Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Maxine Laceby
Piers Linney
The Rt Hon Greg Clark
Wendy Morgan
Panellists
Pamela Aculey
William Bain
Lisa Capper MBE
The Rt Hon Greg Clark
Ed Cox
Peter Evans
Maxine Laceby
Piers Linney
Liz Martins
Wendy Morgan
Shaun Sookoo
Maxine co-founded Absolute Collagen with her daughter Darcy in 2017 and, within 12 months, turned the kitchen table product into an award-winning supplement. As the innovator and first mover, they quickly became one of the UK's fastest-growing D2C brands, were responsible for creating the liquid collagen category and were named 4th in The Times Top 100.
Maxine has won several significant industry awards, including the NatWest Everywoman award, The Great British Entrepreneur award and the LDC top 50 most ambitious leaders, to name but a few.
Maxine says Absolute Collagen is an emotional brand backed by science. 'It is incredible to be inspired by genuinely improving someone's confidence and strength through a product. When someone looks their best, they feel their best, leading to them doing spectacular things. Reading about our Absoluters and their remarkable stories motivates me to do better, be better, and develop better.
Before launching Absolute Collagen, Maxine had been a happy full-time mum for 25 years and had no previous business experience. In her own words, 'I am the ultimate underestimated everyday woman. I apply everything I learned from being a woman and a mother to the board room daily.'
Within three years, Maxine secured a 15 million investment to grow the business further and turn Absolute Collagen into the 30-million-pound business it is today.
Since launching Absolute Collagen, Maxine has become an inspiration for female entrepreneurs and women around the world.
Piers Linney is an entrepreneur, investor, and former Dragon on the prime-time BBC show Dragons’ Den (Shark Tank in the USA). With a background in law and investment banking, Piers has established himself as a leading figure in the UK business world, particularly in the technology sector.
Piers is a co-founder of Implement AI which provides AI agent solutions to organisations of all sizes. He has sat on the board of Nesta, the UK’s largest (£600m) innovation foundation, and British Business Bank during the roll-out of £90bn of Covid support. Piers is also an advocate for diversity in business and sits on Sky’s Diversity Advisory Council. He was a pioneer in the UK cloud computing sector and sat on the boards of the UK Cloud Industry Forum and TechUK.
Piers is Chairman and a co-founder of Atherton Bikes, a world leading manufacturer of additive manufactured mountain bikes which won 1st and 2nd in the World Championship in 2023.
The Rt Hon Greg Clark is Executive Chair of the University of Warwick’s Innovation District and Chair of WMG - the Warwick Manufacturing Group.
Greg served for 19 years as a Member of Parliament, before stepping down in 2024. He was a senior minister for nearly 10 years, including serving in the UK Cabinet as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Minister for Science and Universities, and previously as Minister for Cities and Financial Secretary to the Treasury. In the last Parliament Greg was elected by the whole House of Commons to serve as Chair of the cross-party Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee.
As a Cabinet Minister Greg was responsible for the development of the UK Industrial Strategy, for the City and Devolution Deals which have established Mayoral Combined Authorities covering half of the population of England, and for proposing and enacting the UK’s commitment to Net Zero emissions by 2050. Greg has been appointed by the current Government to be a member of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, which contributes to the development and long-term delivery of HM Government’s industrial strategy.
Greg is Chair of the Japan Society, the leading independent body in the United Kingdom dedicated to the enhancement of the British-Japanese relationship.
Greg is also Chair the Society of Chemical Industry, and is a Trustee of the Social Market Foundation, a cross-party think tank.
Born in Middlesbrough, Greg was educated at St Peter’s Comprehensive School and then read economics at Cambridge University before earning his PhD from the London School of Economics.
Before entering Parliament, Greg worked for the Boston Consulting Group and as Controller, Commercial Policy at the BBC.
Greg is married to Helen and has three grown-up children.
Wendy is former Founder and CEO of Jumar Technology since its inception in 2000, has spearheaded the company's remarkable 25 year journey culminating in a Private Equity investment in her Jumar Technology Group from Aliter Capital in 2023.
Earlier this year she supported Aliter with the company’s rebrand to TXP - Technology X People to better serve clients across technology and people solutions. More recently her role has transitioned to a dual role as Corporate Development and Key Accounts Officer working alongside Aliter and the TXP board in M&A acquisitions to complement the newly merged TXP to deliver the strategy approved by the board.
Wendy continues to liaise and closely support the senior leadership team in the long established key clients. TXP specialises in several sectors predominantly financial services, insurance and public sector clients to provide a holistic range of IT people services including digital transformation, application development, resource augmentation and executive search.
Pamela Aculey is the award-winning Co-Founder and CEO of MIXD Reality, a pioneering immersive technology company revolutionising education and publishing through augmented reality (AR). Inspired by her autistic son, Pamela launched MIXD Reality to bridge the gap between traditional learning tools and inclusive, accessible storytelling.
Under her leadership, MIXD Reality developed the world’s first inclusive and interactive AR children’s book, 'Buster Finds His Beat'—bringing stories to life while championing diversity, representation, and neurodiversity.
The company partners with publishers, authors, and brands to create immersive experiences that engage, educate, and empower young audiences.
Winners of the prestigious Great British Entrepreneur Awards, MIXD Reality has represented the UK on global trade missions and is fast becoming a recognised leader across the education, health, and creative sectors for its innovation, impact, and bold vision for the future of learning.
William Bain is Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce.
William has worked for the last 9 years with a wide range of companies, from FTSE 100 companies to SMEs to innovative start-ups, advising on the UK's trade and investment policies, including UK-EU, UK-US, Asia Pacific, World Trade Organisation and forming policy with stakeholders for implementation by governments.
Previously, William spent over ten years as an academic lawyer specialising in Constitutional and EU law, and 5 and a half years as an MP (Glasgow North East), including roles as Shadow Ministers for Defra, Transport and Scotland and membership of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee.
Lisa joined The Sandwell Colleges, the largest group of colleges in the West Midlands, in November 2024 as CEO and Principal. This includes Sandwell College and Central St Michael’s Sixth Form in West Bromwich and Cadbury College in Birmingham as well as new campuses such as the new Learning campus on the site of the new Midland Metropolitan Hospital.
Prior to this she turned around the fortunes of Stoke on Trent College where she was instrumental in transforming the quality of provision and financial health, securing significant partnerships and profile for its continued success. This included national awards for learner-voice, £20m capital and a significant increase in enrolments and achievement. Its ‘Skills Ready Future Ready’ strategy, the sector-skills hubs, and dynamic partnerships meant that 96% of young people progressed to positive destinations.
As Director and Principal at Nacro the national social justice and education she created a respected voice and national campaigns on issues relating to disadvantaged young people such as the ‘Learn Without Limits’, and a national youth-voice Knife Crime report. She was a VP of a well-known Further Education (FE) College group and Executive Director of a successful Academies Trust of 7 schools.
After working in adult and community learning in her earlier career, Lisa became a senior civil servant in FE in the Departments for Education and Business for over 10 years leading on the ‘Skills for Life’ campaign, National Skills Academies and CAVTL (commission on adult education), and the prestigious WorldSkills London 2011. In 2024 she was a finalist for Woman of the Year awards putting FE in the spotlight.
In January 2021, she was awarded an MBE for Services to Young People.
The Rt Hon Greg Clark is Executive Chair of the University of Warwick’s Innovation District and Chair of WMG - the Warwick Manufacturing Group.
Greg served for 19 years as a Member of Parliament, before stepping down in 2024. He was a senior minister for nearly 10 years, including serving in the UK Cabinet as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Minister for Science and Universities, and previously as Minister for Cities and Financial Secretary to the Treasury. In the last Parliament Greg was elected by the whole House of Commons to serve as Chair of the cross-party Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee.
As a Cabinet Minister Greg was responsible for the development of the UK Industrial Strategy, for the City and Devolution Deals which have established Mayoral Combined Authorities covering half of the population of England, and for proposing and enacting the UK’s commitment to Net Zero emissions by 2050. Greg has been appointed by the current Government to be a member of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, which contributes to the development and long-term delivery of HM Government’s industrial strategy.
Greg is Chair of the Japan Society, the leading independent body in the United Kingdom dedicated to the enhancement of the British-Japanese relationship.
Greg is also Chair the Society of Chemical Industry, and is a Trustee of the Social Market Foundation, a cross-party think tank.
Born in Middlesbrough, Greg was educated at St Peter’s Comprehensive School and then read economics at Cambridge University before earning his PhD from the London School of Economics.
Before entering Parliament, Greg worked for the Boston Consulting Group and as Controller, Commercial Policy at the BBC.
Greg is married to Helen and has three grown-up children.
Ed is Executive Director for Strategy, Economy & Net Zero at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
Prior to WMCA, Ed was Director of Public Services and Communities at the RSA where he led an ambitious programme of work on people, power, place and inclusive growth. He previously led IPPR North for 9 years where he was a champion for devolution and much of the thinking behind the ‘Northern Powerhouse,’ working closely with several combined authorities in the north of England. Before that, Ed was an adviser to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government where he played a key role in developing the Sub-National Review (2007) and the Empowerment White Paper (2008).
Ed has a background in community engagement: he wrote Manchester’s first community engagement strategy, he was a founder of the national Participatory Budgeting Unit and he is the founder and chair of the Levenshulme Inspire community hub in inner-city Manchester. Ed is a qualified minister of religion in the United Reformed Church and he is part of the leadership team for his local congregation in Levenshulme. Ed has been Chair of Involve since June 2019.
Peter Evans is the CEO of Orderly, a certified B-Corp revolutionising supply chain technology for the food and beverage industry. Under his leadership, Orderly helps global businesses optimise operations and reduce food waste, proving that sustainability and profitability can work together seamlessly.
Peter began his journey at Orderly as a front-end developer and stepped into the CEO role in 2020. His leadership is driven by curiosity, adaptability, and building a team of experts to tackle real-world challenges. He believes that meaningful innovation comes from practical solutions rather than grand claims.
Orderly’s mission is to help businesses thrive while making a positive impact on the planet. With a focus on reducing waste and improving efficiency, the company demonstrates that doing good for the environment is good for business.
Maxine co-founded Absolute Collagen with her daughter Darcy in 2017 and, within 12 months, turned the kitchen table product into an award-winning supplement. As the innovator and first mover, they quickly became one of the UK's fastest-growing D2C brands, were responsible for creating the liquid collagen category and were named 4th in The Times Top 100.
Maxine has won several significant industry awards, including the NatWest Everywoman award, The Great British Entrepreneur award and the LDC top 50 most ambitious leaders, to name but a few.
Maxine says Absolute Collagen is an emotional brand backed by science. 'It is incredible to be inspired by genuinely improving someone's confidence and strength through a product. When someone looks their best, they feel their best, leading to them doing spectacular things. Reading about our Absoluters and their remarkable stories motivates me to do better, be better, and develop better.
Before launching Absolute Collagen, Maxine had been a happy full-time mum for 25 years and had no previous business experience. In her own words, 'I am the ultimate underestimated everyday woman. I apply everything I learned from being a woman and a mother to the board room daily.'
Within three years, Maxine secured a 15 million investment to grow the business further and turn Absolute Collagen into the 30-million-pound business it is today.
Since launching Absolute Collagen, Maxine has become an inspiration for female entrepreneurs and women around the world.
Piers Linney is an entrepreneur, investor, and former Dragon on the prime-time BBC show Dragons’ Den (Shark Tank in the USA). With a background in law and investment banking, Piers has established himself as a leading figure in the UK business world, particularly in the technology sector.
Piers is a co-founder of Implement AI which provides AI agent solutions to organisations of all sizes. He has sat on the board of Nesta, the UK’s largest (£600m) innovation foundation, and British Business Bank during the roll-out of £90bn of Covid support. Piers is also an advocate for diversity in business and sits on Sky’s Diversity Advisory Council. He was a pioneer in the UK cloud computing sector and sat on the boards of the UK Cloud Industry Forum and TechUK.
Piers is Chairman and a co-founder of Atherton Bikes, a world leading manufacturer of additive manufactured mountain bikes which won 1st and 2nd in the World Championship in 2023.
Wendy is former Founder and CEO of Jumar Technology since its inception in 2000, has spearheaded the company's remarkable 25 year journey culminating in a Private Equity investment in her Jumar Technology Group from Aliter Capital in 2023.
Earlier this year she supported Aliter with the company’s rebrand to TXP - Technology X People to better serve clients across technology and people solutions. More recently her role has transitioned to a dual role as Corporate Development and Key Accounts Officer working alongside Aliter and the TXP board in M&A acquisitions to complement the newly merged TXP to deliver the strategy approved by the board.
Wendy continues to liaise and closely support the senior leadership team in the long established key clients. TXP specialises in several sectors predominantly financial services, insurance and public sector clients to provide a holistic range of IT people services including digital transformation, application development, resource augmentation and executive search.
Shaun is a purpose-driven professional with a strong commitment to creating job opportunities that fuel economic growth and deliver meaningful social impact. He currently holds nine directorships and has played a key role in generating over 250 jobs, with a combined group turnover exceeding £32 million across the Food Manufacturing, Care, Property, Industrial Cleaning, and Non-Profit sectors.
His non-profit work is centred on improving access to education, supporting impactful projects in Jamaica, The Gambia, and the West Midlands. Shaun is dedicated to building a more inclusive and equitable professional landscape—one that nurtures talent and creates opportunities for all to succeed.