AI and Tech for team performance through accessibility

Heather Lacey is a multi-award winning disabled activist, D&I writer and speaker. As a young woman embarking upon life at university, Heather became heavily involved in disability advocacy online and began to share her lived experience of disability as a way to spread awareness of the barriers faced by disabled people in the UK. Her writing – though candid and oftentimes hard-hitting – illuminates yet celebrates the disabled experience and her lived experience of cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia and neurodiversity and the myriad of symptoms she lives with day-to-day.

Heather has worked with a plethora of organisations and charities including Scope, BBC, HuffPost, Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative and AccessAble.

Heather is actively involved in promoting disability rights in the workplace and chairs pro-manchester’s EDI sub-committee for Disability, Mental Health and Neuro Diversity.  Heather has featured on the Northern Power Women Future List, been recognised as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK on the Shaw Trust Disability Power List, listed as one of University of Hull and Team GB’s ‘Extraordinary People’, and has been named on the Manchester Evening News’s The Rising Star list: The finest young female lawyers and barristers in Greater Manchester.

Toby Mildon is a Diversity & Inclusion Architect and founder of Mildon, a consultancy and advisory business. Toby works with businesses to devise diversity and inclusion strategies, re-engineer processes and systems to minimise the impact of bias and build a culture of inclusion. Toby is the author of the Amazon bestselling books Inclusive Growth and Building Inclusivity. Prior to setting
up his business, Toby worked as an in-house diversity and inclusion manager at the BBC and Deloitte.

Catherine Millan is a trailblazing advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), transforming education and business landscapes with her bold and innovative approach. As the Founder and Company Director of Be What You See Consultancy Ltd, she has spent her career breaking barriers, challenging discrimination, and empowering individuals to become champions of inclusion.

With a global footprint in designing and leading groundbreaking discrimination prevention programmes, Catherine has worked tirelessly to elevate the voices of marginalised communities. Her work goes beyond advocacy—she is a true changemaker, driving systemic shifts that create lasting impact.

Her passion for empowering young people and adults has led to the creation of award-winning initiatives that challenge bias, dismantle barriers, and foster true inclusion. From revolutionising curricula with diverse children’s books to launching industry-leading EDI training, Catherine is relentless in her mission to create spaces where everyone belongs and thrives.
A visionary leader, speaker, and educator, Catherine knows no limits when it comes to fighting for equal rights. Her work is a catalyst for real change, inspiring individuals and organisations to take meaningful action towards a more just and inclusive world.

Rachel is one of the UK’s best known neurodiversity experts. Described as passionate, funny and inspirational, she talks authentically about the strengths and challenges faced by people like her. A successful entrepreneur, she set up her first company at the age of 30, which helped over a million people, while suffering from severe mental health issues. After discovering she is autistic and has ADHD, she founded her 5-star rated consultancy Firebird to train organisations on inclusion.

Rachel has authored the ground-breaking book How to be autistic, and produced an award-winning poster. She’s had her work published in the national and international press, in various books, and in peer-reviewed academic journals. She’s a TEDx speaker, and delivers keynotes at international conferences. She founded AuDHD Day to raise awareness of people like her, with autism and ADHD together. Rachel is also learning sign language, raising a family, developing a micro-farm and writes comedy. She is passionate about building a more inclusive world, and supports neurodivergent adults and parents in her free time.