship, having been selected as a Fellow as part of the inaugural programme.
Sarah Woolham Jaffier | National Grid
Sarah Woolham-Jaffier, 25, studied Civil Engineering in Edinburgh and has worked on a range of construction projects across different sectors.
Sarah joined the Graduate Programme in 2018 and currently works in a Project Management role on the London Power Tunnels project. Prior to joining London Power Tunnels, Sarah completed a placement in Corporate Strategy, this was the first time Sarah had experienced a working environment outside of engineering design or construction. The experience had a significant influence on her view of equality within the workplace. To Sarah equality is about improving culture through education. Outside of work Sarah enjoys a wide range of sports including running, climbing and rowing.
Danielle Stewart | National Grid
Danielle is responsible for the development of National Grid Gas Transmission’s long-term business strategy as the UK transitions to Net Zero.
She develops and delivers collaborative and innovative programmes of work that investigate the role of hydrogen in our future energy mix, helping to decarbonise homes, industry, power and transport. The outputs of this work will inform government policy and future energy network design.
Danielle is a regular speaker at UK and international conferences on the clean energy transition and represents National Grid on multiple advisory boards for industry decarbonisation programmes. A chartered engineer, she was a Finalist in the UK Top 50 Women in Engineering: Sustainability and a TechWomen100 award winner.
Beginning her career in the Particle Physics Group at the University of Warwick, Danielle gained her PhD working as part of an international, multi-disciplinary collaboration. It was here that she worked on a spin-off project from her core research, investigating an alternative technology for solar panels before making the move to the energy industry. Today she has over 10 years’ experience in the energy sector.
An active and visible advocate for inclusion and diversity, Danielle has published industry articles on the need for diversity in the energy sector to meet Net Zero and was interviewed on BBC radio for International Women’s Day. Danielle is on the board of the UK Women’s Infrastructure Network, which creates opportunities for women to network, exchange ideas and shape the infrastructure agenda. She contributes to internal initiatives for a more diverse and inclusive workforce, mentors a diverse range of brilliant people and works with social mobility charities that support high-potential students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Kirsty McDermott | National Grid
I’d never heard of Engineering, but after carrying out a careers aptitude test, it identified that I would be ideally suited to a career in this field.
I did an advanced apprenticeship in Welding and Fabrication. I attended college part time and obtained qualifications in manufacturing engineering, whilst also developing skills in welding, sheetmetal and machining.
In 2012, I secured a place on the Gas Transmission Engineer Training Programme at National Grid, during which time I worked in the Engineering team and started a Foundation Degree in Gas Transmission Engineering. My first full time role was Technical Lead on National Grid’s first Network Innovation Competition Project, a project to develop a robot to inspect live gas pipelines – a world first. Following my Degree, I was keen to continue my learning, and develop a specialism in an area which interested me; Welding.
I have had a variety of roles, ranging from Project Management of Innovation Projects, to Quality Assurance on Construction Projects. I am now a Senior Welding Engineer in the Engineering and Asset Management Team. My key areas are around Welding and Materials, ensuring that National Grid and our contract partners comply with the requirements for construction on our assets. I work on industry policies, contributing to National and International Standards.
I am passionate about developing others and celebrating role models, having worked closely with the Women’s Engineering Society over the years and launching and delivering International Women in Engineering Day events at National Grid. More recently, I have joined the Executive Committee for the Young Pipeline Professionals Europe, keen to celebrate the talents of individuals across the pipeline industry and encourage and support others with professional development.
Sheena Froggatt | National Grid
I am a Lead Project Manager working for National Grid, managing nationally significant large infrastructure projects that are required to support decarbonisation of the energy sector.
Throughout school I had a keen interest in science which led me to study Physics. After graduating from Nottingham University, I gained a place on the National Grid graduate scheme. I was voted graduate of the year at the end of this scheme and took up my first permanent role as Project Engineer in the company in 2009.
I have since taken on multiple roles in different areas of the business while continuing to retain an engineering focus. I have worked on several large-scale projects, including the building of substations and overhead lines, linked to strategically important projects e.g. the Hinkley C Nuclear Power Station connection.
I have led projects in relation to strategy, engineering development and design, ensuring design is developed in accordance with our internal processes, working with the Planning Inspectorate to prepare submissions, and leading successful engagement with members of the public, MPs and other stakeholders, all whilst delivering low-cost solutions. I am now a Lead Project Manager on a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) called Yorkshire GREEN. This is a critical project in the journey to reach Net Zero, connecting low carbon generation to the electricity system. The project is currently on track to deliver the fastest programme to completion for a project of this scale in National Grid.
I live in Leicester with my husband and our two beautiful girls. I enjoy travelling, walking, exercising in the gym and listening to Indian music.
Serena Shah | Shell
Serena is a commercial finance professional with 13 years of experience within the energy industry.
She has held a diverse number of roles spanning across different businesses & geographies including Commodity Financing lead for Shell’s Trading business in Singapore to Head of Finance for a Digital Start-up in London. She currently integrates her personal values with strategic purpose within the Renewable energy business, promoting the evolution of highly complex & pioneering projects across Europe supporting the world as it transitions to a low-carbon future.
As co-founder & leader of the Shell Asian D&I Network in the U.K, for more than a decade, she has also delivered successful personal development seminars & designed impactful mentoring programmes, managing teams of up to 10 volunteers to engage & inspire employees & cultivate a sense of community. She was subsequently selected as a “Top Role Model for Inclusion” for Shell U.K. in 2020 recognised for her commitment & passion in creating an environment where others feel they belong & her hard work & efforts in supporting Shell’s D&I journey.
As a qualified Yoga Therapist, Yoga teacher & Meditation guide, Serena is passionate about mental health & holistic well-being. To help people feel more mentally peaceful & emotionally inspired, she has volunteered several meditation programmes & workshops for the community, for women & for staff including an 8-month weekly Mindful Meditation programme at Shell U.K.
Oyin Talabi | Buro Happold
Oyin joined Buro Happold’s energy consulting team in September 2017, after graduating from Loughborough University with a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
Since joining the energy team, Oyin has been involved in energy modelling, cost viability assessments and energy strategy development for a variety of city-scale masterplan and campus projects.
Oyin has a keen interest in low carbon energy systems and technologies. She is proficient in hydraulic modelling, using industry standard software to provide realistic network operation models. Oyin has experience using GIS mapping software for energy demand, supply and constraints mapping, for small and large scale schemes.
Oyin has specific project experience developing energy strategy for different scales of developments with focus mainly on district heating strategies for the site to discharge the planning commitments in alignment with the Greater London Plan requirements and first hand experience of various local authority guidance.
Oyin also has extensive experience in techno-economic modelling of district heating networks, engaging with councils and campus operators to understand existing operation and options for business operational structures.
Prior to joining Buro Happold, Oyin worked in the oil and gas field with Total Lindsey Oil Refinery UK were she managed and optimised mercaptan oxidation units on the refinery. Her role also involved corrosion management of key units of the refinery including the crude distillation units. She worked as a crude expert, analysing the effect of running new opportunity crudes on various units on the refinery, using the properties of the crude to determine appropriate crude blends which would lead to the least amount of fouling on the units.
Oyin also worked as a research engineer at Columbia University in the city of New York, USA. She designed the first generation of 3D-printed membraneless electrolysers for low cost acid and base, hydrogen production. She helped to improve the industrial process of producing acid and bases on the project, making it more sustainable and cost effective.
Natasha Turner | National Grid
I was born in 1977 in Chatham Kent, the eldest of 3 children.
I grew up in a small Village in North Kent and attended the local primary school, middle school, and upper school. The village lays between two Power Station’s, both of which I visited with the school, I was inspired, and I knew then I wanted to be part of the Energy Sector.
I left school in 1993 to work as commercial Trainee at one of the Power Stations, I studied Business and Finance at college. My careers advisor at school had laughed when I told her I wanted to become and Engineer, she said that girls couldn’t be Engineers, so I had settled for a desk job.
I met my husband in 1995, he also worked at the Station so I guess you could say the Electricity flowed between us. We were married in 1997 and our first son was born in 2001, followed by a second son in 2003 and a daughter in 2004.
I moved to National Grid in 1998 as an Overhead lines section assistant and after a restructure became Overhead Lines Business support. In 2010 I moved to the operational Role of Substation attendant for filling my desire to get out from behind the desk and beginning my road to Engineering. Being a substation Attendant gave me opportunity to get up close and in amongst the Substation equipment. I was hooked. I needed to know more.
In 2012 at the age of 35, with my three children in tow I enrolled in Mechanical Engineering open learning, and in 2016 I was promoted to Substation Field Technician a role that was retitled Substation Engineer in 2018.
In November 2019 I joined National Grid’s Capital Delivery department as a Construction Project Supervisor. My first project being a complex asset replacement project in heart of London.
I am proud of my achievements and the journey I have been on, I may have started late, but it is never too late to step up and fore fill your dreams.