Women Entrepreneurship Summit Speakers
Amanda Hack
Labour MP for North West Leicestershire
Amanda Jayne Hack is a Labour Party politician and a member of Parliament (MP) for North West Leicestershire since 2024. Before her parliamentary career, Hack was a councillor on Leicestershire County Council, representing the Braunstone division from 2017. She also worked for a housing association supporting vulnerable individuals. She is the first woman to represent this constituency in Parliament. Since October 2024, Hack has been serving on the Work and Pensions Select Committee.
Hack continues to advocate for her constituents in North West Leicestershire, focusing on issues such as social housing, community development, and social justice.
Councillor Damiloa Ojuri
Mayor of Ashby de la Zouch
Councillor Damilola Ojuri is the Mayor of Ashby de la Zouch. Residing in Ashby with her husband and young family, she is deeply committed to addressing community concerns and enhancing local services. Councillor Ojuri emphasises the importance of responsive representation and aims to tackle challenges arising from housing growth, infrastructure pressures, and the need for a vibrant town centre.
Beyond her political endeavours, Councillor Ojuri is a cloud consultant and an advocate for social justice causes. She actively engages with the community, participating in local events such as the unveiling of Paddington in Ashby, reflecting her dedication to fostering a strong and resilient community.
Nadia Etteridge
Leicestershire Police - Detective Inspector
Detective Inspector Nadia Etteridge serves with the Leicestershire Police, bringing extensive experience and dedication to her roles within the force. Inspector Etteridge has led initiatives to enhance public safety and community engagement in Leicester's city centre. Notably, she and her deputy, Sergeant Steph Burnham, conducted training sessions for door supervisors from various venues, aiming to improve safety and security measures.
Inspector Etteridge actively engages with the community through regular updates and interactions. She provides weekly round-ups and insights into local policing efforts, fostering transparency and strengthening community relations. Through her various roles, Detective Inspector Nadia Etteridge demonstrates a steadfast commitment to public safety, equality, and community partnership within Leicestershire.
Professor Katie Normington
Vice-Chancellor
Professor Katie Normington has been serving as the Vice-Chancellor of 蜜桃传煤mv (蜜桃传煤mv) in Leicester since early 2021. Prior to this, she held the position of Deputy Principal (Academic) at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she oversaw strategy and policy for teaching and research.
Professor Normington is a distinguished academic in the field of drama, focusing her research on theatre history, particularly medieval English drama and contemporary theatre practice. She has authored six books in these areas and continues to contribute scholarly articles to the field.
Beyond her institutional roles, Professor Normington is the founding director of the Arts and Humanities Research Council doctoral training partnership, Techne. She has also served as a board member at a further education college and a dance company, contributed to the expert review panel for the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, and participated as a subject panel member for Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) pilots.
Dr Mythili Kolluru
College of Banking and Financial Studies, Oman
Dr. Mythili Kolluru is a National Level Award Winning Outstanding Women Educator and Scholar. She serves as an assistant professor at the marketing and management department of the College of Banking and Financial Studies in Muscat.
She is a member of Knowledge Oman, a leading knowledge-sharing voluntary organisation. Holding a doctorate in strategic management and being a certified strategy planning professional, she also serves as the chief strategy officer of Funkeyb, a China-based management consultancy firm. Dr. Kolluru is a prolific writer with numerous publications in reputable journals and business magazines.
She has presented her research on several international platforms. She is a mentor, coach, keynote speaker, and corporate trainer with a robust digital presence renowned for her analytical acumen in strategy and business.
Dr Marian Chijioke-Mgbame
蜜桃传煤mv
Dr Marian Chijoke-Mgbame is a Senior Lecturer in the department of Accounting and Finance. Prior to joining 蜜桃传煤mv in 2016, Marian lectured at Cambridge regional College London and University of Benin, Nigeria. She received her PhD in Finance from Middlesex university, London. Marian's research interests are in Corporate Governance and Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosures, Corporate Finance and Investment Analysis. Her research has been published in leading academic journals. She serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies, Africa Journal of Management, Social Responsibility Journal, Journal of Applied Accounting Research and the Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences.
Dr Amarachi Amaugo
蜜桃传煤mv
Dr Amarachi Amaugo is a Senior Lecturer in HRM/OB. Admitted as Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in 2017. Her area of specialism is international HRM – the focus of her PhD. Amarachi’s research interests include International HRM in developing countries (specifically how company policies are implemented) and workplace bullying, particularly in developing countries. Amarachi is one of the supervisors on the HRM Business Research Report module.
Dr Sarah Marks
Dr Sarah Marks is a researcher, lecturer and entrepreneur whose interdisciplinary work draws on her deep empirical and theoretical expertise in the field of organisation, entrepreneurship and venture creation. Her current research interests centre on using critical and intersectional perspectives to explore the conditions under which self-employment, venture creation and alternative work leads to sustaining and sustainable incomes for founders, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Within this broad remit, a particular focus is on the need to break money taboos and ask difficult questions about gender, entrepreneurial poverty, money and values.
Kathleen Leighton-Harris
Founder – Women Empowerment Network (WEN)
Kathleen is the CEO and founder of the Women Empowerment Network and also is a member on various Boards to help represent many voices across Leicestershire. Kathleen is very passionate about our diverse communities and the importance of how we all communicate effectively with each other and Leicestershire Police - ‘Together we can make the difference!’
Kathleen is about community, harmony, peace and love. She believes that together a lot more can be achieved in the community. Mountains can be moved IF we do it together; removing all prejudices and forming alliances to ensure that people are at the heart of what WEN does.
Morin Osunmakinde
Omorinola Osunmakinde (PMO) is a dynamic faith leader, entrepreneur, and founder of the women’s empowerment movement BABES Redefined—a platform dedicated to helping women discover purpose, wholeness, and spiritual identity. With a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Ibadan and a background in customer service, PMO co-pastors The Envoi Nation alongside her husband, Dr Dele Osunmakinde. She is also the founder of Jazzment, a business that creates romantic experiences for couples. Passionate about redefining womanhood through faith, mentorship, and community, her outreach—BABES Redefined (Beautiful, Adorable, Blessed, Empowered, and Saved)—has grown into a vibrant movement with a digital community of over 33 million women. PMO is a wife, mother of three, and an inspiring voice in spiritual and entrepreneurial spaces.
Dr Bridget Irene (Host)
蜜桃传煤mv
Dr. Bridget Irene is a Senior Lecturer at 蜜桃传煤mv (蜜桃传煤mv). She is a researcher and a dedicated advocate for women's empowerment in entrepreneurship and sustainable development. She is the founder of the Women Research Network (WRN), a global platform fostering collaboration, mentorship, and advocacy for women entrepreneurs and researchers.
Dr. Irene’s expertise lies in gendered entrepreneurship, sustainability, and innovation in the Global South. Her research focuses on amplifying women's voices, tackling systemic barriers, and shaping inclusive policies that drive economic growth and social equity.
An active contributor to the academic community, Dr. Irene has presented her research at leading international conferences, including the British Academy of Management (BAM), Gender, Work and Organization (GWO), and the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE).