Julia was a founder of the US-led Workforce Institute, was Chair of the inaugural UK Demos Workshift Commission, and now co-hosts the popular podcast The Nowhere Office. Julia is the author of six books and an acclaimed entrepreneur who founded the networks and podcast business Editorial Intelligence. Julia was awarded an OBE in 2015 and regularly consults for and speaks to corporations, government and changemakers around the world.
Maddalaine Ansell is currently Director Education at the British Council. Prior to this, Maddalaine was Chief Executive of University Alliance and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills where she worked closely with Lord David Willetts, then Minister for Science and Universities. She is a graduate of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and trained and practiced as a lawyer in large international legal practices before joining the civil service fast stream.
Abhishek is an entrepreneur, digital strategy consultant, software architect, marketing geek, angel investor, and a visionary. A techie turned entrepreneur in his teens, Abhishek founded INT. (Indus Net Technologies) in 1997. INT. is a fully bootstrapped venture, from a one-person firm to a family of 850+ full-time professionals today, working in India, the UK, USA, Canada and Singapore.
Maarya Rehman has worked for the British Council since 2015, when she moved to Pakistan to reopen the British Council libraries in Lahore and Karachi. She has since worked as Area Director Punjab, Country Director Sri Lanka, and most recently Deputy Director Pakistan. She believes strongly in the work the British Council does in South Asia, connecting young people to meaningful opportunities and building long-lasting trust and connections, vital to addressing the big global issues of our times.
Purva Aggarwal is the first female soloprenuer in India and third globally to enter the 'children's online banking and wallet' space. Purva is a Financial Analyst at a private equity investment advisory firm and a writer. She is the Ambassador of the Indian chapter of Women in Tech, an international non-profit headquartered in Paris, dedicated to promoting greater diversity in the tech sector globally. She is also a researcher in the field of Mergers and Acquisitions.
With 23 years of experience in the education sector, Yeshwanth has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing educators and learners today. He is known for developing and implementing innovative and effective educational programmes, and bringing diverse stakeholders together to achieve common goals with a focus on leveraging technology to improve learning outcomes in K-12 schools.
Albert is Co-founder of Hapaweb Solutions, a Ghana-based company providing cloud, web and mobile solutions. From a bedroom-based business, Hapaweb now has two offices in Ghana, and clients and partners include Google, Microsoft and the British Council. In 2016, he co-founded HapaSpace, an innovation hub providing a supportive and dynamic community for over 2,000 freelancers, start-ups, and business professionals in Kumasi. In 2020 he won the British Council Alumni Award for Social Impact.
Chima Amadi is the founder of Clemac Digital Health, a Nigerian health start-up that leverages technology to improve access to health care for residents of Nigeria. He is a Pharmacist and holds a Masters in Global Public Health. Chima was a finalist at the British Council Alumni Awards, is a Mandela Washington Fellowship alumni and won the World Health Organization COVID-19 Hackathon Grant. He is the global lead on pharmacy workforce policy for the International Pharmaceutical Federation.
Cherubim Mawuli Amenyedor is a digital marketing and transformation strategist. He has worked extensively on digital marketing strategy for brands such as Twitter Ghana, Borussia Dortmund, Budweiser, Birkbeck, University of London, GCB Bank Ghana, Invest in Africa, StarTimes Ghana, RGU-UK and Digital Scotland. Strategic Imperative (STRIMPE) exists to provide digital transformation interventions to sectors such as academia and industry to unlock Africa's potential in the digital economy.
Mary is the Founder and Chief Executive of Mary Dinah Foundation, an international NGO established since 2006 whose main initiative, Zero Hunger Program, is focused on alleviating hunger and poverty by feeding refugees and internally displaced persons across Africa. Mary has won several awards for her humanitarian work and sits on a number of boards and working groups including the United Nations working group on providing sustainable energy for people in displacement settings.