Theme: COMMUNITY, UNITY AND US!

Our chosen theme focuses on ‘Community, Unity and Us’ as we continue to experience unprecedented change brought about by so many influencing factors.

We are keen to discuss the notion of Community in all its forms and the implications of society and inclusivity whilst also considering the role of technology. How can technology be used for the force of good? Should we be cautious in our dealings with AI?

Global, National, European and local policies impact on us all, we look to discuss how we navigate these at local level and how this is likely to impact on the community, the individual, education and society as a whole, whilst exploring and celebrating difference.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham City University
200 Jennens Road
B4 7XR
Birmingham, Birmingham, B4 7XR
United Kingdom

Adam Crizzle

Professor Adam Crizzle

Adam is a Professor in the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences at Birmingham City University where he teaches national and international postgraduate students. His core area of interest is human behaviour and emotional responses and how increased levels of self-understanding can correlate with increasing confidence and resilience levels. He is an Executive Coach and Life Coach and works with clients internationally to help them either develop their careers or to create tailored strategies to help them overcome anxiety levels. Adam is also a CPD Standards Office Accredited Speaker.

Andy Street

Mayor of the West Midlands

Andy Street was elected as the first Mayor of the West Midlands on May 4th 2017. The primary function of the role is to chair the West Midlands Combined Authority and brings with it significant powers over transport, housing, skills and jobs. Before becoming Mayor, Andy combined a career with John Lewis, Britain's most successful workers’ co-operative, with a host of high-profile economic development roles, working with local and national government. Additionally, he has been Lead Non Executive Director for the Department for Communities and Local Government as well as a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group.

Anthony Daulphin

CEO

Anthony Daulphin, CEO of Standing Ovation is renowned within the Education sector for bringing children and young people together through the creative arts and pastoral support. Anthony has extensive experience in motivational speaking around raising aspirations and challenging the status quo. He exudes an entrepreneurial spirit in all that he does which has been evidenced by his relentless networking ability in connecting with the un-connectable, all for the common good of others.

Dr Karl George MBE

Director

With more than two decades of combined experience in accountancy, business and strategic development, Karl George is the ‘go to’ expert on a global level when it comes to the topic of governance. As a visiting Professor & established Author, he is a passionate and inspiring conference speaker on a range of subjects, most notably corporate governance; board behaviour, trust and ethics; diversity in the boardroom; housing and championing community engagement & causes. It is widely known & accepted that the 4th Industrial Revolution is transforming how we live, work, and think. What is less known is how Governance will impact how we gather and utilise the potential. With a unique ability to deliver complex governance information in bite-sized formats, for ease of understanding, application and execution. Karl works nationally & internationally with; Housing Associations, NHS Trusts, the PFA, Large Charities, Dubai Futures Foundation, PwC Emirates Post Group & RSM UK to name but a few

Elektric Elektric

Singer Songwriter

Formally known as Elektric, Lekky’s music fuses R&B, Indie and Hip Hop, telling stories through a melodic rap songwriter style. Lekky’s diverse sound and the ability to merge genres together sets her apart from the melting pot of artists in the UK. Lekky is fiercely independent and brings a compelling energy to her music she has been supported by BBC Radio, BBC radio 1XTRA, national and local radio stations. She has supported the likes of The Floacist on her first UK tour. Some of her performance highlights are A3C festival, New Skool Rules and Edinburgh fringe. Lekky is currently working on her debut album ‘There’s Something In the Water’ which is set to release later this year.

Linda Jones

CEO

In 2001, after illness, Linda Jones, CEO Salus Fatigue Foundation & Life4Changing was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She lost everything. Her relentless attitude, which caused her burnout in the first place, meant she wasn’t going to just accept that diagnosis and become a statistic. Determined to recover and get her life back she took a holistic approach and coached herself back to health. In the last 10 years, her journey to full recovery sparked a passion to help others and this idea became the Salus Fatigue Foundation. To date 15, 000 people have been helped to create a self-managed path to recovery through raising awareness and support programs. Linda also heads up Life4Changing helping organisations boost employee engagement, productivity and performance.

Raj Holness

CEO of BTSUK

Raj is a CEO, multi-award winner, author, survivor, ambassador and campaigner. With an unwavering determination to ensure no woman ever goes through what Raj suffered, she set up her registered charity Breaking the Silence (BTSUK), an organisation which raises awareness & provides services to support and equip women & children to overcome domestic abuse, forced marriages and/or human trafficking.

Sophie Milliken

Managing Director - Smart Resourcing Solutions

Sophie is a graduate recruitment and employability expert, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development since 2013 and was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts in 2019. Her first book, From Learner to Earner was published in August 2019, becoming a best seller in October. A multi award-winning businesswoman and proud mum, Sophie also enjoys supporting the North East region and sits on the Boards of both Age UK Northumberland and Team Kenya.

Victoria Masso

Behavioural Engineer

Victoria is an international trainer and founder of Behaviour Hackers, where she works on building bridges between technological advancements and human interactions by focusing on communications through the use of behavioural science. Victoria has been heavily involved in the tech community for the past seven years by supporting entrepreneurs and organisations locally and internationally. She has received special recognition by the UK government as an exceptional talent in the technological sector and has consulted on how to accelerate digital innovation all over the world with the International Telecommunication Union, a United Nations agency. She is committed to help create inclusive and diverse technical solutions for the common good of all mankind having empathy at heart.