Dr. Erin Young is Head of Innovation and Technology Policy at the Institute of Directors where she leads the IoD’s policy, strategy and thought leadership work on technology, science and innovation. Before joining the IoD, Erin was Project Co-Lead and Research Fellow in Public Policy at The Alan Turing Institute, where her work influenced the UK’s National AI Strategy and AI Opportunities Action Plan. Previously, Erin held positions at the UN in Paris, WPP in London, MediaX at Stanford University, and Thomson Reuters in New York City. She sits on the Strategy Steering Board for the City of London Corporation’s Women Pivoting to Digital Taskforce and advises the Hg Foundation on AI, inequalities and skills. Erin holds a BA from the University of Cambridge, an MSc in Education (Learning and Technology) from the University of Oxford, a PGC in International Business Practice, Finance and Organisational Behaviour, and a DPhil in Science and Technology Studies from the University of Oxford.
Tech Policy Expertise: Start-ups and scale-ups
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Dr Claire Thorne
Claire is Adviser and Venture Partner at Deep Science Ventures, co-founding and now scaling the Venture Science Directorate. She serves on the Council of The Foundation for Science and Technology, is a member of the Sutton Trust’s Tech Future Taskforce and techUK’s TechSkills Advisory Board. She is also co-Chief Executive Officer of a ‘tech for good’ scale-up, an industry-backed charity tackling the UK’s tech skills gap: Tech She Can.
Claire regularly speaks at London Tech Weeks, Mobile World Congress, Accenture and Infosys’ client conferences, and contributes to publications in Computing, The Guardian and with the Tony Blair Institute.
What drives me: social justice and opportunity for all
Passionate about equitable pathways, skills, R&D policy, and STEM education and research
Her background is in innovation strategy at UK universities: shaping Imperial’s 23-acre White City innovation district, and operating a #1 university business incubator. Claire holds a PhD in Astroparticle Physics on dark matter from Imperial College London. -
Collette Bird
Collette is the Head of Corporate Affairs for Just Eat, heading up Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Social Impact for the UK and Ireland. Collette Joined Just Eat from the Labour Party where she was a special advisor for the Shadow Health Secretary. She has previously held roles in Cabinet Office, trade unions and local governments.
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Celine Nithila-George
I am a Gen Z innovation expert, with a career across the UK innovation ecosystem and as a representative on impactful boards at UCL and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
I have experience in running innovation challenges, innovation adoption and diffusion, strategic governance, smart and sustainable city design. My career spans working with local and central governments, universities and start-ups on several international initiatives to solve wicked problems and champion inclusive prosperity.
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Casey Calista
Casey is the Chair of Labour Digital’s Advisory Board and co-founder of the Women in Tech Policy Network. With over a decade of experience in London’s tech policy scene, she ran a Shoreditch-based start-up as the first employee, acted as the Head of Policy and Public Affairs at a British scale-up, and launched the tech policy consultancy practice at a global agency. There she worked with some of the world’s largest and most exciting tech companies. Notably, Casey was the key tech challenger lobbyist for the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act. Recognised as one of Politico’s top 20 key influencers on Labour’s tech policy, Casey was also named one of Computer Weekly’s Top 25 Most Influential Women in UK Tech for 2024.
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Beth Curtis-Clarke
Beth brings 20 years of experience at the intersection of Customer Experience, data-led storytelling, and artificial intelligence. Known for her ability to make the complex simple, Beth has earned a solid reputation for translating cutting-edge technology into meaningful business outcomes.
Simply put, Beth is passionate about using AI to solve real life problems.
Her career spans Enterprise Retail, SaaS technology, and AI for Good—with a particular focus on environmental and healthcare innovation. She’s led ambitious change programmes across some of the most challenging industries, consistently turning big ideas into tangible, measurable results. No tech theatre—just AI that delivers value.
Beth works to uncover smarter, more scalable ways of working. Her mix of strategic insight, customer-centric thinking, and coaching makes her a driving force behind impactful, human-focused transformation. -
Ashly Jiju
Ashly Jiju is a researcher and policy professional specialising in geopolitics and technology policy, with a focus on artificial intelligence and data protection. Drawing on experience across the UK, UAE, India, and Nepal, she bridges academic research, stakeholder engagement, and strategy consulting to thoughtfully address the complexities of technological change.
She holds an MPhil in Politics and International Studies from the University of Cambridge, where her research focused on how AI and big data reshape privacy, security, and global governance. She also holds a BA (Hons.) in Political Science with Economics from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. She is dedicated to advancing innovation that benefits society through thoughtful and ethical governance.
Ashly has played a key role in advancing high-impact initiatives addressing complex challenges in technology and governance. She has engaged with governments, companies, NGOs, and international bodies to craft strategies, lead research, and drive policy development. Her work includes contributing to multiple books and policy reports, advising a rapidly expanding digital media startup, and leading large-scale fundraising efforts for projects focused on digital inclusion and worker support. She has led sizeable, cross-functional teams and designed digital safety programmes that have empowered thousands to engage confidently and safely in digital spaces.