Moderated by:
Lord Ed Vaizey – Business Adviser and Member of the UK House of Lords. Ed was the UK’s longest-serving Minister for technology, working for UK prime minister David Cameron from 2010-2016. During that time, he oversaw a major expansion in fixed and mobile broadband coverage; helped the UK become a world leader in tech investment, working with companies such as Google and Facebook, as well as supporting the start-up ecosystem; supported the UK’s creative industries, including film television, video games and fashion, where he was responsible for introducing highly successful tax credits; and played a major role in influencing European tech policy and global internet governance rules. During his time as a Minister, the UK’s creative industries grew three times faster than the economy as a whole. As well as being a member of the House of Lords, Ed is an executive-in-residence at LionTree, the number one TMT M&A boutique in the US; and an adviser to several start-ups in the tech sector.
On the panel:
Mete Coban MBE – Councillor for Stoke Newington & Chief Executive at My Life My Say. Mete is best known for founding the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Better Brexit for Young People and for contributing to the increase of turnout for young people at the 2017 UK General Elections, as well as for receiving the UK Government’s National Democracy Change-Maker of the Year Award in 2018. The youngest ever elected Councillor in the London borough of Hackney, he is also Chair of the Skills, Economy & Growth Commission. Previously, he worked on the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s election campaign, leading on youth engagement. Mete has been shortlisted for One Young World Politician of the Year 2019.
Mark Flanagan – Education Partner Manager at Epic Games. I’m an Educator, Artist, and Organiser, with a passion for computer graphics, film and games. I enjoy technical challenges, nurturing talent, and participating in creative projects. I’ve been privileged to work on great projects, and in exceptional teams, and my specialities include curriculum design, training delivery, recruitment, outsource management, technical art, pipeline delivery, lighting, look development, environment art, scheduling, planning and documenting, and event management.
Cathy Hackl – Futurist, speaker and author. Cathy is a globally recognized augmented reality, virtual reality and spatial computing thought leader. She’s been named one of the top 10 Tech Voices on Linkedin for two years in a row, the highest honour on the platform. She currently works as part of the Enterprise team at one of the industry’s top OEMs. Cathy is currently working on her second book The Augmented Workforce: How AI, AR, and 5G Will Impact Every Dollar You Make. She’s the co-author of Marketing New Realities, the first VR AR marketing book ever written. Hackl has been featured in media outlets like Forbes, Barron’s, Salon, VentureBeat, Digiday, Tech Target, CMO.com, and Mashable. She is a global advisor for VR AR Association and was recognized in 2016 by NBC News as one of the top Latina women working in VR.
Esther O’Callaghan OBE – Principal Co-Founder at Hundo.careers. I left school at 16, and have been working to improve the odds for young people ever since. From being the first female DJ/producer to own a specialist vinyl store in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, producing major international festivals and events to now running a fast growing start up HR SaaS platform (with some waitressing, window cleaning and IronMan training in between) it’s been a unique career bringing 20+ years experience across UK Govt, Local Authority, CSR & D&I, the arts, culture, music and third sectors, tackling youth unemployment, homelessness, self harm, suicide and poverty, resulting in hundreds of thousands of children and young people supported nationally. Freeman of the City of London, Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Tin Plate Workers alias Wire Workers, Clarins & YOU mag ‘Most Dynamic Woman of the Year’ Alumni, Women of the Year Alumni, SIA Global Power List 150, International Women In Staffing Top 50.