Our Team

Founder and CEO

Paulette Williams

Paulette is a committed leader in education with over two decades of experience in fair access, equity, and education strategy. She has led a number of impactful initiatives which aimed to create communities within higher education and research; as well as drive systemic change across the academic pipeline. Her expertise in strategy, leadership, and education policy positions her as a powerful advocate for creating equitable academic environments.

Project Manager

Jamal Kinsella

Jamal is a skilled project manager and advocate for diversity in STEM. With a background in psychology (BSc from Durham University), he has extensive experience in research data management, inclusion, and academic leadership. His career includes delivering outreach programmes for marginalised students and leading science communication initiatives such as The Science Room, which bridges science with public engagement. Jamal also has expertise in event management, stakeholder collaboration, and community-driven research efforts.

Project Manager

Temi Lawal

Temi is an accomplished Senior Programme Manager, leading a flagship programme focused on advancing the representation of Black women in academia. In addition, she is a Postgraduate Teaching Associate at UCL Institute of Education, where she contributes to MA Sociology of Race courses with a focus on diversity and inclusion. Temi's previous roles include managing Widening Participation programmes at UCL's Medical School and developing a successful careers strategy at an academies trust. She is currently on a PhD programme in Education Practice and Society,  holds a Master’s in Social Justice and Education, and a Bachelor’s in Philosophy.

Associate Consultant

Chantelle Lewis

Chantelle is a Junior Research Fellow in Black British Studies at Pembroke College, University of Oxford. A public sociologist, broadcaster, and event director, her research is situated at the intersections of socio-historical analysis, politics, Black feminism, family studies, and racism studies. She is also the co-host of The Surviving Society podcast, where she explores critical social issues through engaging discussions. Chantelle's work continues to push the boundaries of interdisciplinary research and public engagement.

Associate Consultant

Milke Sulu

Mike is a Lecturer (Teaching) in the Department of Biochemical Engineering at UCL and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). His academic journey includes an MEng in Biochemical Engineering, an MRes in Clean Chemical Technology, a PhD in Chemical Engineering, and an MSc in Engineering and Education. He has held various equality and diversity leadership roles at UCL and focuses on public engagement, using art and design to explain bioprocess engineering. His research spans microbial fermentation, bioenergy, and vaccine production processes.

Associate Consultant

Jason Arday

Jason is the 2002 Professorial Chair in the Sociology of Education at the University of Cambridge, Faculty of Education. His distinguished career includes previous roles as Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Glasgow and Associate Professor at Durham University, where he also served as Deputy Executive Dean for People and Culture. Jason is a Visiting Professor at The Ohio State University and the University of Glasgow, as well as an Honorary Professor at Durham. His research spans race and higher education, intersectionality, mental health, and neurodiversity. He is also a Trustee of the Runnymede Trust and the British Sociological Association.

Associate Consultant

Sukhi Bath

Sukhi is an experienced Strategic Projects Manager, with a strong background in leading educational change initiatives. She has led projects focused on addressing the BAME awarding gap and has worked extensively on equity and diversity strategies in higher education, complementing her PhD research at SOAS University of London which focuses on decoloniality. She has an MSc in Social Research from Birkbeck and a BA in History from SOAS. With experience across institutions like UCL, Kings and LSE, Sukhi brings vast knowledge of institutional change management. 

Seminar Series Convenor

William Ackah

William is Reader in Social Sciences and African Diaspora Studies Birkbeck, University of London, he is co-editor and contributing author of the groundbreaking The Black PhD Experience: Stories of Strength Courage and Wisdom in UK Academia. He is the Chair of the Transatlantic Roundtable on Religion and Race and has research interests and publications in the areas of Pan-Africanism, African diaspora religion and politics and black experiences in higher education.

Seminar Series Convenor

Hanna Akalu

Hanna is Participatory Action Research (PAR) Training and Development Manager at the University of Reading and previous held roles at SOAS University of London as a Module Convenor, and at University of the Arts London as a Lecturer in Psychology. Hanna is a community psychologist and her research employs creative, decolonial, and visual methods to explore identity and self-definition among British Muslim women. With expertise in psychology, social justice, and participatory approaches, her work focuses on mutual knowledge production, community activism, and disrupting power imbalances to empower marginalised groups and create transformative knowledge. 

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