23 MAY 2024 @ THE CONDUIT COVENT GARDEN
MEDIA PARTNER
A better tomorrow.
Starting today.
Get ready to meet the best and brightest young minds around. The next generation of entrepreneurs, rewriting the rulebook and balancing purpose and profits. This isn’t your typical conference. This is a celebration of fresh thinking. A coming together of the inspirational and influential to reshape the world through trailblazing enterprises.
You’ll learn about game-changing innovations from those acting today to create a fairer, more sustainable tomorrow. And there’ll be renowned speakers, thought-provoking panel discussions and unrivalled networking opportunities, helping you spark your own ideas and grow your contacts book. Don’t want to miss out? Book now to guarantee your place.
Members £15 | Students £15 | Non-members £35
What’s included in the price?
Did we mention the complimentary cocktails? When we say this will be a celebration we mean it. Here’s what’s included:
- An after party, including DJ set
- Canapés and drinks reception
- Cocktails and mocktails (on the house, of course)
- Tea and coffee throughout
- Networking opportunities
About the Awards
The winners will receive up to £20,000, as well as mentoring from industry experts and complimentary membership to The Conduit.
There’ll be one winner in each of the following categories:
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Agenda
Afternoon
12:00 – 13:00
THE FUTURE OF LEARNING: EDTECHS
In this private interactive session, held in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), we'll delve into the world of pioneering EdTech firms. EdTech leaders will hold court, sharing the challenges they're tackling in the education landscape. They'll pull back the curtain on their current technological approaches and explore how they can leverage technology even further to achieve their transformative goals. Walk away inspired by the potential of EdTech to revolutionise learning and be equipped with valuable insights to shape the future of education. This is an invite-only session.
14:05 – 14:35
OPENING KEYNOTE INTERVIEW
Victoria Prew is on a mission to disrupt the fashion industry. At the age of 25, she started fashion rental platform HURR and has built it into one of the UK’s fastest growing tech companies, allowing people to try out luxury pieces without burning a hole in their pocket or the planet. Victoria tells The Conduit’s Editor‑in‑Chief Matt Farquharson about her highs and lows as a young changemaker, how the company reached the $10m funding milestone and her tips on “thriving in chaos”.
14:35 – 15:20
WHAT’S STOPPING THEM? UNLOCKING THE POWER OF YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS
From the climate crisis to social inequality, a new generation of purpose-driven, tech-savvy entrepreneurs are tackling the world’s most pressing challenges head on. But against a backdrop of ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty, their enterprises are increasingly under strain.
15:20 – 16:00
THE SHOWCASE
The ten finalists of this year’s Conduit Young Innovator Awards present their trailblazing innovations.
Evening
16:00 – 16:50
COFFEE BREAK x SPEED NETWORKING
An opportunity to connect with fellow changemakers, share ideas and build relationships.
16:50 – 17.05
LIGHTNING TALK: THINK LIKE AN ACTIVIST
17:05 – 17:25
FIRESIDE CHAT: USING STORIES TO CHANGE SYSTEMS
What do #BLM, #StandwithHongKong and #FridaysForFuture have in common? They are all movements that were driven by young people, using their creativity, determination and the power of social media to mobilise their communities and shape public discourse. This session explores how to craft a campaign strategy, influence the way people think and change the way society works.
17:25 – 18:10
AWARDS CEREMONY
We announce the winners, recognising the three stand-out individuals and organisations driving positive change.
18:10 – 19:30
AFTER PARTY
DJ Clara Rhodes is a singer, producer and DJ based in London. Her love for almost all genres of music has led to her being known on YouTube for her eclectic mixes, that weave between disco, latin and techno house, trance and afrobeats.
As an open format DJ, she is able to turn her hand to various genres, from more mainstream club house and R&B classics, to chilled, jazzy and ambient sounds. Clara has surmounted nearly 20k views (as of April 2024) since her YouTube channel launched in Feb 2024, and has performed in clubs such as Brixton Jamm and Basing House, Shoreditch.
PAUL VAN ZYL | Founder and CEO, The Conduit
Paul served as the Executive Secretary of South Africa’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Paul also co-founded the International Centre for Transitional Justice, an organization that works in over 40 countries that have endured massive human rights violations under repression conflict. Paul is also a co-founder and CEO of Maiyet, an ethical luxury fashion brand that cultivates traditional design and culture by partnering with global artisans. Most recently, Paul co-founded The Conduit, which serves as a home for those committed to improving the world by harnessing the power of creativity and entrepreneurship. The Conduit serves as a home for a diverse community of people passionate about social change.
MEHRAD JABERANSARI | Global Impact Partnerships Manager, The Conduit
Mehrad is the Global Impact Partnerships Manager at The Conduit. He also serves as President of the NextGen Community and Member of the Board of Directors at the Family Business Network (FBN) International, the world’s leading organisation of business families. With an MBA from IE Business School, he finds joy in leveraging his leadership skills to foster impactful partnerships and communities. Accordingly, he has played a pivotal role in launching and leading the FBN Entrepreneurs Community from 2018 to 2021, and the inaugural Conduit Young Innovator Awards in 2023.
VICTORIA PREW | Founder, HURR
Victoria is an award-winning entrepreneur and the CEO and Founder of fashion rental platform HURR. Recognised as Forbes 30 Under 30, Victoria sits within the 2% of women who have received venture capital funding, raising $10M for the HURR business to date.
MATT FARQUHARSON | Editor-in-chief, The Conduit
Matt is editor-in-chief at The Conduit. He is a Sunday-Times-bestselling author, former writer for The Times, The Independent and The Telegraph, and an award-winning editor, podcaster and script-writer.
ESSIE NORTH | CEO, Big Change
Essie is CEO of Big Change, launched in 2012 to rethink how charity can be a catalyst for positive systemic change. Big Change’s mission is to transform the way we support the next generation through backing the pioneers that are thinking differently about how we set young people up to thrive in life, not just in exams. Essie has overseen the organisation’s implementation of a new approach to venture philanthropy and the bringing together of an extraordinary community to drive change. She is a big believer that education is everyone’s business and has been uniting a cross sector group of leaders who are accelerating the path to system change by ‘Reimagining Education Together’. Prior to Big Change, Essie led the global research and consulting practice on communications and change at the Corporate Executive Board, and is a trained business coach with a background in psychology.
RUBY RAUT | Founder and CEO, WUKA
Ruby is the trailblazing CEO and founder of WUKA, the UK's fully leak-proof reusable period pants, replacing the need for single-use pads and tampons. WUKA, a B-Corp Certified business, stands for "Wake Up Kick Ass" and aims to empower everyone who menstruates by improving access to quality, sustainable period products, eliminating period poverty, and challenging the taboos and stigma around periods. Named Sustainability Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2022 Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Ruby successfully campaigned to change the law and make period underwear VAT-free, further advancing menstrual care accessibility. To date WUKA has served over half a million periods, saving over two billion pads and tampons from going to landfill.
KIERON BOYLE | CEO, Impact Investing Institute
Kieron is a global leader on new models of impact. In 2023, Kieron became the chief executive of the Impact Investing Institute, the UK’s national body for impact investing. The Institute works in the UK and internationally to transform capital markets for a fairer, greener, more resilient future.
From 2016 to 2023, Kieron was the chief executive of Guy's and St Thomas' Foundation, one of the world's oldest health foundations. Through this period, the foundation became globally recognised for pioneering new ways of improving urban health, as well as transforming its £1bn investment arm into one of Europe's leading responsible and health impact investors.
ED FIDOE | CEO, London Interdisciplinary School
Ed is the Founder and CEO of the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS), the first institution since Warwick University in 1965 to be granted degree-awarding powers from inception in the UK. The School offers Bachelor’s, Master’s and professional programmes, all grounded in a radically interdisciplinary curriculum centred around complex problems (e.g. inequality, sustainability, ethics and AI), as opposed to specific subjects.
Previously, Ed co-founded a 4-18 school in Stratford called School 21, and the UK’s oracy charity called Voice 21. He also consulted at McKinsey & Co, ran a theatre production company and played in 80s hit TV show Woof! Ed holds degrees from Imperial and LSE, and has advised institutions including Cambridge, Teach First and Eton.
JON MILLER | Co-author, The Activist Leader
Jon left an award-winning career in advertising to establish the Sustainable Business practice at Brunswick Group, which has been working for over a decade with leading companies on their critical societal issues – from climate change and biodiversity to human rights and DEI. He is also the founder of Open For Business, a coalition of global companies campaigning for LGBTQ+ rights in countries hostile to LGBTQ+ people. He is a co-author, with Lucy Parker, of The Activist Leader: A New Mindset for Doing Business, described by Paul Polman as “A must read for all current and aspiring leaders”.
SHAFAT KHAN | Partnerships & Storytelling Manager, Ashoka
Shafat is focussed on supporting young changemakers across the country and surfacing untold stories to create more equitable narratives in society. Shafat has a background in building programs to activate changemaking journeys, facilitating ideation sessions, marketing and communications, having worked at various startup organisations as well as being a founder himself.
AMANI SIMPSON | Founder, AVIARD Inspires
Amani is an award-winning youth coach, filmmaker and campaigner who runs the social enterprise, AVIARD Inspires. Alongside being a renowned campaigner and consultant, he was the producer and protagonist of the acclaimed short film 'AMANI'; which tells his inspiring yet harrowing story of his journey through adolescence culminating with him being stabbed seven times aged 21. The film stars Hollywood actor, Joivan Wade (DC Comics' Doom Patrol, The First Purge) and has now been watched over 4 million times.
CLARA RHODES | DJ
Clara is a singer, producer and DJ based in London. Her love for almost all genres of music has led to her being known on YouTube for her eclectic mixes, that weave between disco, latin and techno house, trance and afrobeats. As an open format DJ, she is able to turn her hand to various genres, from more mainstream club house and R&B classics, to chilled, jazzy and ambient sounds. Clara has surmounted nearly 20k views (as of April 2024) since her YouTube channel launched in Feb 2024, and has performed in clubs such as Brixton Jamm and Basing House, Shoreditch.
Meet The Finalists
Climate
Education, Skills
& Training
Social Justice
& Inclusion
Sri Hollema
Mat Zero Heat
Mat Zero is a heating solution designed to bring warmth and relief to refugees and disaster zones worldwide. This innovative product utilizes solar panels and carbon fibre technology to provide safe and efficient heating. Developed in collaboration with NGOs and experts, Mat Zero is on track for pilot testing this winter and aims to revolutionize humanitarian aid with its green and user-centered design.
Yihan Dong
Re-Block
Re-Block is an AI-powered building material system that slashes CO2 emissions by 90% and utilizes construction waste. The solution empowers architects, designers, and the creative community to build a sustainable future.
Joanna Power
Lylo Products
Lylo tackles water scarcity with a smart laundry system that reuses shower water for washing clothes. This innovative unit targets space-conscious users like students and van lifers, offering a sustainable and cost-effective laundry solution. Backed by awards and successful testing, Lylo is poised to revolutionize laundry while promoting water conservation.
Gregory Hargraves
Paige Braille Ltd.
Braile cannot be easily understood by people who cannot read it. Paige Braille aims to change this. They are building Paige Connect - an affordable upgrade which replaces the braille writer's base board, recording key presses and displaying the translation on an accompanying app on a phone, tablet, or laptop - enabling collaboration with sighted peers, parents, and teachers.
Holly Simmons
Niya
Niya is an app to help refugees, migrants and other low-income people pursue their chosen career. The idea is to build an AI career pathway tool which joins the dots in someone’s career; unifying all the relevant opportunities in one place and connecting unconnected people to the right career support, training and jobs at the right time.
Isaac Knapp
Huddle
Huddle is a Holistic ADHD Coaching Start-Up, supporting 11–24-year-olds exceed their potential, whilst living full and happy lives, by empowering their Neurodivergence. Huddle creates and integrate digital solutions to enhance ADHD coaching and support Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) services. Their ground-breaking digital platform manages ADHD coach and client relationships, enabling the streamlining of burdensome administration processes through a central digital platform.
Kavya Jain
Sensei
At Sensei, our core mission is to render environments safer, more inclusive, and accessible for individuals with visual impairments by offering practical and cost-efficient wayfinding solutions. We firmly believe in the fundamental right of every individual, regardless of their physical capabilities, to independently and dignifiedly navigate the world.
Georgia Williams & Joshua King
Zeal
Zeal Lifestyle is a start-up focused on developing a new generation of desirable and sustainable mobility products. Zeal's first product will be a fully circular, 4-wheeled rollator, made with Great British design and engineering. It will be a piece of kit someone is proud to be seen with, representing strength, agility, and prosperity.
Aalok Rai
UPLYFT
upLYFT is a wearable device with AI that delivers personalized physical therapy to improve musculoskeletal health. The company was founded to make rehabilitation more accessible and effective and aims to revolutionize MSK healthcare by making proactive care more inclusive.
Alaya Holloway
FirstGens
FirstGens is a not-for-profit, supporting students who are the first-generation in their family to attend university with a long-term aim to close the national completion and graduate destination gaps for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Past Winners
KATIE HODGETTS
The Resilience Project (Climate: Winner)
Katie Hodgetts, founder/director the Resilience Project, fortifying a generation of resilience changemakers.
SARA BERKAI
Ambessa Play (Education: Winner & People’s Choice)
Ambessa Play founder, creating educational DIY kits for children.
ZAK MARKS
Kitt Medical (Social Justice & Inclusion: Winner)
Co-founder of Kitt Medical, supporting those living with severe allergies.
AWARD PARTNERS:
STRATEGIC PARTNERS:
IN KIND PARTNERS:
CRITERIA
Our Thematic Areas
- The ideas should be feasible and scalable.
- They should be sustainable and financially viable over time.
- They should address any perceived risks associated with lending to or investing in refugee initiatives.
- They should be inclusive and accessible to all refugees, regardless of their background or circumstances.
- They should be aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- The ideas should be safe, secure, and affordable.
- They should be accessible to all refugees, regardless of their background or circumstances.
- They should be in areas with access to essential services, such as schools, hospitals, and jobs.
- They should be designed to promote social inclusion and integration.
- They should be sustainable and environmentally friendly.
- The ideas should be relevant to the needs of refugees and the labour market.
- They should be accessible to all refugees, regardless of their background or circumstances.
- They should be tailored to the specific needs of different groups of refugees, such as women, children, and people with disabilities.
- They should be delivered in a way that is culturally sensitive and inclusive.
- They should be linked to opportunities for employment and further training.
- The ideas should promote inclusive employment practices that benefit all refugees, regardless of their background or circumstances.
- They should address the challenges refugees face in finding employment, such a lack of language proficiency, absence of social and professional networks, as well as transportation and childcare challenges.
- They should provide refugees with the skills and training they need to find and keep jobs.
- They should help refugees to connect with employers and build networks.
- They should promote the economic integration of refugees into host communities.
GATHERING CHANGEMAKERS
The Conduit is a collaborative community of people committed to creating a just, prosperous and sustainable future.
DISCLAIMER
Please note that this event will be recorded and photographed. By attending this event, you consent to being photographed, filmed and recorded (“Recordings”). You further consent to The Conduit, and its assigns’ use of your name and your appearance and voice as captured by these Recordings, in any and all media, worldwide, for any purpose in connection with this event, including promotion of this event.