Festival Agenda

Emily Hill

Founder & CEO • Ghyston

Emily Hill co-founded Ghyston with her husband Ric in 2012 and, as CEO, has guided the business through more than a decade of growth and change. Along the way, Ghyston has won multiple awards for its workplace culture and the software it delivers.

Heather Frankham

Founder • Origin Workspace

Serial entrepreneur and impact leader, founder of Lifetime Training, Bud Systems and Origin Workspace, youth charity chair and champion of skills, inclusion and regional growth.

Liam Maxwell

Adviser • AWS

Liam Maxwell has spent three decades reforming public services through technology, at national scale.

Ric Hill

Founder & CTO • Ghyston

Ric Hill founded and runs Ghyston with his wife Emily. Since 2012, Ghyston has built software for a number of organisations from the likes of BMW, Westcoast, Newton Impact and SEA.

Sam Deacon

Sales Director • Ghyston

Bio coming soon — check back for their story.

Sangita Lal

Reporter • ITN

Sangita Lal reports on stories across the west of England for ITV News. She was previously a reporter for ITV’s West Country covering stories across the South-West of England.

Sue Turner OBE

Founder of AI Governance

Sue Turner OBE is a leading voice on AI and data ethics, committed to ensuring innovation serves people and society. She is Founder and Director of AI Governance, where she advises boards, executives and policymakers on embedding ethical principles into strategy, product design and oversight.

Tilly Lockey

Ambassador • Open Bionics

Tilly is a global ambassador for Open Bionics and advocates for compassionate tech and inclusive innovation.

Alan Durrant

Investment Consultant • Harwood Capital Management

Alan Durrant has been a Director of Harwood Capital Management since 2013. He is also a consultant and investment committee member at Cohesion Asset Management.

Alice Bea Crozier

Co-Founder • The Rethink Collective

Co-founder of The Rethink Collective, Alice has spent her career leading teams, people and operations within growing businesses, often working alongside founders to turn their vision into reality.

Balamurugan Balasubramanian

Entrepreneur, Technology Leader & Co-Founder • Voibe

Balamurugan is a serial entrepreneur and technology leader with 15 years of experience building AI and high-scale engineering systems at fast-growing scaleups in India and the UK.

Duniya Moore

CEO • Illumo Digital

Duniya Moore is a purpose-led, multi-award-winning CEO with a track record of driving performance through people-first leadership and cultural alignment. Passionate about democratising digital transformation, she leads Illumo Digital, providing a platform-led operations engine built for high-stakes B2B Service SMEs in the Legal, Tax, and Environmental sectors.

Fernanda Huerta

Global Talent Visa Lead & CEO • Tech Nation

Fernanda Huerta is Programme Lead for the UK’s Global Talent Visa in digital technology at Tech Nation, where she oversees the endorsement route for exceptional founders, engineers, and tech leaders relocating to the UK.

Katie Martin

CEO • Hidden Signals

BIO TO COME.

Laurie Felker-Jones

Investment Manager • The FSE Group

Laurie joined The FSE Group in 2026 as an Investment Manager for the South West, working with ambitious SMEs across the region through the British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund.

Nick Cramp

Co-Founder • The Rethink Collective

Co-founder of The Rethink Collective, Nick has spent years building and leading businesses, experiencing first-hand the challenges of being the person at the top. Together with co-founder Alice, he challenges conventional thinking about leadership and helps businesses rethink how they lead, work and grow.

Rin Hamburgh

Brand and Communication Specialist

Rin Hamburgh is a brand and communications specialist who helps expert-led organisations build authority, visibility and trust. With more than 20 years’ in the sector, including 9 years leading a B corp certified agency, she has worked with startups, scaleups, corporates and non-profits across the UK and Europe.

Sophie Sherwood

Darkroom Manager • Bristol Folk House

Sophie Sherwood, a visual artist and creative workshop facilitator based in the South West of England. They explore selfhood and nature through light sensitive materials using experimental and sustainable darkroom and photographic techniques.

Tabitha Aldrich-Smith

Global Communications Leader • Met Office

As AD Communications and Engagement, Tabitha leads the purpose-driven, customer centric team of communications professionals at the Met Office.