Make it Right

Adrian Johnston is the incoming Belfast Innovation Commissioner who will be working with Innovation City Belfast and other city partners to support Belfast’s inclusive innovation ambitions. 

Adrian is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in technology and innovation. Before joining Innovation City Belfast, he served as the Director of Strategic Business Development at Catalyst, starting in December 2021. In this role, Adrian was instrumental in cultivating and strengthening strategic partnerships across industry, academia, and government, with a focus on driving innovation and economic growth in Northern Ireland. He led Catalyst’s Open Innovation team, concentrating on the creation of dynamic clusters in Health & Life Sciences, NetZero, and RegTech.

Adrian holds a PhD, specializing in AI adoption in high-value semiconductor manufacturing. From December 2018 to December 2021, he served as the Head of Digital Catapult NI, where he played a key role in accelerating the adoption of AI and emerging digital technologies across various sectors.

Adrian has consistently prioritised inclusive innovation throughout his career. He was the Chair of the International Fund for Ireland from March 2012 to February 2019, where he led efforts to drive reconciliation and stimulate economic and social advancement for communities across the island of Ireland. Currently, Adrian serves as the Chair of the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, where he and his team address critical societal challenges such as homelessness, poverty, health inequalities, and digital exclusion.

Adhele Tuulas is a digital transformation advisor with extensive experience helping governments plan and implement large-scale digital systems – from interoperability and data exchange platforms to national digital governance frameworks. A proud e-Estonian, Adhele combines a citizen’s lived experience of a mature and secure digital society with hands-on professional work supporting countries such as Malaysia, Brazil, and Namibia in building their own digital foundations. Her background spans both the public and private sectors, from working with technology companies like Cybernetica, whose secure technologies underpin Estonia’s digital ecosystem, to her current role at Digital Nation, where she advises governments worldwide on building inclusive and trusted digital societies that balance innovation with public trust.This mix of practitioner and citizen perspectives gives her a nuanced understanding of how building blocks like digital identity fit within the wider ecosystem of a digital society – and why successful systems must always be designed in context, not copied wholesale.

I have a strong passion for scientific research and behavioural sciences. My work has been recognized at national and international levels, reflecting my commitment to understanding and addressing complex psychological and social issues. Collaborating with local universities and the Northern Ireland Commission for Children and Young People (NICCY), I aim to contribute to the understanding of mental health challenges among youth

I thrive on exploring alternative thought processes, constantly questioning the norms and challenging conventional wisdom. I believe that true innovation comes from asking “what if?”—what if we’ve misunderstood human behavior? What if the solutions we rely on today are limiting the possibilities of tomorrow?

I’m not afraid to challenge what we think we know, pushing beyond assumptions to uncover deeper truths. My research has focused on human perception, emotional invalidation, and the unseen influences shaping our decisions. By questioning the status quo, I aim to bridge the gap between science and real-world applications, creating impactful solutions that inspire change.

I see problems as opportunities for discovery. Whether through behavioural science, technology, or innovation, I approach every challenge with curiosity and critical thinking. I want to reframe discussions, redefine possibilities, and drive progress through new perspectives.

In a world where progress depends on fresh ideas, I’m committed to being a voice that asks the difficult questions and reimagines the answers. The future belongs to those willing to think differently—so why not start now?

Ciaran Doherty is the Founder and CEO of Loadar, a logistics technology company transforming how billion-dollar enterprises procure and manage freight. With a background as VP at Huhtamaki, where he led major global packaging initiatives with brands like McDonald’s and Unilever, Ciaran brings deep experience in supply chain innovation and enterprise partnerships. Since founding Loadar, he has raised over £4 million in venture funding and built partnerships with global leaders including Huhtamaki, Smurfit WestRock, and Stora Enso. Ciaran is passionate about helping complex businesses unlock efficiency, sustainability, and control through technology that delivers measurable value

Cody is a research associate studying how to develop AI that supports meaningful human experience. He holds a DPhil in experimental psychology from Jesus College, Oxford. Prior to his doctoral work, Cody trained as a cognitive scientist at UCLA, Harvard, and l’Université Libre de Bruxelles. His research investigates the cognitive processes underlying meaning and interpretation—in particular, looking at how LLMs can provide new ways of understanding how people interpret the meaning of their own experiences. 

Damian is a design leader and founder of Big Motive, a strategy and design company. As Managing Director, he leads a team that leverages human-centred design to create products, services and ventures for clients, including Adidas America, the BBC, a range of Irish government organisations, and healthcare clients such as the HSE, HSC and Kingsbridge Healthcare Group. Damian’s focus is on aligning strategy and design to deliver meaningful outcomes — and raising the bar for creativity in an increasingly complex world.

First-Year Software Development Student | Problem-Solver | Creative Thinker

Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Software Development at SETU Carlow, I am passionate about coding, problem-solving, and building innovative digital solutions. As a curious and driven learner, I am always looking for ways to expand my technical skills, whether through coursework, personal projects, or collaboration with like-minded peers.

Beyond my passion for technology, I have a deep love for music. Whether playing instruments or performing live, I thrive on creativity and expression, which also fuels my approach to software development—blending technical precision with imaginative problem-solving.

I am eager to explore opportunities in software development, whether through internships, projects, or networking with industry professionals. Let’s connect and collaborate! 🚀

Highly experienced hands on inspirational and energetic technology leader with an entrepreneurial edge. 25 years of strategy, delivery and leadership across technology, communications and major change programmes. A digital visionary and planner who sets the pace and maintains velocity, acts with integrity and creativity, and designs the compelling vision which enables teams to learn and deliver to their full potential.

“Gareth McDonald is the Co-Founder of farmdrive, a livestock management app and supply-chain platform transforming how farmers, meat processors, and retailers use data.

As a fourth-generation beef farmer with a background in computer science, Gareth bridges technology and agriculture to create tools that drive traceability, sustainability, and profits.

farmdrive has grown exponentially since its launch in 2023 and now tracks over 150,000 cattle in the UK and Ireland, in addition to working with major UK meat processors and supermarkets through farmdrive enterprise.

The company was named Best Tech Startup at the NI Tech Awards, has won multiple Innovation Awards, and Gareth was recognised in the Belfast Telegraph’s 30 Under 30.

As an active farmer and tech co-founder, he’s passionate about balancing tradition and innovation to shape the future of agriculture.”  

Glenn Stephenson is the Co-Founder of Fluid Focus, a tech-for-good company on a mission to rebalance our relationship with technology – ensuring it serves to enhance our lives, not control them.

Some of the world’s most popular consumer technology products have been built on the wrong incentives, designed to capture time and attention (by any means necessary) and trade them for profit. The consequences are now well-documented. Deteriorating focus, worsening sleep, higher stress and anxiety, rising body-image concerns, loneliness, and increased polarisation – to name but a few. A rebalancing is overdue – and Fluid Focus is helping lead that shift. 

Fluid Focus partners with academic institutions and businesses to reduce unhealthy or wasteful screen time, boost productivity, and build healthier digital habits – at scale. Their technology provides students or professionals the tools to enable them to switch on when they need to focus, and switch off when they need to rest.

Hannah Roden is the Digital Innovation Officer for the Integrated Digital Service, providing digital services for both Leeds City Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in Leeds, with a passion for driving positive change through technology and connectivity. Hannah plays a pivotal role in driving strategic initiatives and fostering innovation. With a keen eye for identifying emerging trends and a strategic mindset, Hannah excels in developing and implementing innovative solutions that address complex challenges. Hannah is particularly passionate about AI, smart city initiatives and technology enabled care, aiming to harness innovation to enhance the quality of life for residents in Leeds and beyond.

Chair of Nanomedicine, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast 

Chief Scientific and Technology Advisor for Northern Ireland, The Executive 

CEO of XapHe

Professor Helen McCarthy gained first-class BSc Honours and PhD from Ulster University. Helen has been an academic at the School of Pharmacy (Queen’s University Belfast) since 2006. 

Helen has successfully supervised >40 PhD students to completion and mentored >15 Postdoctoral Fellows, all of whom continue to work across science and innovation. Helen is also a named inventor on >40 patents that involve 3 peptide delivery technologies for messenger RNA. Helen has published >160 full research papers, 25 invited reviews and 10 book chapters, all peer reviewed. Helen is highly collaborative with more than 20 academic groups from the US to Australia and back to Ireland, and to support other academics’ careers, she readily shares her technology for delivery of genetic cargo. 

Helen is highly translational, having spun out her first company in 2017 to use peptides to deliver nucleic acids for mRNA vaccines. Helen’s first company was the first to use Invest NI’s innovation vouchers for Medicines Discovery Catapult consultancy, to win both INVENT and the All-Ireland Seedcorn Awards in the same year, and to design pharmaceutical formulation laboratories within Catalyst Innovation Centre. During her time as CEO (2017-23), Helen secured a portfolio of 11 Innovate UK grants as non-dilutive funding. She has also just spun out her second company (XapHe) on the targeted delivery of mRNA therapeutics, a first for Northern Ireland. After securing her Chair in Nanomedicine in 2016, Helen has had numerous, cross-university leadership roles, most recently as Dean of Postgraduate Strategy (2021-2022) and Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic Business Development (2022-2024). In June 2024, Helen was appointed to the role of Northern Ireland’s first Chief Scientific and Technology Advisor (50% FTE). As CSTA, Helen provides scientific advice to the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, works across the executive, is an independent scientific voice, represents NI in the CSA network and advocates for science and technology across government policymaking. Helen has also recently been appointed to the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport’s UK Soft Power Council to represent Science and Technology.

Kelly has been described as a ‘digital all-rounder’, with over 15 years’ experience in user centred design roles in the government, higher education, transport and charity sectors. She has worked for a diverse range of organisations including Government Digital Service, the Scottish Government and the University of Glasgow. She is currently working on the Theory Test Service for the Driver Vehicle and Standards Agency (DVSA) through her role at Kainos. Kelly is passionate about accessibility and inclusive design and has worked on several projects with this focus.

Kristel Miller is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development at Ulster University. Her expertise intersects the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship, strategy and regional competitiveness. Kristel’s research has attracted over £5million of research funding to date working with businesses, community and voluntary sector and policy makers on topics exploring innovation, skills and regional development.  She is the principal investigator of a £4.8 million UKRI funded Local Policy Innovation Partnership called EPIC Futures NI, which seeks to provide an evidence base for policy and programmes related to helping individuals access fair and inclusive employment across Northern Ireland. She is a co-investigator on a €4million Shared Island cross-border project, Atlantic Futures, which explores how to enhance regional development on the west coast of the Island of Ireland through business scaling and digitalisation. She is also a partner on a €6million Peace Plus Skills Connect Initiative which seeks to create inclusive pathways for people with disabilities and access higher-level skills training.  Kristel has published widely in internationally renowned journals, and is a regular speaker at international conferences and events. She is also a director of Innovation Ulster Limited, which is a university technology commercialisation spin-out vehicle. Kristel is an expert reviewer for the European Commission and the UKRI and also engages with SMEs to help them grow their business

Lucy Daly is an engineer and the Programme Manager at Patch, Ireland’s leading community for talented and ambitious youth. Patch includes a 7 week summer programme for 35 young people to build great things, a micro grants programme and also a San Francisco fellowship. On the side, she works on using AI for fresh water monitoring and species identification and previously lead VapeBox, a vape recycling system that served major festivals such as electric picnic and reached the top 16 in the enactus world finals. 

Marie Toft is a leader in AI adoption, working at the intersection of emotional and behavioural barriers.  As CEO of Emotionise AI, Marie leveraged her education in psychotherapy to train AI to communicate with emotional intelligence and has been working with generative AI for several years. She brings a unique perspective of the start-up space with AI, and the applications of Responsible AI. Marie also sits as an Adjunct Teaching Fellow at Trinity Business School for Trinity Executive Education, where she teaches on the topic of AI Leadership, Change Management, Responsible AI, Ethics, Governance & Risk Management. She uses her background to help students address philosophical questions around AI adoption and turn them into practical solutions.

Mo is a Senior Digital Strategist at Reason Digital, she partners with charities and mission-led organisations to navigate critical digital decisions, from transformation initiatives and website redevelopments to innovative products that advance their causes.

Mo brings a unique perspective rooted in rigorous research and healthcare innovation. She holds a PhD from Queen’s University Belfast’s School of Pharmacy, where she studied behaviour change around medicines use, and previously served as a Research Programme Manager for the NHS focusing on health tech innovation.

A passionate advocate for workplace equity, Mo actively champions initiatives that reduce the motherhood penalty and support women’s advancement in their careers.

My name is Niamh Shannon, I just finished my studies of Level 5 Media Makeup at Belfast Metropolitan College. I have been a makeup artist for 4 years now, with experience in working in beauty retail, as well as the film and fashion industry. Currently I’m working as a beauty specialist in a luxury beauty shop

Rob joined the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in 2006 as a project manager to deliver a digital service for the practical driving test. Since then, he has worked on various operational and digital projects, including the implementation of a new motorcycle test and the launch of an online business service for practical tests.

Rob later became the Head of Business Partnering at DVSA before being asked to join the Theory Test Team. In this role, he worked to help disaggregate the monolithic service and develop digital services to support a new way of managing the service. He has continued with the Theory Test Service, becoming the service owner for the digital devices and managing contracts with DVSA’s digital partners.

I’m a Science student at the University of Galway with a strong interest in biological research, agricultural technology, and the development of innovative, sustainable solutions. My work has been recognized nationally and internationally, including back-to-back wins in the Biological and Ecological category at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (2023 & 2024), as well as the Amgen Gold Partner Award for best overall project.

As Project Leader of the winning team at the BT Business Bootcamp and a 2024 delegate to the International Swiss Talent Forum, I’ve gained experience in research leadership, data-driven problem solving, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. My long-term interests lie in biomedical innovation, health and fitness science, and environmental sustainability.

Outside of academics, I represent Roscommon GAA at Minor and U20 levels, recently winning the Connacht Championship as starting goalkeeper. I value discipline, teamwork, and clear communication—whether on the field, in the lab, or in front of a room of policymakers.

I’m always looking to grow, connect with others in STEM and innovation, and contribute to research that creates real-world impact.

Soo has 30+ years of experience in ICT and joined HSC in 2003. Her current role is focused on driving digital (technology and data) as an enabler and disruptor for health transformation and collaborations with partners to provide better quality and more effective care by clinicians for patients, carers and citizens.

Her experience in digital transformation covers a wide area from dementia, mental health, frailty/older people, falls management, long term conditions, telehealth and telecare. 

Other initiatives she has been involved in are:

• Innovate UK funded consortium MOVE MORE LIVE MORE project on falls prevention; 
• Innovate UK Connected Places Catapult Homes NI consortium for Health for Healthy Ageing project https://cp.catapult.org.uk/opportunity/homes-for-healthy-ageing-programme/;
• Development of HSCNI Apps library (https://apps4healthcareni.hscni.net) launched May ‘20 at to support HSCNI staff & people’s health & mental wellbeing during COVID-19; currently supporting ongoing public campaigns to raise awareness of using healthcare apps 
  • adult mental health & wellbeing; and
  • building resilience in health & wellbeing with young people
• Numerous EU-funded projects (Horizon 2020, Northern Periphery & EU Health Programme) from 2011-2020.

Soo sits on a number of boards within UK/DoH/HSC/Academic groups representing digital innovation & transformation.

Theresa Yurkewich Hoffmann is Head of Responsible AI at Kainos, where she leads a team dedicated to embedding responsible AI principles across public and private sector solutions. With a focus on security, trust, ethics, governance, and human-centric design, Theresa helps organisations scale AI adoption with positive impact through accelerators, frameworks, and tools. 

Prior to joining Kainos, she held senior roles at Microsoft and the City of London Corporation, where she championed AI for Good, sustainability, and tech policy. Her work has spanned AI innovation, ESG regulation, and operational resilience – making her a trusted voice in shaping responsible AI practices across industries. 

Councillor Tracy Kelly was elected to Belfast City Council in 2019 to represent the Botanic DEA, as a member of the Democratic Unionist Party. Councillor Kelly has worked for many years in community development across South Belfast and is currently Office Manager for Edwin Poots MLA.

With deep roots in inner-city communities, Councillor Kelly is passionate about tackling local challenges and creating positive change. She looks forward to making a lasting, positive impact in Belfast during her year in office.

Outside of politics, she enjoys walking, football, and spending time with her family. Married to Eddie, she has two grown-up children, four stepchildren and eleven grandchildren. She is looking forward to a busy and rewarding year ahead, full of positive engagement with the people of Belfast.