Event

29th & 30th July 2021

REflect 2021!

The third REflect collaboration with RS Grass Roots & The IET. The online event committed to inspiring young people from diverse ethnic backgrounds and demonstrating the ways in which companies are working to promote inclusivity in the workplace.

The event was split into two sessions, one aimed at young people and the other aimed at businesses. As well as our line-up of incredible speakers in the main room, we had engaging sessions in our breakout rooms.

The Youth Session was created to showcase opportunities available in the world of Engineering & Technology. It included motivational talks, career advice, and networking opportunities! It gave an insight into breaking down barriers and driving change, whilst highlighting the point that anyone can achieve whatever they want with the right attitude and mindset.

The Business Session was aimed at companies, entrepreneurs, and anybody working in the STEM industry. During this session, our high-profile speakers provided insights into the under-representation of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds in organisations, whether this be senior leaders or role models of any kind. They shared advice and best practices on how to tangibly take steps to address and fix this from within, or partner with organisations that can help.

Speakers

Host: Shrouk El Attar

MEng | Electronic Engineer


Engineer, Belly Dancer, Refugee. Creator and host of Badass Engineers and ShroukieTronix. Named BBC 100 Most Influential Women in the world, United Nations refugee agency Young Woman of the Year, and top six Young Women Engineers in the UK.

Mamta Singhal

CEng, MIET, MBA, FWES | Sustainability Packaging Program Manager – Global Sustainability Team


Passionate about STEM communication and holds almost 20 years’ experience industry she is change maker and creative thinker and truly passionate about neurodiversity, equality and diversity in academic and industry.

Vincent Egunlae

Public Sector Consultant


Qualified accountant, working as a Public Sector Consultant at Grant Thornton UK. As a first-year, Vincent co-founded GT’s Ethnicity Network, which aims to reduce the ethnicity pay gap and increase representation.

Laura Fox

Director | The LinkedIn Fox


Laura has worked in Marketing & Advertising for 19 years, specialising in Employer Brand, Company Brand, Personal Brand and Recruiting online. Having worked for LinkedIn for 7 years joining in 2011, Laura has deep, specialist knowledge of the platform.

Louis Howell

Founder | Director | 7PK | Revolution Hive


Louis Howell is a dynamic and rounded professional with experience that pans the voluntary youth sector, education sector and the world of small business.

Wayne Hutt

Skills Superstar | Grass Roots Education | RS Components


Wayne has over 25 years’ experience working in the field of learning and development. He has worked across a number of businesses including large commercial corporations, charities and start-ups.

Elvis Tinago

EngTech, ARAeS | Research Assistant


MEng (Hons) Aerospace Engineering (SW) recent graduate at the University of the West of England Bristol (UWE). Completed an industrial year placement at Rolls-Royce plc, and an internship at S&C Thermofluids Ltd designing anti-acing design systems for aircraft engine nacelles.

Navjot Sawhney

Founder of The Washing Machine Project


Navjot is the founder of The Washing Machine Project (TWMP). A volunteer-led organisation, TWMP seeks to help the women and girls who handwash the clothes of 70% of the global population.

Host: Ambily Banerjee

Director | Therapeutic Groups, Global Regulatory Affairs | GSK


Ambily is the co-leader the EMBRACE Employee Resource Group at GSK, and has worked with senior leaders including the Chief Executive Team to highlight some of the challenges faced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues.

Rachel Lambert-Forsyth

Chief Executive | British Pharmacological Society | Managing Director | BPS Assessment Ltd.


Rachel is Chief Executive of the BPS and responsible for delivering the vision, mission and strategy of the British Pharmacological Society, and its subsidiary companies. Rachel is also Managing Director of BPS Assessment Ltd.

Dan Cottle

Lecturer | Physics Education | Director | Secondary Initial Teacher Education | University of Birmingham


Dan taught physics in a range of schools for 15 years before moving into higher education and teacher education. He is particularly interested in widening participation in physics and in evidence-based practice in the learning of physics.

Ollie Folayan

Co-founder and Chairperson of AFBE-UK


Ollie is a chartered chemical engineer working in the energy industry and chairperson of the award -winning AFBE -UK Scotland and co - founder of AFBE -UK.

Carmen Morris

Managing Director | Kenroi Consulting | Diversity and Inclusion Consultant


Carmen Morris is the Managing Director, and Founder of Kenroi Consulting, a global provider of bespoke diversity and inclusion solutions.

Vincent Egunlae

Public Sector Consultant


Qualified accountant, working as a Public Sector Consultant at Grant Thornton UK. As a first-year, Vincent co-founded GT’s Ethnicity Network, which aims to reduce the ethnicity pay gap and increase representation.

Isabella Mascarenhas

Vice President | Grass Roots Education | RS Components


Isabella Mascarenhas has forged a successful career in developing young people from diverse backgrounds to realise their full potential and achieve their ambitions.

Kudzai Manduvi

Industry Sector Manager | RS Components


Kudzai works in Corporate Sales as an Industry Sector Manager and he has more than twenty years of experience across a number of industry sectors in a variety of commercial roles. He is also a committee member of EmbRace, the Electrocomponents race inclusion network championing diversity and inclusion to drive change and create a more inclusive workplace.