Sarah Mount

Sarah Mount is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Wolverhampton. Her interests lie in the area of programming languages and tools, especially for the Internet of Things and other distributed systems. She is a co-organiser of fizzPOP, the Birmingham maker-space and actively contributes to Free and open source software projects, including a joint project with the University of Malawi and Evidence for Development in the UK.

Andrew Weatherley

Andrew arrived in Birmingham to train as an engineer 15 years ago. Since then he left engineering and has been an English teacher and a photographer. Now Andrew leads a growing church in the south of the city. He also works with church startups and is part of 2020 Birmingham: a coalition of churches growing new churches across the city. To relax Andrew spends time with his wife and kids; biking, walking and taking photographs.

Ben Dyson

Ben Dyson is a specialist in money and banking. He has spent 5 years researching the creation of credit and money by the banking system and building up an understanding of unstable debt-based money supply on the economy and society as a whole. He is the founder and director of Positive Money, a not-for-profit dedicated to raising awareness of problems with our monetary system amongst the general public, policy makers, think tanks, charities, academics and unions. Ben has also worked on proposals and draft legislation to reform the UK banking system.

Will Grant

Will Grant is a web-technology entrepreneur working in usability, innovation and ideas.

A computer science graduate who went on to train with the Nielsen Norman Group, Will was fortunate enough to learn from the world-leaders in user-centered design and now practices user experience and interaction design through his consultancy firm Bitcala.

In 2011 Will co-founded Settle, a start-up payment platform launching in mid-2012 which aims to make mobile money simple, more human and even fun. Settle will have unrivalled privacy controls and an emphasis on how customers can control the way their data is used.

Will sporadically blogs at willgrant.org

Tonya Bolton

Tonya Bolton is an inspirational empowerment specialist, dynamic performer and innovative writer.  Born and bred in Birmingham, Tonya is founder of ICU Transformational Arts limited and The Woman Arise Institute. These organisations successfully deliver life changing programmes which raise people's aspirations and assists them in making positive life choices. Tonya has performed extensively throughout the Midlands and internationally. She is currently touring her sell out one woman show.

“From my life experiences, I have discovered the secrets of helping people create the life they long for. In order for people to change their lives, they have to first change their thinking. My greatest desire is for people to fulfill their potential and break free from destructive patterns of behaviour.”

Dr. Rahil Kassamali

Rahil Kassamali is a dedicated medical doctor specialising in the field of Clinical Radiology. With an ambition for innovation and excellency in medicine, he aspires to pioneer minimally invasive image guided procedures and therapies, working with cutting edge technology.

Rahil’s keen interest in research, has given him the drive to publish several articles in globally leading medical journals, as well as presenting at a number of international conferences.

Combining his passion for education and technology, Rahil is also a co founder and director of ‘MicroMadhouse’ - a growing business, which creates inspiring and unique mobile phone applications.

He lives his life on the philosophy: “We must be the change we want to see in this world”.

Eleanor “Nell” Watson

Eleanor 'Nell' Watson is an interdisciplinary industrial technologist with experience in E-Commerce and Information Systems. After several years in industry she felt the need to try something different, and so left for Tripoli, Libya in order to help establish a school of English there. She divided her time between teaching and establishing a curriculum. She also participated in various diplomatic liaisons with international interests, and maintained good relations with the British Council. Following this, Ms Watson taught postgraduate Computer Science and Computer Forensics for two years at Birmingham International College.

She then co-founded her first company, Graffiti4Hire Ltd, at Birmingham’s Custard Factory. After taking this successful arts company to a sustainable position, she chose to return to her first love of technology. So, following a brief contract with the Law Society, she founded a new company, Poikos Ltd. Poikos is a disruptive innovation house based at Birmingham Science Park Aston. It is currently developing an advanced computer-vision technology, which can accurately measure bodily dimensions using a digital camera or smartphone.

David Burden

David started his career in army communications before being "demobbed" in 1990. During the Dot Com boom David founded a mobile data company and set up the Midlands chapter of the First Tuesday networking organisation. David has been involved in artificial intelligence and virtual worlds since the mid 1990s. He has been in Second Life since 2004 and has also had homes in There.com and Alpha World. David founded Daden in 2004 to help organisations exploit the social, educational and commercial potential of virtual worlds. David has also written a number of successful science-fiction role-playing game books.

Rob Bloxham

Rob Bloxham is the founder and sole shareholder of branding agency ORB, the joint owner of Brand Camp and the co-creator of entrepreneur masterclass Pathway to Profit.

Rob is a tireless live wire with boundless energy and ideas. He is like a sponge and an avid consumer of branding and business books. He demands creative freedom so that brands and people can realise their full potential. He is passionate about sharing ideas and inspiring others.

He has pioneered 'visual thinking' through his now legendary Drawing Board sessions, which crystalise ideas and help make them a reality.

He is a founder member of The DEN, a pro bono contributor to Birmingham Forward and Future, the 2010 Thrive Strip Amnesty and next month’s Midlands CSR Summit.

Rob has worked with Mercedes Benz UK, Pfizer, Travel West Midlands, The Camping and Caravanning Club and Birmingham City Council, among others.

Eleanor Hoad

Eleanor is a Birmingham based environmental artist and social entrepreneur on a mission to make the city edible.  Eleanor is Director of Urban Harvest, a social enterprise that harvests and processes surplus fruit growing in Birmingham, and has been involved in a wide variety of community based ecological and social arts projects.

Key projects include: ‘Edible Erdington’, which transformed Erdington High street into a community garden, ‘Roots to Recovery’, a growing project with people in residential rehabilitation, and ‘Brave New Brum’, which explored Birmingham’s regeneration in a solar-powered recycled media-lab in a 1970’s caravan.

Marc Silk

Voice Actor / Writer / Director / Producer

Marc's voice is heard in Cartoons, Movies, TV Shows, Games, Commercials & Theme Parks around the world.

Marc Silk worked with George Lucas in Star Wars - Episode I.
He was the voice of Johnny Bravo for Cartoon Network UK.
You can hear him with Peter Kay in ‘Roary The Racing Car’.
He’s Bumble & Slugsy with Jane Horrocks in Fifi & The Flowertots.
In America, Marc is the voice of Bob The Builder.

His voice also features in the Oscar winning short film “This Way Up”.

Marc’s work in games include BAFTA award winning Black and White, Overlord, Buzz - Chicken Run & “Scene It”!

He’s “the most famous person you’ve never heard of”.

And he’s based in Birmingham.