Innovator Awards

The Young Innovator Awards, launched in 2023, were created to recognize and celebrate the next generation of changemakers between the ages of 18 – 28, to kickstart their enterprise.

In 2025 we are seeking ideas from young entrepreneurs, envisioning innovative solutions in Climate & Sustainability, Education Skills & Training, Social Justice & Inclusion. In addition, we’ve launched a new category in Health & Wellbeing and the new Conduit Impact Venture Award – this is an opportunity to win £200,000 in equity investment from the Conduit EIS Impact Fund for an entrepreneur that has led the way in developing genuine solutions to the world’s biggest issues. 

NICK HAMILTON

Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer, The Conduit

Nick Hamilton

Nick is Chief Development Officer at The Conduit.

He had a career in investment banking and fund management, including as the Asia Pacific CEO of Standard Bank Group and Asia CEO of Unicredit.

This subsequently led him to pursue for-profit investments that have positive social outcomes as an investor and Board member of Latitude Hotels Group, an African impact hospitality company, and as an investor in Postcard Hotels, an Indian impact hospitality business. Paving the way to co-found The Conduit with Paul.

14:05

Opening Keynote Interview

In today’s rapidly evolving world, true leadership goes beyond profit—it’s about creating lasting, positive impact. Purpose-driven leaders are redefining success, aligning business growth with social responsibility and authenticity. But what does it really take to lead with purpose?

Join an inspiring conversation with a titan of industry who has built a thriving business while staying true to their values. We’ll explore the mindset, strategies, and character traits that set purposeful leaders apart, and uncover how businesses can drive both profit and meaningful change.

CANDICE BRATHWAITE

Author, Journalist, Podcaster, Speaker and Presenter

Candice Brathwaite

Candice Brathwaite is a prominent British author, two time Sunday Times best-seller and advocate who has made a significant impact with her work on motherhood and diversity. Widely recognised for her critically-acclaimed Sunday Times Best-Selling book, ‘I Am Not Your Baby Mother,’ Candice passionately addresses the unique experiences of Black British mothers. Her latest book, Manifest(o) was released in September 2024, becoming an instant Sunday Times Best-seller. Candice is a successful author in both the nonfiction and fiction spaces. Her advocacy extends beyond literature. As a skilled public speaker, she actively engages in discussions and panels on topics such as race, parenting, and societal inclusivity for brands, media outlets, and corporate entities. Through her writing and public presence, Candice continues to contribute to important dialogues, challenge norms, and promote positive change in the realm of diversity and representation. Outside of her advocacy, Candice is an engaging television presenter who has shown her skills across various TV shows including Lorraine and Steph's Packed Lunch. Candice has recently become an ambassador for Black Women Rising and Peloton. Her holistic and exuberant online content which spans from heartfelt wisdom to her highly anticipated fashion videos has gained her a dedicated audience of 322k+ Instagram followers and 376k+ on TikTok. Candice is a co-host of the smash-hit podcast Closet Confessions, which has amassed over 3 million downloads and several sell-out shows in its first year of production.

JAMILA BROWN

Sustainability and Social Impact Strategist

Jamila Brown

Jamila is a passionate Sustainability & Social Impact Strategist, helping brands and individuals bring ethical values into their everyday lives. Through her presentations and brand collaborations, she champions a future where we can keep enjoying the things we love, but in a way that’s better for both people and the planet. After launching Soho House's Global Sustainability & Social Impact Programme, she now partners with brands worldwide to help them unlock their potential for positive impact, create meaningful partnerships, and engage their communities in shaping a brighter future for their industries.

16:40

Panel Discussion

The next generation of entrepreneurs are redefining success by seamlessly blending purpose with profit to create businesses that drive social and environmental change. While building a business is already a tough journey, the real challenge lies in fostering ecosystems that support and empower young impact-driven entrepreneurs, helping them transform their visionary ideas into scalable and sustainable enterprises. How can we create these ecosystems and pave the way for their success?

This panel will bring together pioneering young founders, investors, and ecosystem enablers to explore how purpose-driven leadership can create lasting impact. Through real-world insights and actionable strategies, we’ll discuss how to engage and support young entrepreneurs in leading with purpose while ensuring long-term business viability.

ANTHONY MURPHY

Founder and Managing Director, Prime Advocates

Anthony Murphy

Anthony is an industry leading impact and finance lawyer, ESG strategist and social entrepreneur. Anthony is the founder and managing director of impact and social finance advisory firm Prime Advocates. Anthony advises foundations, financial organisations, hedge funds and innovative technology businesses on impact, ESG and legal matters. Anthony is a trustee to the Tudor Trust and NED of Opus Community. Formerly, Anthony was the EMEA head of Prime Services and Equity Finance Legal for J.P. Morgan and Bear Stearns where he led the legal build-out of the EMEA Prime Brokerage business platform.

Anthony has a wealth of experience in the alternatives and social finance space, having assisted social finance groups and organisations for over 21 years. He is also an expert in EU and UK corporate finance, financial regulatory, hedge fund regulation analysis and ESG regulation/ best practice.

Anthony qualified as a solicitor at the global US law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges, specialising in Securitisation. He holds a higher LLB in Law from Bristol University.

SHAFAT KHAN

Partnerships and Storytelling Manager, Ashoka

Shafat Khan (1)

Shafat is focused on supporting young changemakers across the country and surfacing untold stories to create more equitable narratives in society. Shafat has a background in building programs to activate changemaking journeys, facilitating ideation sessions, marketing and communications, having worked at various startup organisations as well as being a founder himself.

EVA-MARIA DIMITRIADIS

Managing Partner, Conduit Connect

Eva-Maria Dimitriadis

Eva-Maria Dimitriadis is Managing Partner of Conduit Connect Ltd which connects high impact businesses with the resources needed to scale their impact. Eva is on the investment committee for the Conduit EIS Impact Fund which backs diverse founders building highly scalable businesses in the thematic sectors of Climate, Health, Education and Inclusion. Prior to Conduit Connect, Eva was Chief Operating Officer at C5 Accelerate where she built and ran their global accelerator program, working with founders from around the world. Through its offices in Washington DC, London and Bahrain, C5 incubated and invested in pre-series A tech startups using cloud technology for positive social change. The alumni portfolio comprises over 70 startups working across a number of verticals including AgTech, EdTech, HealthTech, Fintech, CleanTech, and Cybersecurity. Prior to C5, Eva served as Chief of Staff to the CEO at Christie’s. During her nine years at Christie's she also worked in Business Development focusing on the company’s expansion into growth markets such as India, China, the Middle East, and Africa.

Eva is originally Greek, born in London, grew up in Zimbabwe and has an MA (Oxon) in PPP from Oxford University. She is passionate about supporting female founders and empowering women to take control of their investment decisions. Eva mentors a number of startups and entrepreneurs. In her spare time she has served as a trustee for the Kay Mason Foundation and development board member of the English National Ballet.

IVO DEVEREUX

Co-Founder, Sapling Spirits

Ivo Devereux

Ivo Devereux is the co-founder of Sapling Spirits, a climate-positive vodka and gin brand launched in 2018. Starting out in the music industry, Ivo managed artists and ran events in university towns before moving into A&R at a record label. Inspired to create impact beyond music, he teamed up with Ed Faulkner to turn a tree planting project into a mini festival, planting by day, partying by night. That moment sparked the idea for Sapling: a spirit’s brand that blends sustainability, creativity, and community.

WILL PEARSON

Co-Founder, Ocean Bottle

Will Pearson

Will is the Co-Founder of Ocean Bottle, a company dedicated to enabling individuals around the world to make a global impact on ocean plastic. His passion for the ocean was sparked during a year working at sea in the Indian Ocean. His expertise lies in business for good, impact marketing and product development, and he was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30.

GABBY MORGAN

Senior Investment Manager, Conduit Connect

Gabby Morgan (1)

Gabby is Senior Investment Manager at the Conduit EIS Impact Fund, where she is responsible for investing in Seed-Series A+ deals across climate, healthcare, education, and inclusion. She is particularly passionate about mental health and women’s health innovation, smart cities, and the sustainable built environment. Gabby is on the advisory board of two Conduit Fund companies – Thalamos and Virtue Health. Gabby is also an investor mentor at Carbon13, a climatetech focussed accelerator.

Before joining Conduit Connect, Gabby was a research analyst for Align Impact, a leading impact investment advisor in the US, and completed her MBA from the Said Business School at Oxford University where she focussed her studies on social entrepreneurship and impact investing. Before that, Gabby was a Director at Euromoney Institutional Investor in New York City, running private membership organisations for c-suite executives at the largest family offices, asset managers and institutional investors in the country. Gabby was born in the UK but spent most of her life in the U.S., having grown up in Connecticut and spent four years at Boston College for her undergraduate degree.

ELSA WALSTON

Ventrix Labs

Elsa Walston (2)

Elsa Walston is a co-founder of Ventrix Labs, a climate technology company scaling modular, ultra-low-energy carbon capture systems that integrate seamlessly with existing building infrastructure to capture carbon on-site. Ventrix is an alum of Imperial College London’s Climate Entrepreneurship Club and part of Imperial’s year-long Greenhouse Accelerator programme.

Elsa and her student-led team focus on practical innovation designed to fit the world as it is. Ventrix is building a global carbon distribution network, turning buildings around the world into active carbon removal hubs without disruption, enabling mid-sized emitters, such as breweries, hospitals, and data centres, to decarbonise cost-effectively and at scale.

She is also part of the founding cohort of the London Interdisciplinary School, a new degree designed around solving complex real-world problems through interdisciplinary methods. Elsa has prior experience in intelligence, machine learning, and business development within deeptech sectors. Her co-founders have diverse technical, engineering, and entrepreneurial backgrounds.

YASMINE ABDU

CarbonTrac

Yasmine Abdu

Yasmine Abdu is the founder of CarbonTrac, an AI platform gamifying sustainable grocery shopping to make low-carbon living simple, rewarding, and accessible to everyone. She is on a mission to cut UK emissions by 5% by 2030 through the power of small actions, driven by the belief that when millions of people take even the smallest actions, we don’t just create progress - we create a movement. And that is how we drive real systemic change.

CarbonTrac condenses food sustainability analysis from months to minutes, using AI-driven models to deliver instant, credible product ratings at scale - making it easier, cheaper, and faster than ever for shoppers and retailers to drive real impact. Her work has been recognised by the United Nations, Samsung, Huawei, Sage, Mercedes-Benz, and the World Internet Conference for innovation in sustainability, technology, and entrepreneurship.

CHLOE SO

PulpaTronics

Chloe So

Chloe is the co-founder and CEO of PulpaTronics. She leads the commercialization, fundraising and daily operations of the company. PulpaTronics develops fully recyclable metal-free RFID tags for product identification and tracking. Unlike the 45 bn single-use tags made of metal antennas, silicon microchips and layers of adhesives, their laser technology enables metal-free tags. By doing so, they reduce components, simplify manufacturing to lower costs and accelerate a circular economy.

Chloe has led the startup to win dozens of awards, and was named Rising Star at IUK’s WINFI Awards and included on Forbes 30u30 Europe 2025. Prior to the startup, Chloe worked for a VC startup accelerator helping over 15 startups find product-market-fit. She holds degrees from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art in Innovation Design Engineering (M.A./M.Sc) and completed her bachelor’s degree at Brown University in Engineering (B.A.) and Design & Cognition (B.A).

SOHAIL HUSSAIN

CHARGED

Sohail Hussain

CHARGED was co-founded by Mohammed Shoib and Sohail Hussain to make legal knowledge accessible for everyone. Mohammed, a legal consultant, witnessed first hand how people facing criminal charges often lacked clarity about their sentencing and struggled to afford legal fees. This inspired the idea for a platform that predicts sentencing outcomes and guides users toward legal aid without financial pressure. Sohail, with a background in business strategy and creative direction, joined to help turn the vision into a viable, scalable product. Together, they built CHARGED, a consumer-first legal tech platform using AI to provide sentencing predictions, legal aid eligibility checks, and law firm connections. With a mission to bridge the gap between people and the justice system, CHARGED empowers users to make informed legal decisions while helping law firms reach clients who need them most.

OLUFERANMI BALOGUN

Room Too

Oluferanmi Balogun

I'm Olu, a young changemaker passionate about creating safe, inspiring third spaces for young people affected by overcrowded and inadequate housing. Growing up in a two-bedroom flat with limited room to study or relax, I saw firsthand how the lack of space can impact a young person’s future. I am grateful for this experience as it was that struggle and longing for my own space that inspired me to found Room Too. Room Too is a youth-led social enterprise focused on transforming underused and overlooked spaces. We create welcoming environments for study, connection and creativity through partnerships with local authorities, schools, and businesses. Through this work, I hope to tackle one of the root causes of educational inequalities, empower underserved voices, and advocate for long term solutions to housing inequality. Room Too exists to ensure space is never a barrier to potential.

HANAN TANTUSH

Intotum

Hanan Tantush

Intotum is a revolutionary multi award-winning adaptive fashion brand- designed WITH and FOR the disabled community. We create comfortable, functional and fashionable ready-to-wear garments; reducing the need to adapt or customise your clothing. We believe no one should have to compromise on their outfit and recognise the toll that looking and feeling different to your peers has on disabled people, with many of our customers telling us they wish to “look like everybody else“. Together with intots, our kids line, we create sensory friendly ready-to-wear clothing for wheelchair users, ostomates & more that promotes easy dressing and independence to empower our community.

DIANA EPEL

Sealeo

Diana Epel

Diana Epel and Emanuele Griccioli are multidisciplinary designers and co-founders of Sealeo, a material innovation startup transforming pharmaceutical cold-chain logistics. Both hold double Master’s degrees in Innovation Design Engineering from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, combining expertise in material science, sustainable systems design, and engineering. Diana’s work spans sustainable material development and humanitarian innovation, while Emanuele specialises in the convergence of natural systems, technology, and design. Together, they founded Sealeo to address the urgent need for sustainable, high-performance packaging solutions for temperature-sensitive medicines. Sealeo’s biodegradable cooling material is engineered to passively maintain life-saving medicines within critical temperature ranges (2–8°C) during last-mile delivery. Sealeo eliminates reliance on expanded polystyrene and synthetic refrigerants, offering a lightweight, compostable alternative that protects medicines in transit while reducing environmental impact.

ROXANNE STEVENSON-BROWN

Find Care Compare

Roxanne Stevenson-Brown

Roxanne Stevenson-Brown is a global healthcare leader and Founder of Find Care Compare - the UK’s only one-stop solution for finding and comparing both NHS and private healthcare services. Patients can search and filter by waiting time, location, price, insurance, accessibility, and much more.

Information is rapidly becoming the most impactful social determinant of health. Roxanne witnessed this first-hand, as a graduate of the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme, and then in numerous senior operational roles in technology, cancer, and neurosciences. Through Find Care Compare, Roxanne is seeking to close the growing health system information gap that is contributing to widening health inequalities. She completed the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson programme in Healthcare Leadership, is a Schwarzman Scholar, and has been a One Young World Ambassador since 2024.

MUNA DAUD

FlowSense

Muna Daud

Muna Daud is a multi-award-winning innovator and entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of FlowSense, the world’s first period blood detection device for visually impaired women. Since founding the company in 2024, FlowSense has filed two patents, completed MVP trials with 89+ users, won the Red Dot Design Award, and built a waitlist of over 760+ women.

Muna holds dual B.S. in Biomedical and Electrical Engineering from George Washington University (2020) and an MA/MSc in Innovation Design Engineering from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art (2023). In 2024, she was named London Mayor’s Entrepreneur, featured by UK Startup Magazine as one of the 24 Most Influential Women, and invited to speak at Japan’s House of Representatives on menstrual equity.

Her past ventures include Caretrak (2018), tech for dementia patients, and Dailya (2022), wearable pain relief for endometriosis. Muna’s mission is to transform health equity through inclusive innovation.

YUSUF BEN-TARIFITE

The Aspiring Medics

Yusuf Ben-Tarifite (2)

Dr. Yusuf Ben-Tarifite is an NHS doctor and Oxford graduate passionate about expanding access to medical education. He founded The Aspiring Medics to help level the playing field for students applying to healthcare professions, leading to the creation of AVA (Aspiring Virtual Assistant)—an AI-driven mentorship platform providing affordable, personalized interview coaching at scale.

His work has been recognized with major awards including the Diana Legacy Award, the Innovate UK Young Innovator Award, and support from organizations like the Fair Education Alliance and UK Research and Innovation. Through partnerships with over 100 schools and charities, Yusuf continues to drive systemic change in widening participation for healthcare careers.

SAFFRON HOUSTON

advidity

Saffron Houston (2)

Saffron Houston is the founder of advidity, a platform created to empower the next generation of young creatives. She is also the founder of a growth marketing agency and has worked within the media education sector since beginning her career as an apprentice. With firsthand experience of the barriers underrepresented talent face in the creative industries, Saffron has built advidity to bridge the gap between education, real-world experience, and paid freelance opportunities. Her mission is to create a more accessible, inclusive freelance economy, equipping young creatives with the tools, networks, and opportunities they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving industry.

OLUWATOSIN TOBA

Tech Academia

Oluwatosin Toba (1)

Tosin Toba is the Founder of Tech Academia, an educational technology platform equipping students with industry-specific technical & soft skills and connecting them with employers to launch successful careers. Tosin studied Mathematics and Economics at the University of Nottingham, specializing in computational mathematics and documented his journey into technology on social media, where he built a community of over 60,000 students before starting Tech Academia. To date, Tech Academia has reached over 95,000 students and has built a community of more than 2,000. He has been recognized as one of the UK’s Top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent Under 25 by MIPAD and ranked as the #3 Future Black Leader in the UK by Powerful Media. He’s also an Engineering Champion for the Royal Academy of Engineering and recently received the STEM Digital Communicator Grant from the ERA Foundation for his contributions to STEM education through social media.

Zareen Ali - Co-Founder and CEO

Zareen is an autistic entrepreneur reimagining mental healthcare for neurodivergent people. With a Master's degree in Educational Neuroscience from Harvard and a career in startups building AI-driven medical software, she combined her academic and career background to found Cogs AI. Zareen is one of NatWest and Pioneers Post’s Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise and Cogs AI has been recognised as one of the UK's fastest growing startups by the Startups 100 Index.

Lucy Lyons – Co-Founder and CEO

A Sigma Squared fellow and Oxford graduate, Lucy Lyons, cofounder and CEO of UK-based Kestrix, is transforming energy surveys with her 'Google Maps of heat loss' approach. Using thermal drones and AI, Kestrix generates 3D heat loss models and energy retrofit plans for buildings, addressing the 10% of global emissions from heating and cooling. Since founding Kestrix in 2022 with CTO Matt Goodridge, Lyons has mapped over 500 homes, secured contracts with major UK housing providers and raised over $1.5 million in funding.

Matt Goodridge– Co-Founder and CTO

Matt is CTO and co-founder of Kestrix, an early stage climate-tech / prop-tech startup on a mission to accelerate the decarbonisation of existing buildings. Kestrix is tackling the retrofit data challenge by using mass thermal image capture (using drones) and AI to rapidly survey large portfolios of buildings, making it easy for property portfolio stakeholders to plan, price and validate energy efficiency retrofits. Matt spent his whole career in high tech product development, from telecoms to consumer electronics to software, predominantly as a product manager, including 10 years leading cross functional teams as a PM at Google, to deliver global impact in B2B software products in ads, enterprise security and health. Matt started Kestrix from the venture builder Carbon 13, where he met Kestrix co-founder and CEO Lucy Lyons.

Rob Cobbold– Founder and CEO

Rob is the Founder and CEO of Native Squared, a climate-tech startup which partners with indigenous guardians to help individuals and companies protect and restore nature. He co-founded a startup which cleared 200 tonnes of trash from the world's oceans. He is an experienced programme manager for several climate impact organisations including a think tank for senior sustainability professionals. Rob has presented to over 30,000 people about the climate crisis including at COP27 and the World Ocean Summit.

JOE SEDDON

Founder and CEO, Zero Gravity

Joe Seddon

Joe Seddon is the 27-year-old Founder & CEO of Zero Gravity, a mission-driven startup that powers talented students from low-opportunity backgrounds into top universities and careers. Zero Gravity has supported 8,000+ students into top universities, including 800+ into Oxbridge, and works with leading companies like HSBC, KPMG and Snapchat to level the playing field. Joe is one of Europe’s leading social entrepreneurs, having been recognised in Forbes 30 Under 30, named by The Sunday Times in their Young Power List, and honoured in King Charles’ Birthday Honours.

COTHER HAJAT

Public Health and Longevity Expert

Cother Hajat

Dr. Cother Hajat is an Oxford, UK based Board-Certified Public Health Physician and Professor, with over 30 years of experience in public health, chronic disease prevention, and health system innovation.

As a global thought leader in healthy ageing, longevity, and personalised medicine, Dr. Hajat has advised governments in the UK, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, private sector leaders including at IBM and Vitality-Discovery Group, and international organisations including the World Health Organisation, on strategies to promote healthspan and improve quality of life across diverse populations. Dr. Hajat’s expertise spans precision prevention, digital health, genomics and behavioural science, with a focus on innovative approaches to extending healthy longevity.

She has led groundbreaking initiatives, including the development of personalised nutrition strategies for NEOM, Saudi Arabia, and the establishment of population-wide chronic disease prevention programmes in the UK and Abu Dhabi. Her award-winning work has been recognised at global forums such as the World Economic Forum, UN General Assembly, and Climate COP26 and COP28 meetings.

As the Founder and CEO of the Real World Health Advisory Group, Dr. Hajat continues to drive innovation in health technology and lifestyle medicine. Her leadership in integrating science, technology, and behavioural insights positions her as a key contributor to shaping the future of healthy ageing and longevity strategies. Dr. Hajat holds a PhD in Epidemiology from King’s College London, a Master’s in Public Health, and is a Fellow of the UK Royal College of Physicians and the Faculty of Public Health. She is a sought-after advisor for organisations seeking to advance their impact in the longevity space, combining scientific rigor with a passion for improving lives globally.

JANAK PADHIAR

Innovation Leader

Janak Padhiar

Janak is an innovation leader and ecosystem builder, driving transformative ventures at the intersection of AI, climate, and frontier technologies. With expertise spanning early-stage to growth ventures, hybrid funding models, and ecosystem development, he accelerates innovation through strategic partnerships, investment analysis, and fund development. Previously, he has led a new vertical of green fintech innovation through the Undaunted Greenhouse Accelerator and Innovation Hubs across Leeds and London.

With a PhD from the University of Oxford and experience leading social innovation programs with UNHCR in South Asia, as well as serving as an NIH Fogarty Fellow at Dartmouth College, Janak brings a global perspective shaped by work across North America, Europe, and emerging markets. His expertise spans deep tech, climate tech, edtech, and fintech, bridging research, engineering, and commercialization to turn breakthrough innovations into scalable impact.

Beyond venture building, Janak is committed to advancing inclusive innovation ecosystems and supporting entrepreneurs. He has led ESG and social impact initiatives as part of the Soho House Inclusivity Advisory Board and is an incoming contributing writer for Condé Nast.

SRI HOLLEMA

Founder and CEO, Mat Zero

Sri Hollema

Sri is the Founder and CEO of Mat Zero, a safe and sustainable portable heating solution.

Growing up overseas, Sri witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by vulnerable communities with ill-equipped shelters, little to no energy access and hazardous heating solutions. Inspired by her experiences and driven by her passion for the environment, Sri created Mat Zero.

Now a multiple award-winning entrepreneur, Sri has transformed Mat Zero from a concept into a life-saving humanitarian aid. With the prototype fully developed and field trials underway, she is focused on scaling up production in 2025

ALAYA AMADI HOLLOWAY

Founder and CEO, FirstGens

Alaya Holloway

Alaya Amadi-Holloway is the Founder and CEO of FirstGens. Nearly dropping out of university herself, her first hand experience led to her founding FirstGens, and has since become a champion for systems change that increases equality of opportunity.

FirstGens is an award-winning innovative engagement and progression solution dedicated to empowering students who are the first-generation in their family to navigate university. The FirstGens pilot in 23-24 saw students from across 28 UK Universities apply. Their community engagement is testament to their inclusive design approach.

Through a multi-award-winning edtech platform, FirstGens has cultivated space for students to build confidence, belonging and bridge the existing generational knowledge and emotional/cultural support gaps. These Insights shape FirstGens’ staff learning and development training.

Alaya is regularly invited to speak and write about building a more inclusive education system that truly fosters participation. Alaya's feature on Wonkhe and appearances at University of Bristol, BBC, Innovate UK Women In Business, as well as former Education Secretary’s podcast, casts a light on her growing influence as a trusted voice in education.

SELIN YIGITBASI-DUCKER

Founder and CEO, Goodsted

Selin Yigitbasi-Ducker

Selin is the Founder & CEO of Goodsted, a platform that helps organisations run and scale their social impact programmes. From housing associations to corporates, Goodsted enables teams to engage employees, suppliers, and communities - whether to deliver social value for clients, strengthen employee engagement, or support local communities. It also helps track meaningful connections within existing member communities. The platform reduces admin, tracks outcomes, and aligns with reporting frameworks.

She also co-chairs the global Entrepreneurship Community of the Family Business Network (FBN) and serves on the board of Fast Forward 2030, a global network of impact entrepreneurs hosted by UCL’s Institute for Global Prosperity.

Recognised as one of the 50 Rising Stars in ESG by Financial Times and Women of the Future in 2022, Selin is also a past winner of the FBN NxG Lombard Odier Award and CampdenFB Top Next-Generation Entrepreneur Award.

TAHA TARIQ

Youth Changemaker, Ashoka

Taha Tariq

Taha is a first-gen freshman at Dartmouth College, double-majoring in Middle Eastern Studies and Geography modified with Human-Centred Design. He originally hails from East London, and having also lived in Pakistan for three years without education, he has firsthand witnessed and experienced educational inequality. His lived experience fuels his passion for social justice, access and innovation in undeserved communities whilst also committing himself to youth advocacy. He has been on several youth boards, ranging from regional to international, given speeches to members of Parliament, won several awards and has led digital communities with over 10,000 members. At Dartmouth, he has spoken at matriculation, been elected for student government, serves as co-chair for many campus groups and has just recently been nominated and given the Great Initiative Award. Taha continues to advocate for FGLI, BAME and educational equality, bridging communities even across continents to deliver meaningful change, one that is inclusive for all.

JOE SEDDON

Founder and CEO, Zero Gravity

Joe Seddon

Joe Seddon is the 27-year-old Founder & CEO of Zero Gravity, a mission-driven startup that powers talented students from low-opportunity backgrounds into top universities and careers. Zero Gravity has supported 8,000+ students into top universities, including 800+ into Oxbridge, and works with leading companies like HSBC, KPMG and Snapchat to level the playing field. Joe is one of Europe’s leading social entrepreneurs, having been recognised in Forbes 30 Under 30, named by The Sunday Times in their Young Power List, and honoured in King Charles’ Birthday Honours.

COTHER HAJAT

Public Health and Longevity Expert

Cother Hajat

Dr. Cother Hajat is an Oxford, UK based Board-Certified Public Health Physician and Professor, with over 30 years of experience in public health, chronic disease prevention, and health system innovation.

As a global thought leader in healthy ageing, longevity, and personalised medicine, Dr. Hajat has advised governments in the UK, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, private sector leaders including at IBM and Vitality-Discovery Group, and international organisations including the World Health Organisation, on strategies to promote healthspan and improve quality of life across diverse populations. Dr. Hajat’s expertise spans precision prevention, digital health, genomics and behavioural science, with a focus on innovative approaches to extending healthy longevity. She has led groundbreaking initiatives, including the development of personalised nutrition strategies for NEOM, Saudi Arabia, and the establishment of population-wide chronic disease prevention programmes in the UK and Abu Dhabi. Her award-winning work has been recognised at global forums such as the World Economic Forum, UN General Assembly, and Climate COP26 and COP28 meetings. As the Founder and CEO of the Real World Health Advisory Group, Dr. Hajat continues to drive innovation in health technology and lifestyle medicine. Her leadership in integrating science, technology, and behavioural insights positions her as a key contributor to shaping the future of healthy ageing and longevity strategies.

Dr. Hajat holds a PhD in Epidemiology from King’s College London, a Master’s in Public Health, and is a Fellow of the UK Royal College of Physicians and the Faculty of Public Health. She is a sought-after advisor for organisations seeking to advance their impact in the longevity space, combining scientific rigor with a passion for improving lives globally.

CHARLES PERRY

Entrepreneur and Sustainability Pioneer

Charles Perry

Charles is a well-known pioneer for a sustainable future for all, a green entrepreneur and climate leader; with three decades’ commercial experience building purpose-driven businesses and embedding sustainability into the DNA of many large multinationals.

Initially a marketing professional who focused on launching environmental products and services, he completed his MBA and chose to join BP to launch beyond petroleum before being fast tracked to head up BP’s renewables business.

Upon leaving BP, he joined GreenOrder, a US sustainability consulting firm with clients including GE and GM, and, after acquisition by LRN, returned to the UK and co-founded SecondNature, one of the UK’s leading sustainability consultancies with clients including Tesco, Barclays, ENGÍÉ, Ovo and Network Rail. He sold SecondNature to Anthesis Group, where he served as Group Director leading the strategy practice during his earn-out and exit.

He went on to co-found GRIDSERVE Sustainable Energy, a UK market leader in battery storage and EV charging infrastructure.

He played a key role on the UN COP26 Climate Champions team, where he successfully led the global Aviation sector to sign up to the Paris Agreement and commit to Net Zero by 2050.

He is an Ambassador for the Climate and Nature Bill and an Al Gore Climate Reality Leader, having co-founded Climate Reality UK.

MOKY MAKURA

Executive Director, Africa No Filter

Moky Makura

Moky Makura has been a TV presenter, producer, author, publisher and a successful entrepreneur in her own right. She is currently the Executive Director of Africa No Filter, a donor collaborative focused on shifting the African narrative.

Moky started her media career as the African Anchor and field reporter for South Africa’s award-winning news and actuality show – Carte Blanche. She conceptualized, co-produced and presented a lifestyle TV series for the pan African pay TV channel MNet called “Living It”, which focused on the lifestyles of the African continent’s wealthy elite. She also played a lead role in the groundbreaking and popular MNet Pan-African drama series Jacob’s Cross.

DISCLAIMER

Please note that this event will be recorded and photographed. By attending this event, you consent to being photographed, filmed and recorded (“Recordings”). You further consent to The Conduit, and its assigns’ use of your name and your appearance and voice as captured by these Recordings, in any and all media, worldwide, for any purpose in connection with this event, including promotion of this event.

The Young Innovator and Impact Venture Award funds are administered by our partners at The Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action (CIVA) and Conduit Connect.

The administrators reserve the right to determine the total of any award, this decision is final.