Bade Adesemowo - CTO & Co-founder, DevCircle

As a Nigerian technology entrepreneur, investor and business leader, Bade is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of My Development Circle CIC (DevCircle) that leverages technology for good and harnesses the power of community for peer support, alongside providing education and expert guidance. Bade is also CTO & Co-founder of eMigr8.AI, the tech-enabled platform for talent mobility, relocation & settlement and also a partner at Bincom. He has over two decades of experience in the tech industry with expertise in software and ‘Best Use of Technology’.

Bade is a highly respected thought leader in the UK & African tech ecosystem. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and has been featured in numerous publications. He is also a mentor to many young entrepreneurs and start-ups.

 

Dr Edward Braund - Head of School of Computer Science & Technology, University of Bedfordshire

Dr Edward Braund is an Associate Professor in Computational Intelligence, Head of the School of Computing, Engineering, and Creative Industries, and Director of Luton AI at the University of Bedfordshire. His world-leading research focuses on the information processing abilities of biological, chemical, and physical systems to develop bio-processors, sensors, and new forms of computational intelligences.

With colleagues, Ed recently created Luton AI, a civic organisation based at the University, which capitalises on the university’s expertise in AI and automation research to foster an ecosystem that drives business innovation and creates high-skilled job opportunities in the region. Since its launch in Spring 2024, Luton AI has engaged over 300 organisations and conducted specialised projects to support AI transformation. Ed has previously held senior leadership positions at other universities and has extensive consulting experience.

 

Professor Stephanie Hussels - Director of the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship

Professor Stephanie Hussels is Director of the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship at Cranfield University and leads the Business Growth Programme, the UK’s longest-running programme for owner-managers.

Her work focuses on early-stage and growth businesses, particularly family firms, and she regularly supports organisations in fostering intrapreneurship. She has taught entrepreneurship and research methods across executive, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes at Cranfield and internationally, including institutions in Germany, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, China, and Oman. Her research centres on entrepreneurial resilience, family business, and business survival.

A prize-winning case writer, Stephanie often speaks on case study teaching and is Chair of the Case Centre. She is also a Non-Executive Director of Cambridge Cleantech, a Trustee of the Cranfield Trust, and a Senator at the World Business Angels Investment Forum. Additionally, she has judged several national and international business awards. 

 

Michael Martin - Head of Net Zero & Business Advice Team, Wenta 

Michael leads six advisory colleagues, overseeing Wenta’s Programmes Delivery and sustainability support for clients, liaising with partner organisations.

During the last thirty years, Michael founded five ventures, including three as employer, two sold as going concerns and as the unsalaried founder of a registered mental health charity. Michael has gained sustainability awards and been instrumental in raising £3m+ in equity funding and grant awards for clients.

Michael’s accredited advisory background encompasses start-up, investment-readiness, growth, IP & IPR, licensing, distribution, strategy, operations, marketing, sales, L&D, mentoring, exits, business transfer and acquisition, decarbonisation and sustainability. Sector-specific: charities and social enterprise, education and training, cycling industry, creative fields, textiles and Wearable Tech.

Andrew Munro - Managing Director, Smith Myers Communications Ltd (Kings Award Winner for Enterprise Innovation 2024)

From Glasgow, Scotland, Andrew served over 20 years in the British Military, gaining extensive operational and leadership experience across multiple theatres of operation worldwide. He received commendations and was decorated for his service before transitioning in 2003 to the Defence & Aerospace private sector.

Since then, he has founded and successfully led several businesses in the UK and North America. Andrew joined Smith Myers in 2013 and today serves as Managing Director, driving innovation in search and rescue technology.

Ruth Roan - Manager, South Midlands Growth Hub

A SEFDI-qualified Business Advisor with over 25 years’ experience helping businesses and social enterprises grow. With expertise in business development, marketing, and networking, she empowers entrepreneurs to build skills, confidence, and lasting success.

 

Claire Banwell Spencer - Head of Entrepreneurship Growth for the Bettany Centre For Entrepreneurship

Claire is the Head of Entrepreneurship Growth for the Bettany Centre For Entrepreneurship at Cranfield University. Claire joined the Bettany Centre in July 2021 and is responsible for the management of the Bettany Centre’s SME executive education portfolios. As a result, she collaborates closely with corporations, SMEs, and regional partners within the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.​

Claire is a dual-qualified Barrister and Solicitor with an MBA from Cranfield University. She commenced her career working as a Solicitor in private practice, specialising in civil litigation. Driven by a desire to work with the companies she advised, she then moved into an in-house role working for one of the largest property services groups in the UK as its Head of Legal. ​

Subsequently, she was seconded for a period of 18 months to act as a Change Agent on a group-wide business transformation project, sparking her passion for innovation and change, and prompting her to undertake her MBA.​

Claire has worked across a wide range of sectors, from law firms, corporates, academia, to start-ups. She provides a strong focus on innovation, product/market development, fundraising, strategic partnerships, decision-making, project management, risk mitigation, idea generation, as well as leading and driving change.

 

Miying Yang - Professor of Sustainability at Cranfield School of Management​

Miying is a Professor of Sustainability at Cranfield School of Management. She holds a PhD degree from the Centre for Industrial Sustainability at University of Cambridge.

Her research focuses on how companies move towards sustainability and circular economy through digitalisation and business model innovation. She has received research grants from various research councils and received 5 Paper Awards.

Miying likes developing tools to solve practical problems and has developed the Sustainable Value Analysis Tool to help companies identify opportunities for sustainable value creation throughout the product life cycle. She is currently the module leader of Leading Sustainable Business module on Cranfield EMBA programmes.