Make it Right

With more than 15 years of experience as a digital innovation leader, I help customers navigate the complexities of the digital landscape and emerging technologies to achieve their goals. As the Head of Innovation at Kainos, I merge end-to-end service design with product innovation, underpinned by a robust entrepreneurial and optimistic spirit.

My expertise lies in identifying and leveraging opportunities for digital transformation, translating user insights into useful and usable products with agility and precision. I foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement, driving teams to exceed expectations and achieve ambitious strategic objectives. I have led the ideation and execution of groundbreaking digital products that have impacted millions of people, securing over £150m in revenue. With a solid foundation in business management from UCL and the entrepreneurial experience of founding and growing a creative agency, I possess a deep understanding of what it takes to bring an idea to life and ensure it works.

I am passionate about leveraging digital innovation to not only drive business growth but also create lasting positive impacts on society. My goal is to lead organisations towards sustainable growth, operational excellence, and market leadership, harnessing the power of digital tools and agile methodologies to deliver value and drive change for good.

Nancy Brown is a lecturer in Management Development at Ulster University’s Business School. As a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she also serves as the Course Director for the MSc in Executive Leadership programme developing bespoke programmes for organisations committed to leadership development.  Nancy has been nominated for numerous teaching awards and has received an Excellence Education award for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and a Collaborative Excellence Award.

With over 20 years of extensive business experience across the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, Nancy was involved in the launch of Virgin Mobile and has collaborated with global brands such as Coca-Cola, Diageo, Grafton, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Rimmel as well as local organisations.

With her background in disability and international work, Nancy is dedicated to transforming lives through inclusive education and fostering the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion.  Nancy is deeply committed to inclusive innovation, recognizing its importance for organizational growth. She is passionate about inclusive leadership for innovation and has been a founding member of the steering group for the Special Interest Group on Inclusive Teaching at Ulster University.

Originally from New York, Nancy has called Belfast her home for over two decades.

‘Amy is the General Manager at Ormeau Labs.  Since stepping into the role, Amy has been leading the organisation with a focus on strengthening its community of entrepreneurs and building on its strong foundation.  Amy brings a passion for community-focused entrepreneurship and a track record of fostering collaboration and innovation.  Prior to joining Ormeau Labs,  Amy worked at Enterprise NI, where she supported the growth of the SME enterprise ecosystem through stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships.’

Originally from Cork City, Ireland and now residing in Boston, Laura is the CEO of North America at HealthBeacon, a medication adherence technology company. HealthBeacon develops smart tools for managing medication. Previously, Laura was Executive Vice President, US Operations at RxCelerate, an outsourced drug development company. Prior to that, Laura was the Director of Business Development at MassBio (Massachusetts Biotechnology Council), onboarding almost 700 new companies in 4 years. Additionally, Laura is the President of the Boston Irish Business Association (BIBA). In 2018, Laura received the Irish Echo 40 Under 40 Award, as well as their Business Innovator Award. In support of early-stage innovation, Laura is a Mentor and Judge at MassChallenge within their Bridge to MassChallenge program, advising foreign companies on aspects of market entry and market intelligence as well as Sales, Marketing and Business Development strategy. Laura has been a BIBA Board Member for several years and was awarded the Boston Irish Business Young Leader Award in 2015. Laura is a proud member of the American Heart Association Boston Metro Board of Directors and is affiliated with many worthwhile organizations such as the Quincy Chamber of Commerce & the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate – 1787 Society. Laura is a three-time graduate of Northeastern University, holding a BSBA in Finance, a Master’s Degree in Innovation and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA). Laura is passionate about business, disruptive technology, economic development, international trade and investment, and innovation. She takes great pride in facilitating introductions and making connections across her vast, global business network.