EDI Lunch 2025 – building cultures where everyone thrives

Lee Chambers is the Founder and CEO of Male Allies UK. After a diverse career, from corporate finance to building and exiting a tech company, he is now focused on supporting organisations to engage men in inclusion and promote effective allyship. He has been featured on the Startups 100 Index, has received a Great British Entrepreneur Award, and sits on the board of CMI Women, Regenerage UK and the Manchester Metropolitan University Business School. In 2024, he received the Freedom of the City of London for services to equality in business.

He is a Kavli Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in the USA, the first Black British scientist to be awarded in its 33-year history, received for his work on health inequalities. He is the 2023 UN Women Changemaker of the Year, and is an ambassador for the UK Government’s Lilac Review for Disabled Entrepreneurship. He speaks globally on allyship and intersectionality, having taken the stage at One Young World, ChangeNOW and the Bloomberg Global Equality Summit, and is the author of the bestselling book, Momentum: 13 Ways To Unlock Your Potential.

Dr Carl Austin-Behan OBE DL is a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester and former LGBT Advisor to the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham. Currently Greater Manchester’s LGBTQ+ Community Ambassador. This role includes visiting schools, youth groups and workplaces to promote diversity, equality, inclusion and respect as well as working on projects with Community Action, Public Sector Liaison and LGBTQ+ Networks across GM.

Carl was one of the last people to be discharged from the RAF in 1997 due to his sexuality although having an exemplary service record. He joined Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service in 1998 and left 1999, then went on to win Mr Gay UK 2001.

Having served on Manchester City Council representing Burnage from 2011 – 2018, Carl was the first openly gay Lord Mayor of Manchester 2016 – 2017. Also owns his own Cleaning Company VA Clean – working with Property Management Companies specialising in the communal areas of apartment blocks.

Carl has devoted himself to LGBTQ+ advocacy. Ambassador for The Proud Trust, George House Trust, Broughton House; Patron of Contact Theatre, Manchester Proud chorus; Chair of Pro-Manchester EDI Network, City of Trees Trust. He was also a founder member for Fighting with Pride (LGBT veterans charity run by veterans. The first and only lived-experience charity addressing the health and wellbeing of LGBT+ veterans.) he passionately promotes diversity, equality and inclusion within our communities. In November 2019 Carl was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester and was awarded an OBE in the 2020 Queens New Year’s Honours List for services to Charity and the LGBTQ+ Community.

Carl is married to Simon and they have a 5 year old daughter Willow, who they have duel parenting arrangements with a Lesbian couple.

Nichola sits on the National Executive Committee of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (“FOIL”) and is a FOIL’s representative on the Law Society Council and on the Law Society Civil Justice Committee.

She has been involved with pro-manchester for a number of years and very much enjoys her involvement on the Committees she sits on and is also the Chair of the pro-women group which forms part of the pro-manchester EDI committee.

Ngozi Weller is a wellbeing and productivity consultant and an ICF accredited coach who helps build resilience into your business by creating psychologically safe workplaces that enable employees to thrive. Her programmes increase employee engagement, drive productivity, and promote lasting behavioural change.

Having worked for over 15 years in the world of Big Oil, Ngozi has experienced first-hand how challenging the corporate world can be. Following her own battle with work-related depression and anxiety, she set up Aurora with her psychologist cousin Obehi to normalise the conversation around workplace mental health and to provide strategic wellbeing support designed to strengthen your employees’ mental resilience and improve workplace productivity. She is also the co-host of the award-winning podcast ‘The Wellbeing Rebellion’.

Sarah is the founder of PR and marketing business Flawless Comms and chair of our Pro Parent Committee at Pro Manchester. Having become a first-time Mum during lockdown, Sarah was diagnosed with PTSD and postnatal anxiety and while she made a swift recovery, maternal mental health remains a topic she is passionate about.  Sarah juggles a busy career as an entrepreneur while also being Mum to three young children. She is committed to supporting parents to navigate their mental health in the post-partum period and beyond.

Shamaine is the Director of Programmes for National Social Mobility charity LTSB and has over 10 years experience working in the charity sector. After graduating with a PGCE in Lifelong Learning specialising in Dance, Shamaine worked for the National Citizen Service (NCS) and then joined LTSB in 2018 and following 2 promotions is now the Programmes Director. LTSB is a charity that prepares and supports bright young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into meaningful roles with major firms all across the UK. The programme personally and professionally develops young people through practical skills coaching, higher-level critical thinking sessions, the power of sport and how to utilise the transferable skills you learn from the field into the workplace, and insight events with leading companies, business professionals, and LTSB alumni.

I have always been passionate about working with young people and helping them reach their full potential. Sports has significantly shaped who I am today, and I believe the transferable skills gained through sports are crucial in early career development.

After a career spent working within the data industry, including 18 years as the Managing Director of an internationally based corporate, Lisa decided to change focus and pursue a business opportunity based upon her lifelong interest in sport, nutrition, health, and well-being. Following the completion of a Masters’ degree in Exercise and Nutrition Science at University of Chester, , Lisa founded MtWW. Lisa’s interest in the subject was triggered by her dissertation research project examing the impact of Vitamin D on menopausal symptoms experienced by female endurance athletes. She has undertaken menopause specific training with the International Menopause Society, Newson Health Menopause Society and continues to update her knowledge around all aspects of female hormonal health.

MtWW helps organisations and individuals to manage the impact of this life transition that women will experience. Support and guidance are available for diverse groups including:

• senior leaders, enabling them to understand the business impact.
• managers, who may have menopausal team members and need to have difficult conversations.
• female employees, providing evidence-based information and support around all aspects of the perimenopause and menopause.
• male employees wishing to support their partners.

Bethany is the Head of Purpose, Inclusion and Impact at Bruntwood and Bruntwood SciTech, where she works with colleagues from across the business to design, implement and measure diversity and inclusion and social impact initiatives that deliver against Bruntwood’s purpose.

Bethany has a background in international human rights law and her previous experiences have included working with public and private sector partners to generate change and embed equity locally, nationally and internationally in various roles in the charitable and NGO sectors.