Adem Holness

Head of Music • SWXW London

Adem leads the music strategy, programming and partnerships for SXSW's European edition. Across its first two years the his work has featured a wide range of artists, alongside a global network of co-curated showcases and attracted 30,000 visitors.

Andrew Scheps

Grammy-award winning mix engineer

Andrew Scheps started out as a musician, but found that what he enjoyed most was working behind the scenes. After touring with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, he found his home in the studio, working for producers such as Rob Cavallo, Don Was and Rick Rubin.

Andrew Ward

Director of Hyperscale, Platform & AI Sales • nLighten

Andrew Ward leads nLighten's AI, NeoCloud, Platform and Hyperscale business across Europe, working with many of the world's leading technology companies to deliver the digital infrastructure underpinning cloud, AI and large-scale enterprise deployments.

Andy Boreham

Director of Audiences • Bristol Beacon

Andy Boreham is Director of Audiences at Bristol Beacon – a not-for-profit music organisation and venue which connects people through the extraordinary power of live music.

Beatie Wolfe

Conceptial Artist and Composer

“Musical weirdo and visionary” (Vice) Beatie Wolfe has beamed her music into space, been appointed a UN role model for innovation, and held a solo exhibition of her ‘world first’ designs at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

Caelum Rosenkranz

Team Lead • Google Cloud

Caelum Rosenkranz is a Startup Lead at Google and the Europe Lead for This Week in Fintech, the world’s largest fintech community.

Dame Dawn Childs

Chief Executive Officer • nLighten

Dame Dawn Childs is Chief Executive Officer of nLighten, where she leads the company's mission to build more sustainable, resilient and distributed digital infrastructure across Europe.

Daniel Duma

Ex-Google software engineer

Ex-Google and ex-Alexa software engineer and applied researcher, multiple times founder/CTO of VC-backed startups, and a keynote speaker.

Emily Armstrong

Head of People, Culture & Operations • Aer Studios

Bringing an end-to-end People perspective with specialist expertise in strategic partnering, coaching and people commercials.

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.’

Gaynor Coley

Founding Director • The Eden Project

Gaynor Coley was one of the Founding Directors of The Eden Project in Cornwall - taking the helm as MD from 2001 to 2013.

George Sandilands

Vice President • Sage Earth

George is Vice President of Carbon Accounting at Sage, where he works to help SMBs, who are 99% of the world’s businesses, reliably measure their carbon footprint and become more sustainable.

Guy Singh-Watson

Founder • Riverford Organic Farmers

Guy Singh-Watson is an organic farmer, entrepreneur and self-professed veg nerd, passionate about reinventing the food system.

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.

Inkie

Painter/Street Artist

Born in 1970 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Inkie grew up in Bristol, England, where he became one of the greatest agents of the British street art scene since the mid-1980s.

Jayde Adams

Comedian & Actor

Jayde Adams is an award-winning British comedian, actor, writer, and opera singer from Bristol.

Joel Gibbard

Co-Founder and CEO • Open Bionics

Joel Gibbard MBE is the CEO and Cofounder of Open Bionics, a Bristol based company that makes bionic arms for amputees. Joel has been awarded an MBE for services to Engineering and trade, and the Princess Royal Silver Medal, one of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s most prestigious awards.

Katie Gallagher OBE

Chair • UK Tech Cluster Group

Katie Gallagher is the Managing Director of Manchester Digital and Chair of the UK Tech Cluster Group, which brings together regional technology organisations from across the country to support the growth of the UK’s startup and innovation ecosystems.

Kirstine Dale

Chief AI Officer • Met Office

Kirstine Dale is the Met Office’s Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Principal Fellow for Data Science. Kirstine played a leading role in shaping the future of Data Science in the Met Office.

Liam Maxwell

Adviser • AWS

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

Louis Spencer

Relationship Director • Natwest

As Relationship Director and Venture Banking Lead for South West & Wales at NatWest, Louis focus on managing banking relationships for growth-equity backed businesses in the innovation economy.

Margaret Heffernan

Author

Dr Margaret Heffernan is an author, entrepreneur, former CEO and influential thinker on leadership, uncertainty and human agency.

Nick Eagleton

Co-Founder • Saboteur

Nick is a co-founder of Saboteur, an independent brand studio on a mission to set brands free. After spending twenty years as a creative lead at renowned brand agencies, Nick helped to found Saboteur on a few key principles: people-first, autonomy, transparency, and play.

Nick Sturge MBE

Ecosystem Architect & Innovation Enabler • Co-Founder, Engine Shed

Nick Sturge MBE is a veteran innovation ecosystem architect with over two decades of experience in shaping regional growth across business, education, and public sectors.

Ottilie Culloty

Head of Global Sales and Marketing • Celestial

Ottilie is a senior sales and marketing leader with more than 15 years’ experience working across global brands, creative agencies and the events industry.

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.

Rob French

Creative Director • BLANKET

Rob French is a filmmaker, creative storyteller and Creative Director at Bristol-based production company BLANKET™. With a background in directing and cinematography, Rob has spent his career bringing ideas to life through film, working across TV commercials, brand campaigns and documentaries.

Roni Size

Musician, Producer & DJ

Roni Size is a Bristol-born musician, producer and DJ whose groundbreaking work helped take drum & bass from the underground to the global stage. Growing up immersed in Bristol’s sound system culture, Roni became a pioneer of the genre, co-founding Full Cycle Records and creating the influential collective Reprazent.

Rosa ter Kuile

Artist • RTiiiKA

RTiiiKA (Rosa ter Kuile) is a Bristol-based artist whose work takes many forms and finds its way into all kinds of places - from public art, murals and illustration to collage and design work.

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.

Satish Kumar

Activist & Speaker

Satish Kumar is an activist and internationally renowned speaker on ecological issues.

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.

Abby Salmon

UK&I People and Talent Partner • First Table

Abby leads People and Talent in the UK and Ireland for First Table, the restaurant booking app that fills early tables with big discounts for diners.

Adam Walker

Chief Innovation Officer • Rocketmakers

Bio coming soon — check back for their story.

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.

Amy Gettings

Managing Director • Hey!What?

Bio coming soon - check back for their story.

Annie Legge

CEO • Tech4Good SW

Annie is co-founder Tech4Good South West, a rich network of organisations and individuals creating the opportunities for businesses, the public sector and civil society to have new, collective and transformative impact through technology.

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.

Chris Blues

Accelerator Community Manager • Natwest

Bio coming soon — check back for their story.

David Sequeira

Executive Vice President • Skai

David is EVP at Skai, the AI-powered omnichannel advertising platform that global brands and agencies use to plan, run and measure retail media and search campaigns.

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 • 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.

Hamish McWhirter

Creative Director • Hey!What?

Bio coming soon - check back for their story.

Hilary Cuddy

Director of Services • Design West

Hilary Cuddy is Director of Services at Design West overseeing the organisation's design consultancy services. Hilary has over 15 years’ leadership experience in the built environment, spanning planning practice to communication design and academic consultancy. Hilary is driven by a belief that good design is central to a more sustainable, regenerative future.

Jake Hewlett

Founder & CTO • Bristol AI Shed

Co-founder of MindsetOS, an AI-powered mindset assessment and coaching platform. Big tech (Google) and scale-up (Tambo) background. Based in Southville for 5 years with his wife and son.

James Hirst

Managing Director • Bristol Creative Industries

Bio coming soon — check back for their story.

Katie Martin

CEO • Hidden Signals

BIO TO COME.

Kian Bakhatiari

Founder • The People

Kian is the founder of The People, a Gen Z consultancy powered by a global community of young changemakers that helps brands and organisations futureproof themselves.

Kierra Box

Campaigner • Friends of the Earth

Kierra Box is a campaigner at Friends of the Earth. She currently works on a range of themes including defending and improving UK environmental law, strengthening environmental justice here and around the world, and cutting the impact of trade on communities, climate and nature.

Laura Gemmell

Founder & Technical CEO • Taught by Humans

PhD in AI Education. Teaching qualification. A decade in tech at PwC, Worldpay, and Monzo. Laura built Taught by Humans because she'd seen what good learning looked like - and how rarely workplace training came close.

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.

Lucy Collins

Managing Director • Web Usability

Lucy is MD at Web Usability, an inclusive user research agency based outside Bath. Web Usability helps brands make fast, confident and inclusive digital decisions through research with real people. Lucy is also Co-Founder of CollectivAlly, an accessibility testing platform that uses AI personas to pressure test digital experiences and embed inclusive thinking.

Mark Shields

Co-Founder • Roda

Mark Shields is co-founder of Roda, where he helps scaling businesses create flywheels to deliver their strategic objectives. He is a multi-exited founder, building businesses in education and consulting and has specific expertise in working with organisations across the social impact sector.

Matt Harris

Chief Information Officer • Rocketmakers

Bio coming soon — check back for their story.

Matt Roberts FRSA

Senior UX Designer

Matt Roberts is a Senior UX Designer, a public speaker, co-chair of the BIMA Inclusive Design Council, and a leading voice on accessible and inclusive design. Matt has spoken and consulted for organisations including the BBC, UNICEF UK, and the Ministry of Justice.

Matt Spry

Co-Founder • Roda

Matt Spry is co-founder of Roda, where he helps ambitious organisations find and build the flywheels that make growth compound. He's worked with teams from fast-growing agencies and SaaS firms to National Grid and Nesta.

Mayra Rodriguez

Research Fellow on AI & Data Science • University of Exeter

May is a Research Fellow specialising in AI and data science for environmental & health applications. She has a multidisciplinary background in water systems, spanning hydrological modelling, water quality assessment, marine applications and climate resilience.

Michael Cowdy

Co-Founder and Director • MOOWD

Michael Cowdy is Co-Founder and Director of MOOWD, bringing over 20 years of international experience in urban design, landscape architecture, and regenerative placemaking across the UK, Australia, China and the Middle East. He leads the studio’s design direction, combining systems thinking, spatial clarity and a deep understanding of place to shape resilient, regenerative environments.

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.

Professor Shawn Sobers

Professor, Photographer & Filmmaker • UWE

A Visual Anthropologist, working in writing, photography, and filmmaking, exploring narratives of belonging.

Richard Godfrey

Founder & CEO • Rocketmakers

Founder of Rocketmakers, Richard has a wealth of technical expertise, a critical eye for usability, and blue-chip project management skills from his many years at Deloitte and Microsoft.

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.

Rory Murphy

Postdoctoral Research Associate • University of Exeter

Rory is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Exeter and a Knowledge Exchange and Impact Fellow in the ACCESS research network. He’s interested in what it means to be human in the 21st century, and study’s the ethical impacts of being connected to and surrounded by widespread digital technologies like AI.

Scott Ewings

Chief Strategy Officer • aer studios

Scott is the Chief Strategy Officer at creative technology studio Aer Studios and a recognised advocate for inclusive design. With a distinguished leadership background at premier digital and creative agencies - including Fjord, ustwo, Potato, VCCP, Bernadette, and Manifesto - he brings deep expertise in building digital experiences that eliminate systemic barriers and champion absolute accessibility.

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.

Stephen Honight

Founder & CEO • Lmo7

Ex-Mars, LEGO and Unilever. Guest lecturer at UWE. Based in Bradley Stoke for 13 years. Focused on helping individuals and businesses unlock the benefits of AI.

Steve Bluff

Chief Operating Officer • Bristol BID

Steve Bluff is Chief Operating Officer of Bristol BID, overseeing the BID’s work across four themes. Steve has over 20 years of experience across retail and city centre management and has seen Bristol grow, change and adapt over this time. Steve is leading the BID’s role as a key strategic city partner in the delivery of high-quality public space.

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.

Tom Swithinbank

Senior Project Manager • Bristol BID

Tom Swithinbank is Senior Project Manager for at Bristol BID leading the BID’s Sustainable and Green theme. Tom’s work ranges from the Climate Action Programme, managing our Urban Gardener and engagement on strategic citywide issues and consultations.

Andrew Scheps

Grammy-award winning mix engineer

Andrew Scheps started out as a musician, but found that what he enjoyed most was working behind the scenes. After touring with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, he found his home in the studio, working for producers such as Rob Cavallo, Don Was and Rick Rubin.