About Our Novi Inspiring Mentors 2024
Abadesi Osunsade
Abadesi is a protagonist of tech inclusion, championing the importance of education on bias and privilege in her work as Founder & CEO of Hustle Crew and co-host of Techish podcast. In 2016 she published her careers advice book, Dream Big Hustle Hard: A Millennial Woman’s Guide to Success in Tech which is rated 5 stars on Amazon. In 2018 she was named in the Financial Times list of Top 100 Influential Leaders in Tech. Her work has been featured in Elle, Stylist, BBC, Forbes, The Times, Bloomberg and The Independent.
Angela Browne
Cordelia OSEWA-EDIAE
Cordelia Osewa-Ediae is a Director and DEI Consultant with over 15 years of experience of leading cross sector diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across organisations including National Grid, London Metropolitan Police, NSPCC, Tesco, Ministry of Justice and BT Group. At BT Group, she was pivotal to establishing the company’s first set of comprehensive DEI targets and goals, designing its first ever group-wide reverse mentoring program, and producing its first ethnicity pay gap report, earning her the 2024 BT Group Race Equity award. Her previous roles have also included being a Social Researcher, Operations Director at a youth employability and social mobility charity, and Business Development manager at a digital inclusion charity. A Clore Social Fellow, Keynote speaker, Future of London Mentor, and Board member at a multi academy School Trust, Cordelia has been recognised as the 2023 Baton Awards’ Thought Leader of the Year, 2024 Community Champion by Commonwealth Business Women Africa, and selected as a 2024 UN Women UK delegate.
Elizabeth Ward
Elizabeth is the go to expert in relation to all things to do with intellectual property. Her expertise and skills have been used by the BBC, Forbes, SkyNews, and a raft of other household names. Elizabeth has run a specialist IP legal practice based in Leeds for the last 17 years and is a widely respected member of the legal community. Under her guidance the firms helps companies globally with everything from trade mark filing to High Court litigation over technology and trade secrets.
Hanaa Bengtsson
Hanaa, founder of OHeeBA and a trailblazer in fintech, exemplifies the qualities of an Inspiring Mentor. Her 25+ years in the industry are marked not only by technical expertise and leadership but by an unwavering commitment to guiding and uplifting others. Known for her infectious optimism, resilience, and passion, Hanaa’s mentorship transforms those around her—empowering them to achieve their best. A colleague once remarked, “Hanaa’s belief in my potential has transformed me personally and professionally,” capturing her dedication to nurturing growth in others.
Hanaa’s impact as a mentor is profound. She brings people together across cultures, aligning diverse perspectives towards shared goals with warmth and authenticity. Her colleagues and mentees describe her as a “force of nature,” someone whose boundless energy and genuine support foster an atmosphere of trust and excellence. With fluency in Arabic, French, and English, and an international career spanning Casablanca, Paris, and London, Hanaa’s cross-cultural understanding enriches her mentoring approach, making her a relatable, inspiring figure to all who work with her.
Beyond her technical achievements, Hanaa’s gift for building authentic connections and her relentless encouragement define her legacy. In every role, she has championed inclusivity, collaboration, and high standards, lifting not just individuals but entire teams. For her dedication to empowering the next generation and raising the bar for mentorship, Hanaa is a truly deserving nominee for the Inspiring Mentor award.
Kasia Hayward
Kasia has spent 20 years in the tech industry, building a versatile and accomplished career in Consultancy Services and Technology, with a focus on emerging tech talent. Over the years, she has led award-winning DEI initiatives, including programs for women returners, neurodiversity, and AVTalent, all of which reflect her commitment to developing and nurturing diverse talent and digital skills.
Her career includes key roles at two FTSE companies: FDM Group plc, a global professional services provider, and Capita plc, an international BPO and professional services company. These experiences have provided her with a deep understanding of emerging tech trends and a platform to amplify underrepresented voices in the industry. Now, in her role as Head of Culture, Innovation, and Engagement at Diversity Atlas, she is leading the UK market entry and ensuring a smooth and impactful introduction. Diversity Atlas is a world-pioneering diversity intelligence tool for leaders and organizations, offering deep insights into cultural and demographic diversity within teams. Kasia is passionate about using technology to foster inclusive environments where diverse talent and digital skills can thrive and make meaningful contributions
Liz Byrne
Liz has over 20 years experience in directing and governing large scale change programmes at senior and executive levels in policing. She has navigated, designed and delivered what has been described as ‘impossible’ programmes in high stress environments to address the most complex and challenging issues. The key to doing this was through unlocking potential and nurturing belief in every stakeholder thus creating high performance environments and a winning mentality. She has now co-founded Believe Solutions Ltd. which is quickly becoming the go to partner in the North East for both the public and private sector providing an end to end framework to maximise social value and regeneration contributions. This move was triggered from a long term desire to create a stronger eco-system across all sectors in which to create more meaningful social change and take full advantage of procurement legislation changes that will broaden and deepen private sector obligations for social value.
Ramita Anand
Ramita Anand, a trained, experienced teacher (with a Science and Special Educational Needs specialization), mother, author, and podcast host, founded ElevateRA mentoring services to empower and work with pre-adolescents on crucial life skills. Ramita is on a mission to employ preventative educational tools to set our youth up with a strong foundation and cultivate a growth mindset as they develop their unique identities. Further information on Ramita’s work can be found here: Elevate.RA Mentoring Services, Her book Amazon Best Seller, Girl Elevated: 5 Steps to empower girls in early adolescence to be their best, and the Elevate podcast, conversations with thought leaders, educators, creatives and activists on how we can best empower girls. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Ramita spent her first few years of teaching as part of a bigger adventure by moving to London and working in inner-city schools. She has 20 years of classroom teaching experience, including seven in learning support departments at various schools worldwide. Her aim is always to work from a child-led approach and engage with children from a unique perspective on the multitude of pressures they may face at school, at home, and with peers.
Sallee Poinsette-Nash
Sallee has worked with thousands of fascinating humans, from Dragons to Gladiators, CEOs to Philanthropists and Investors to Startups – in her own words she’s “an introvert who REALLY likes people!” Her professional experience and insights come from 20+ years spent working across industries with a prestigious client list. She held CEO, COO and advisory board positions before founding her own company in 2018. Brandable & Co. delivers people-brand strategy programmes and brand consultancy services among the Big Three, Fortune 500 companies and world-class professional services firms to drive a people-powered shift in how organisations, leaders and individuals differentiate themselves. The team also collaborates with speakers across the globe, blending human expertise and AI technology to support people, companies and global events with public speaking. At the heart of Sallee’s work is a lifelong drive for impact. She’s a United Nations UK Women delegate and ensures that career strategy is accessible to young people in education, overlooked talent and underserved communities through Brandable & Co.’s pro bono work with their Pay It Forward partners.