MANCHESTER 2025
SPEAKERS
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Emma Wiggs MBE
Sophia Ellis
I am a Team GB powerlifter, five-time British champion, two-time European champion, and Commonwealth champion, currently holding British records in the bench press, deadlift, and total. I will be competing (in August) at The World Games 2025, in Chengdu, China. Alongside competing, I coach at both elite and grassroots levels – working with the GB and England Powerlifting teams, as well as volunteering at a community amateur sports club in Peckham, London.
As a vegan athlete, I want to show others that you don’t have to compromise performance to live with compassion. Powerlifting has allowed me to challenge stereotypes, especially around women in strength sports, and to champion mental resilience.
Having recovered from Anorexia and Bulimia, I use my platform to raise awareness of eating disorders and promote mental health in sport. I’m passionate about creating a supportive and empowering space where athletes can thrive physically and mentally.
CHLOE MORGAN
A podcast host, regular media commentator, LGBT community activist and passionate supporter of the younger generations of women and non-binary folk rising through the football ranks, Chloe is an award-winning figure and voice in the women’s football space.
She’s A Baller is the largest independent women’s football publisher in the UK and a highly respected media agency working with global brands. Within her role, Chloe builds exciting partnerships, and oversees SAB’s editorial output, which supports and creates opportunities within the community while continuing to positively influence women’s football culture.
Hannah Haynes
Trained as a lawyer with the team Northridge Law LLP, specializing in sports and media, Hannah brings a unique perspective to the intersection of legal, commercial, financial and strategic operations. Her experience spans global scaling of elite sports properties, broadcasters, governing bodies (The Football Association), and investing at the intersection of venture and growth. Roles include executive positions at SailGP and investment leadership at Westerly Winds. This multifaceted background enables her to drive strategic growth, forge high-value partnerships, and deploy data-led innovation across Mercury 13’s multi-club ownership model.
“My vision is to position Mercury 13 as the benchmark for modern football ownership —grounded in sustainable growth models, global ambition, and a commitment to advancing the women’s game, ultimately resulting in outsized returns for our ownership group” said Haynes.
Nicola Barke
Currently signed with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, Nicola holds an undefeated 5-0 record as a professional boxer, with her sights firmly set on a World Title.
Her journey is one of unyielding resilience. Born with narcolepsy, Nicola has overcome a life-threatening car accident, battled PTSD, endured multiple injuries including broken ribs, dislocated knees, and a torn ACL, and even faced the revocation of her fighting license after the discovery of a brain tumor—defying all odds to continue her rise.
Nicola’s athletic career is matched by an equally impressive professional path. Graduating with First-Class Honours in Biomedical Science, she went on to work at one of the “big four” banks as a global project manager, leading a team of 150 and managing budgets exceeding £32 million—all while pursuing her passion for combat sports.
Dedicated to continuous growth, Nicola is trained by the British Action Academy and is working toward her stunt license, further underscoring her commitment to versatility and strength.
Nicola Barke exemplifies ambition and perseverance. Her remarkable story is a testament to resilience, breaking barriers in sport and beyond. She hopes to inspire others by sharing her journey through keynote speaking.
@the.burmesepython
Jenny Morris
Her career spans the full spectrum of sports administration, from health and physical activity initiatives to policy and governance reform. Jenny also has significant experience in high-performance sport, having contributed to major international events such as the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Rugby World Cup 2015.
India Thomson
India Thomson brings over 15 years of marketing experience, with the past decade focused on sport and sponsorship—specialising in the women’s game. Her work shapes how brands engage with women’s sport, helping to elevate the space both creatively and commercially. India leads the Women’s Sport Division at WeAreFearless, named 2025 Agency of the Year by the UK Sponsorship Awards and European Sponsorship Association.
Mark Lawrie OBE
In 2011 Mark became founding Chief Executive of the newly independent County Sports Partnership, Get Berkshire Active, where he worked on the legacy from London 2012 across the county.
Returning to StreetGames as Deputy Chief Executive in May 2013, Mark played a leading role in the £20 million programme to deliver 1,000 neighbourhood Doorstep Sport Clubs, Mark took on the role of Acting Chief Executive in October 2019 and became the permanent Chief Executive in December 2020.
Mark is passionate about the power of sport and physical activity to impact upon the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and was awarded an OBE in the 2025 New Year’s Honours List for services to education and young people.
Dr Anju Solanki Hon-DBA
Anju has designed a number of programmes for one of UK’s leading charities, Women In Sport. She has been on the judging panel for UK’s most prestigious diversity and inclusion awards such as Women In Tech and the Cyber Diversity Awards. Anju’s recent focus on mental wellbeing has seen her deliver keynotes across organisations as large as Tesco and UK’s leading mental health charity, Anna Freud Centre. Anju has previously supported organisations such as Everything In Sport at events across London Stadium and Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium.
Prior to founding MEA, Anju had a successful 12 year career in Investment Banking, working at Citigroup, Barclays and Lloyds. She built a commendable track record on the trading floor and created a large network of international clients. Anju became super passionate about driving social change having experienced first hand the invisible barriers underrepresented groups faced.
Anju was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 2023 by Arden University for her services to EDI. She holds a Gender Diversity Executive Education from INSEAD, Core Consulting from CASS Business School and a BSc (Hons) Finance & Accounting.
Ursula Romero
Renowned for championing innovation, storytelling, and excellence in sports media, Ursula seamlessly blends creative vision with technical execution. Her leadership has played a key role in increasing the visibility and impact of women in sports on a global scale.
She serves on the Digital, Technology & Innovation Commission of the Global Esports Federation and the UIPM TV Commission, helping shape the future of sports broadcasting. A passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity, Ursula is committed to transforming the narrative in sports media—both on screen and behind the scenes.
Paige Cronje
With over 20 years of experience as an athlete, coach, choreographer, teacher, judge and gym owner, Paige brings a 360-degree perspective to innovative approaches in sports. Her work focuses on creating inclusive, high-performance environments where athletes truly thrive.
Paige also has a strong background in leadership and education, with experience in building impactful programmes and mentoring the next generation of coaches and athletes.
Driven by a passion to elevate cheerleading in the UK, she continues to champion opportunities for growth—on and off the mat!
Gary Laybourne
Khadija Patel
Robyn Love
It was on the court she met her fiancée Laurie and the two have a daughter, Alba, who was born in 2023. Robyn and Laurie are advocates for the LGBT+ and disability communities, and work both individually and as a pair, using their unique experiences to deliver engaging talks promoting the importance of equality, resilience and leadership.
Robyn is a keen and regular public speaker who spends her working hours off the court working on her wheelchair basketball and tennis commentary and punditry skills, as well as introducing TikTok to the reality of her life as a game-changing LGBT mum living with a disability!
Charlie Pearmund
Charlie has helped bring change everywhere in sports science, the private sector, public health and social causes. As CEO at Kiin, his mission is to embed this technology deeply into society and enhance closeness between one another.
Marva Kreel
Ben Mackriell
I currently lead the team at Oval, where we have transformed the way data is applied across Rugby. In just 4 years, we now power Rugby’s ecosystem from performance insights platforms for Elite Cubs and Tier 1 Nations to the creation of unique storytelling for social, digital and broadcast through our personalised AI models.
Joey Gamper Cuthbert
She is Head of Engagement at Impact Dance, an award-winning Hip Hop dance company in central London, and a leading voice in athlete welfare. Joey is the author of the bestselling Squad Safe: A Practical Guide to Athlete Welfare and Culture Change in Cheerleading, a bold call for safeguarding and culture change in the sport.
With a passion for empowering young people, she focuses on developing leadership, creating transformative experiences through cheer and dance, and using the power of sport to unlock potential and inspire lasting change.
Davina Donoghue
Erin Bourke is a visionary leader dedicated to tackling online abuse and hate speech in sports. A graduate of the United Nations Future Leaders Programme, she holds a 1st Class Degree in Political Science from the University of Exeter, specialising in Social Media Platforms and User Psychology.
Since joining the FIA in 2023, Erin has established the award-winning United Against Online Abuse Campaign, growing it into a coalition of 30 members and 38 affiliated federations. She has co-authored influential publications, co-produced the first open-access Online Abuse Educational Module, and brought together 75 global stakeholders for the inaugural UAOA Conference in 2024.
Passionate about youth empowerment and protecting sport officials, Erin launched digital literacy workshops that equip young people with the tools to navigate online spaces safely and focus groups to develop 360 safeguarding models. Through these initiatives Erin continues to inspire lasting change, fostering safer, more inclusive digital spaces across global sports communities.
Fabiola Maia Wilcox
Chloe Walton
As the founder of Connected Leaders, she now works across sport, business, and purpose-led organisations to help leaders pause, connect, and lead change. Her work is grounded in neuroscience, leadership theory, and a belief in the power of inclusive environments to unlock potential.
Chloe is passionate about helping women thrive—not just survive. Through her Connected Women Series, she’s building spaces created for female leaders and founders where leadership learning meets lived experience. Through curated conversations, peer insight, and powerful tools, we unlock bold, unapologetic leadership — without compromise. Real women. Real conversations. Real tools.
Whether guiding senior leaders, facilitating cross-functional teams, or reshaping cultural dynamics, Chloe’s approach is honest, human, and impact-driven. She believes the best leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about creating the space to ask better questions, together.
She’s not just part of the leadership conversation—she’s helping to rewrite it.
Daniel Michelson
Rachel Kenyon
Beyond this Rachel is a Non-executive board director for business networking association Pro Manchester, an elected member of the Co-op National Members’ Council, and a keen traveller and running nerd, acting as coach for her running club and as a regular Run Director for a local Parkrun.
Melissa Dhillon
Melissa Dhillon is a Performance Psychologist and founder of Athletes In The Zone, a consultancy dedicated to empowering athletes, teams, and leaders to reach their highest potential. She works in elite sport and business, supporting high performers from ITF and WTA tennis, elite football teams, and high-performance organisations such as Peninsula.
A former tennis player herself, Melissa’s passion for psychology was born from her own lived experience of the mental demands of competitive sport. That journey inspired her mission to ensure athletes and performers have the psychological tools she once needed.
She is currently developing the Athletes In The Zone Foundation, an initiative focused on merging high performance with mental wellbeing, and delivering a resilience mindset and self-development to released players.
Driven by curiosity, Melissa is deeply passionate about understanding human behaviour and what makes individuals stand out, whether in sport, business, or life. Her work bridges elite performance and wellbeing, with partnerships that champion resilience, clarity, and self-belief from the inside out.
Lynsey Hyslop
Jess Arnold
Jess Arnold is Director of Women’s Sport at Run Communications, leading Run X—the agency’s dedicated practice focused on elevating the visibility, impact, and commercial growth of women’s sport both on and off the pitch. With over 15 years’ experience in strategic communications and campaign development, Jess combines expertise across major consumer brands and high-profile women’s sporting organisations – delivering impactful campaigns for the likes of McDonald’s, Jaguar Land Rover, Invictus Games and the NHS, while also playing a central role in promoting women’s sport through work with MCC and Lord’s, The National Lottery and the upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. A passionate advocate for equity in sport, Jess is committed to challenging outdated narratives, increasing representation, and helping shape the future of women’s sport through communication that drives change.
Jordan Hayman
Previously, Jordan has completed research into Thriving in elite sport and how the conditions can be created for athletes to benefit from a sustained degree of personal development and sporting success, whilst experiencing growth within non-sporting endeavours. This work has been presented at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology conference in Orlando, and is inspired by the work of practitioners such as Dan Brown, Rachel Arnold and Sophia Jowett.
Currently, Jordan works within a number of elite sporting academies and organisations across the Southwest, and lectures at Plymouth Marjon University, in addition to working with his private clients.
Dr Blair Hamilton
Joanna Sweeney
It is her firsthand experience of the power that sport can have on one’s physical and mental wellbeing that fuels her commitment to use her data skills for increasing representation and engagement at both the elite and grassroots levels.
Richard Morris
Richard Morris is a European champion racing driver and the driving force behind Racing Pride: the world-leading movement promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion through motorsport. Racing Pride is working in partnership with a number ofFormula 1 teams as well as major companies in the motorsport and automotive spaces on both policy and visibility. Racing Pride has a community of ambassadors and members spanning the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia and has run a range of initiatives from grassroots and student motorsport right through to Formula 1. Richard helped to shape Motorsport UK’s trans inclusion policy – the first of its kind by any motorsport national governing body globally – and has also competed up to senior international level in the Olympic sport of fencing.
Davina Donoghue
Jo Hind
In 2014, she retrained as a coach, trainer and facilitator, specialising in communication and leadership. In 2017, Jo co-founded Birdsoup, a People Transformation Consultancy, advising orgnisations on DEI strategy, developing and delivering leadership and training programmes and helping organisations solve key people challenges.
Jo has been involved in Grassroots football since 2010, first as a parent volunteer and qualifying as a coach in 2014. She joined the London FA as a council member in 2019. She chairs the Women and Girls Advisory Group and was elected Board Director in 2024. Beginning her playing career in 2019, she currently plays for two Women’s Rec teams and is an avid, long-suffering supporter of Norwich City.
Dr Tasneem Sabir
Dr Tasneem Sabir is a Senior Lecturer of Textile Technology in Manchester Fashion Institute, at Manchester Metropolitan University. Tasneem’s has a keen interest in material properties and textile testing. Tasneem is interested in the field of smart materials for the prevention of sports injuries. Her current research investigates the structural and material characterisation of knee braces and understanding how bracing affect wearer comfort and biomechanical movements for females with knee injuries. Publications have centred around sports materials and textile properties for sports apparel.
Katie Traxton
Katie Traxton, is founder of Good Vibes Only Talent, formerly an executive team member as Chief Communications Officer at Formula E racing and Managing Partner at WeAreFearless as well as having held various non-executive directorships including for six years at the European Sponsorship Association.
At 24, Katie was managing three international motorsport championships within the WRC, and by 32, had become a global sports and entertainment executive. With almost 20 years in the industry, Katie has contributed to international organisations like Volkswagen, BP, and the British Council, orchestrating a marketing campaign in 179 countries.
A staunch advocate for workplace inclusivity, Katie has been actively involved as co-chair of the PRCA’s LGBTQ+ network and a member of WACL. She believes that better cultures breed better commercial results and her ambition now is to make the talent representation world one which is more welcoming, innovative, creative and diverse.
Sharon Muxworthy
In 2022 Sharon received the honour of being listed on the 2022 Kindness & Leadership, 50 Leading Lights UK supported by Britvic in recognition of her transformative approach to leading and supporting positive change within her industry.
Sharon evolved into football from a teaching background of 25 years where she held the roles of Assistant Head Director of Sport & Assistant Head. Sharon left teaching to join The FA in 2017 and has now turned her remit to inspiring the next generation of females to get into coaching across the female, male and para pathways.
Jack Nicholls
He continues to work as a live host and commentator on international sports, with a focus on motorsport, football and the Olympic Games.
Jack created and produces Good Vibes Only Talent’s weekly podcast Anatomy of an Agency which is designed to help talent navigate the world of sport, entertainment, personal brands and commercial representation – much like the session today!
Dr Lee Herrington
Physiotherapist, Senior Lecturer in Sports Rehabilitation, Salford University; programme leader MSc Sports Injury Rehabilitation course. Athlete health lead with United Kingdom Sports Institute, leading on issues related to lower limb injury rehabilitation across all the Olympic & Paralympic sports, along with being responsible for musculoskeletal injury management innovation. Acts a consultant physiotherapist to English Premiership & Championship Football clubs. Worked as part of Team GB medical team at London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Working over the years with British Basketball, Gymnastics, Judo, Netball, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Triathlon, Sailing & Swimming teams, Wigan Warriors & GB Rugby League teams. Is lead clinical researcher in the Knee Biomechanics and Injury research programme at Salford University, has published over 400 peer reviewed papers. Lee is the editor in chief of Physical Therapy in Sport.
Alvina Chen
Prior to founding Feldspar in 2022, Chen spent nearly a decade as a professional track runner competing in international races. Her sports career provided her with deep insights into athletes’ needs and the inspiration to build the next-generation running track.
Chen transitioned from athlete to entrepreneur following her recovery from an autoimmune condition. This significant experience fuelled her passion to redefine athletics through building cutting-edge technologies.
Charlene Gravesande
Her 16-year multi-award-winning career has left an indelible mark on the world of sports production. She’s a member of Leaders in Sport, and has recently joined Football Journeys as a board trustee – a charity bringing young people from different communities together through the power of football and film.
Charlene has been a vocal supporter of initiatives that promote racial and gender equity in sports and is actively involved in creating pathways for under-represented talent through the art of storytelling.
Her leadership and dedication to inclusion have been nationally recognised. In 2024, she won 3 awards just months after announcing her new business. Including being named on the UK Diversity Power List 50, as she continues to push for more diverse and equitable systems in sports.
Sadie Groom
In 2017 she founded Rise, which is now a global group offering mentoring, training and awards across all job roles, plus an Academy for children and university students. In 2025, Sadie, launched Rise AV for women and advocates in this key sector.
Sadie is also on the board of the DPP and Buckinghamshire New University.
Sadie is a keen traveller for business and pleasure, supports Oxford United and would like to spend more time on the golf course.
Rachel Steer
As an experienced Event Manager, she previously managed driving experiences at Goodwood Motor Circuit, was influential in the development of the Simulator Experience, and led multiple automotive launch events inclusive of Mercedes AMG, AMG One.
Finding enjoyment in networking, and building relationships, she was influential in growing the Red Rose Business Club at Emirates Old Trafford, and as a natural leader, excels in her voluntary position as Student Mentor, at MMU.
Personal interests include F1, running, and Pilates. She’s not one to turn down a coffee and catch-up, so please reach out if you want to connect over a brew!
Katie Holland
Having experienced sport’s transformative power firsthand, I’m committed to making it more inclusive-especially for girls and women. Too often, sport expects girls to adapt to systems that weren’t built with them in mind. I believe we need to reshape sport so it reflects their needs, voices, and lived experiences.
My passion lies in building sporting environments that are inclusive, inspiring, and accessible-where every girl feels she belongs, can thrive, and is empowered to reach her full potential.
Michael Parsons
I lead research projects in collaboration with Rezzil’s internal teams, academic institutions, and industry partners. This includes implementing, analyzing, and reporting on research that informs and enhances Rezzil’s XR products. I also lead internal research and visit clients globally, including top-tier football institutions.
Before joining Rezzil, I developed a strong foundation in applied sports science through multiple years of experience in women’s sport. Acting as the sports therapist for Leeds United Women’s academy. This experience shaped my passion and commitment to advancing opportunities and standards within women’s sport.
Dana Dar
Sarah Butler
Whilst working at Harlequins as the Head of Press and PR, Sarah played for Wasps in the Premiership.
Victoria Monk
The Collective supports industry stakeholders to unlock the full and unique value proposition within women’s sport through custom-built valuation methodologies and robust data and insight.
Victoria recently returned from rowing 3,000-miles across the Atlantic Ocean, to inspire more women and girls to participate in sport.
Nirali Sisodia
She commenced an initiative with the Heartbeat of Football – the only non commercial partner of FIFA at the womens world cup – which conducts cardiovascular disease testing to help detect heart disease.
Named one of the Women to Watch 2021, Nirali’s drive to improve the lives of those around her is not just confined to her day-to-day work. She is also the Director of Pharmacy for the charity ‘Better Lives Foundation’, providing free healthcare in Sierra Leone.
Fundamentally, the motivation which lies behind the work is the desire to work collaboratively with communities to address health inequalities and improve healthcare for all. She believes by pairing compassion with practicality and education, this is a goal well within reach.
Suzy Farthing
She has 20+ years of experience in delivering strategic communications and inclusion programmes. Suzy led all aspects of comms for BT’s award-winning London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sponsorship and Channel 4 Paralympic partnership. She also co-created the BT Premier League Disability Programme with the Premier League and Comic Relief and went on to develop BT’s first global charity and community strategy, with a focus on the power of sport to deliver impact.
Suzy is vice chair of Lord’s Taverners, the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sport charity. Previously she was a Trustee on the board of GB Wheelchair Rugby.
