They are not bad words! – How shame and stigma is costing lives

Dr. Aziza Sesay is a GP, Educator, and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, celebrated for her contributions to health education, awareness, and advocacy.

As the founder of “Talks with Dr. Sesay,” she empowers audiences with evidence-based health information, focusing on women’s health, cancer awareness, mental health, and health inequity.

Dr. Sesay serves as Vice Chair and Creative Director of Black Female Doctors UK and is an Ambassador for leading health charities, including The Eve Appeal and Wellbeing of Women. Featured in major media outlets such as BBC News, she has also collaborated with NHS England, the Department of Health, YouTube Health, and WHO, contributing to national and global public health campaigns.

Recognised with a prestigious Point of Light Award and others, Dr. Sesay is a trusted voice in healthcare, committed to improving outcomes and addressing health inequities.

The Art of Asking: How Better Questions Create Exceptional Experiences

Dave Rogers has spent 30 years using curiosity as a driving force to help businesses navigate challenges and achieve meaningful growth. As a consultant, coach, and keynote speaker, he specialises in guiding organisations through complex decision-making processes, equipping them with practical tools to innovate and succeed.

Known as “The Business Explorer,” Dave takes a collaborative and thoughtful approach to problem-solving. He works closely with leaders to identify opportunities and implement solutions that drive long-term success. For Dave, one of the most fulfilling aspects of his work is seeing businesses and their teams achieve results beyond their expectations.

How do you Deaf? – My name is Kerry Tidman

Kerry is a profoundly deaf school counsellor at Q3 Academy Tipton, holistic therapist, and martial artist who has worked tirelessly to promote inclusion, trauma-informed practices, and safeguarding within her family-run Martial Arts Success Schools, which have been empowering students since 2009.

She is the founder of The Holistic Dojo, previously called The Martial Arts Mental Health & Wellbeing Company, a business dedicated to supporting mental health and well-being through martial arts philosophy, holistic therapies, and coaching. The Holistic Dojo also helps businesses become more inclusive by offering training on equality, diversity, and accessibility.

In 2024, Kerry was honoured with the Black Country Women’s Aid Woman of the Year award for her outstanding inclusion work. A domestic violence survivor and care-experienced individual, Kerry is deeply passionate about empowering young people and advocating for those who face adversity. After life-changing cochlear implant surgery in 2023, she embraced her deaf identity and began challenging societal narratives about deafness and ability.

Having personally experienced discrimination, Kerry is determined to break barriers and inspire others. As a mentor for Advanced Bionics, she supports individuals adjusting to cochlear implants, empowering them to thrive. Kerry’s mission is to help others turn challenges into strengths and embrace their authentic selves.

Reinventing fast fashion culture and textile waste

Maya Patel is a degree qualified, conscientious fashion designer. Driven by a passion for sustainability and ethical practices she has been at the forefront of an alternative fashion movement, using innovative techniques such as upcycling & zero waste.

As the founder of Reinvntd CIC, Maya’s work focuses on transforming textile waste into thoughtful, eco-friendly products, emphasising the importance of upcycling and circular fashion. Through engaging workshops with the community and collaborations with schools and universities, Maya strives to inspire a shift in consumer habits, encouraging others to make environmentally responsible choices.

By leveraging curiosity and creativity, the aim is to turn the challenges of fashion waste into opportunities for a more sustainable and vibrant future. Maya will be delivering a talk entitled “Reinventing Fast Fashion and Textile Waste”, where she’ll delve into the problems of fashion waste and share practical solutions to address them.

Imagine a Future without Charities

Navi Aulkh is a passionate brand strategist, creative consultant, and community leader with over 15 years of experience driving meaningful change in the third sector. As the founder of Sodium & Co, Navi specialises in crafting thoughtful and impactful brand strategies that amplify the missions of charities and community organisations. Her work bridges the gap between creativity and purpose, ensuring that every project she undertakes puts people at its heart.

Based in Wolverhampton, Navi is deeply committed to her local community. She is the founder of the Love My City campaign, an initiative that celebrates and empowers Wolverhampton while fostering a sense of pride and belonging. Her grassroots work has supported vulnerable groups, including children, youth, the homeless, and individuals struggling with addiction, providing hands-on support and designing sustainable solutions that inspire hope and transformation.

Navi’s ability to navigate the challenges faced by the third and creative sectors sets her apart. She understands the frustrations charities experience in embracing branding and storytelling, as well as the barriers creatives face in helping organisations innovate. With a strong focus on collaboration, she advocates for co-designed solutions that prioritise people and their stories.

As a mentor, strategist, and advocate for change, Navi continues to champion creativity, community, and collaboration as tools for building a more inclusive and empowered society. Her mission is simple yet profound: to create lasting impact by bringing purpose-driven organisations and communities closer together.

Black, Working-Class, and Missing: Where’s the Representation?

Nysha Chantel is currently pursuing a PhD in Education at the University of Wolverhampton. Her research centres on the role of traditional storytelling in empowering marginalised communities, particularly Black communities, including African Americans. Nysha explores how storytelling foster’s identity, strengthens community bonds, and nurtures empowerment, while remaining relevant in today’s society.

Rooted in post-colonial theory, her work examines storytelling as a tool for resisting dominant narratives and amplifying the voices of the marginalised. Drawing from cultural studies, she investigates how storytelling preserves cultural identities and fosters a sense of belonging.

Nysha’s research aims to showcase the transformative power of storytelling in promoting social and cultural empowerment, emphasising its vital role in the resilience and recognition of underserved communities. Through her work, she seeks to highlight how storytelling can be a catalyst for social change and inclusion.

Battlefields to Brighter Futures – A Veteran’s Perspective

Pete is a British military veteran and a passionate advocate for veteran wellbeing and mental health. After serving in the RAF, including deployment in Afghanistan, Pete faced significant challenges transitioning to civilian life, struggling with PTSD and depression. His personal journey through the chaos of military service and its aftermath has shaped his mission to transform veteran support.

Today, Pete works as a workplace wellbeing leader, using his own experiences to inform his practice. He has benefited greatly from trauma therapy with Combat Stress, which helped him find creative ways to rebuild his life. Pete now champions the need for systemic change in how veterans are supported after service, calling for compassionate, proactive approaches that replace neglect with care.

Through his work, Pete aims to inspire others to see veterans not as broken, but as resilient individuals capable of thriving with the right support.