Abena is an everyday activist whether it be in her union work, as councillor, as mayor or a freelance trainer and coach. Her talk is labelled you are the revolution! Many of us think " I'm only one person; what difference can I possibly make?" Every movement was started by an individual, it takes one person to ignore their internal imposter and saboteur and do it anyway. When the revolution happens within you you become the catalyst for change.

Chris is a Civil Servant in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, overseeing a decarbonisation scheme for SMEs in the West Midlands. With experience across the Departments for Transport, Housing, and Work & Pensions, as well as the charity sector, Chris is driven by a passion for making a meaningful impact. Openly queer at work, he believes that authenticity and activism are key drivers of change, shaping his approach to leadership and public service.

Darrian is a freelance D&I consultant with a background in leading large scale transformations in large corporates by day and by gay he has chaired a number of LGBT+ working groups and pushed for the FS industry to be more inclusive of all communities including the LGBT+ community. This talk will focus on the importance of workplace activism and how it permeates through everything that we do.

David manages engineering teams in the energy technology sector. He has recently set up an ERG (employee resource group) and shares his learnings about supporting LGBTQ+ people in tech, specifically in a young company where many of the battles around respect and allyship have seemingly been won.

Eva is an educator, activist and TEDx speaker with a focus on transgender rights, intersectionality and mental health. Her talk will explore our concept of activism and why there really is no escaping it.

Jasmine Isa Qureshi (they/she), is an interdisciplinary / "Queering" ecologist, marine biologist, social scientist, journalist and facilitator, PhDing at the Global Sustainability Institute at ARU - working on "Queering Ecology"; looping in decolonising conservation, ecology, and understanding Indigenous and ancestral teachings on ecology, queer theory and identity.

She is an activist, award winning poet, and advisor to various orgs. Oh, and she's writing a book.

Katherine is a finalising PhD candidate in quantum dynamics and a budding Science Communicator. They identify as asexual (ace), aromantic (aro) and genderfluid/agender. In their talk, they will share their experiences and spotlight the experiences of other A-mazing people in STEM.

Nisha is a scientist, writer, and woman who spent years misreading the data on her own sexuality. A lesbian, neurodivergent Indian woman with a PhD in Chemistry, she knows what it’s like to overanalyse everything—except the fact that she wasn’t actually into men. Raised with cultural expectations, undiagnosed ADHD and autism, and a complete lack of discussion around attraction, she missed every sign. Now, she’s committed to making sure the next generation doesn’t have to go through the same confusion. By living openly and sharing her journey, Nisha hopes to create space for others to fully embrace who they are—without the years of uncertainty or misguided dating choices. In her talk, Nisha will explore the intersection of neurodivergence, sexuality, and cultural expectations, building on her personal experiences to inspire others to embrace their identities and challenge societal norms.

Poggy Murray Whitham is a professionally accredited engineer, Chartered Manager, and an award-winning DEI researcher and advocate. Currently in the management team at EqualEngineers, Poggy worked up to Senior Management for a global automation engineering company before working full-time in DEI pursuing a doctorate in DEI in engineering. This talk will explore Poggy’s personal journey in engineering, shedding light on some of the challenges faced. It will highlight some key insights from their research and the research of EqualEngineers, as well as discussing the importance of networks / ERGs, with practical advice on creating and sustaining these within the workplace.

Caitlyn Gilmartin works at Moog as a Supplier Quality Engineer for the aerospace industry and acts as oSTEM’s Volunteer Coordinator, helping to connect interested volunteers with the needs of oSTEM. They love cooking, cats, gardening, and their wonderful fiancé.