Meet the Woman Innovator – Session 1

Through the Women in Innovation Programme, we have supported over 100 pioneering women innovators and created a community of 9,000+ members since 2016.

Without a doubt, there is great power in innovation, and there is even greater power in the innovation led by diverse game changers who serve the needs of diverse communities through their businesses.

We believe in their remarkable power and in our role to spotlight, empower them and challenge existing assumptions.

Join us for our first webinar in the Meet the Woman Innovator series.

Chaired by a guest host and featuring at least one speaker, you will hear from inspiring women innovators who have the courage to choose and continue their entrepreneurial journey in innovation.

Ask the questions you most want to know, share tips and advice and get ready to challenge your own assumptions.

• Penny Morton, Founder | DYIWomen

Penny Morton is a senior project engineer at Koolmill Systems (A disruptive rice processing technology) and the founder of DIYWomen – Workshops which equip and empower women with practical skills, while engaging with employers to create more diverse and inclusive engineering, construction and trades workforces.

From working as an engineer in a male dominated workshop, and being the first female labourer at Gallowglass constructing events, alongside flat renovations, highlighted to her the intimidating culture, misconceptions and lack of female representation/education within the industry.

She graduated from the University of Glasgow with a first-class honours degree in MEng Product Design Engineering. Last year Penny was selected as a Young Pioneer on the Manufacturer Top 100 List.  Throughout University, Penny was President of the Female Engineering Society – promoting female interest in engineering, an Equate Scotland student champion and awarded the GUES Medal 2020 – graduate most likely to contribute to engineering profession.

“My drive is engineering a better future. I have been incredibly lucky winning an Innovate UK’s Young Innovator Award – It has given me the confidence and financial support to turn DIYWomen into a reality.”

• Leslie Gaston-Bird, Founder | Mix Messiah Productions

US born Leslie Gaston-Bird is a certified audio engineer specializing in re-recording mixing (dubbing) and sound editing. She is a former Governor-at-Large for the Audio Engineering Society, and author of the book Women in Audio. She is a member of the Recording Academy (The Grammys®), Cinema Audio Society, Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS), and Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE). She has worked for National Public Radio (Washington, D.C.), Colorado Public Radio, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Post Modern Company, and was a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Denver.

Leslie was awarded the Women in Innovation grant in 2021 for her pioneering innovative business, Mix Messiah Productions.

Mix Messiah Productions serves a diverse community of creators. Through it, Leslie has worked on award-winning films and documentaries including Enough White Teacups, Klocked, Doc of the Dead, Infinity Chamber, A Feral World, Leap of Faith, and Rent-a-Pal, among others.

• Sam Jackman, Co-Founder & Director | Boost Innovations

Sam Jackman is co-founder and Director of Boost Innovations Ltd, a start-up company which aims to create products with women, for women after breast cancer treatment. Inspired by Sam’s Mum, who had a mastectomy 15 years ago, Boost has developed a revolutionary approach to breast form design that seeks to solve the issues women have with the current market breast prosthesis.

Sam’s background in education, cultural heritage and project management has enabled her to bring a creative perspective to the business. Working with women who have experienced breast cancer treatment has helped Boost to design new solutions to the issues that women have faced.