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Hi, I’m Elsa.
A blend of a Scientific Mind, an Entrepreneurial Hustle & a Heart for the Marginalised!
Over the years, I have developed a ‘killer’ skillset: Excellent Public Speaking and Communication, a Research and Analytical mind, Business Astuteness, Negotiation, Project Management and above all Creativity. With these skills, I build and grow ventures from the ground up - working with organisations, startups, individual clients and brands!
For as long as I can remember, I have been very curious and science-oriented. As a result, my BSc was in Molecular Biology with a Year in Industry. I then pursued a Ph.D in Infectious Diseases and Global Health from the University of Liverpool where I obtained 8 scientific publications with 2 of them in the journal, Nature. My PhD thesis focused on “Evaluating models for Influenza A infection”.
Alongside this, I have always been very creative with a keen interest in event organising. At the age of 17, I pursued this by interning at a high end boutique event organising company - Lion Heart in Accra, Ghana, one summer - unbeknownst to my parents. By day - I interned at the “International Organisation for Migration” and by evening and weekend, I was at Lion Heart. This was how passionate I was about it. This exposed me to entrepreneurship, business and of course the creative side of working with several brands and clients.
I finished High School and went to University knowing - I had found something I was good at and I loved..
9 months into my PhD, this “itch” was awoken as I started seeking opportunities to broaden my skill set. Science - I was great at but I knew, I had more to offer. That’s when I co-founded my first company - the Northwest Biotech Initiative (NBI).
This was to encourage collaboration between academia and industry, create a space where scientists can learn how to spin out their research into companies and explore career opportunities outside academia.
Over 4 years, NBI recruited a team of 24+, organised 20+ high quality events, more than 1,000 registrations with an 80% attendance. NBI raised over £10,000 in sponsorships, gained recognition from Manchester Enterprise Centre, Liverpool Doctoral College, Louise Ellman (Labour MP of Liverpool), Liverpool Doctoral College and more.
This was the first time I called myself an Entrepreneur.
With a heart for marginalised communities, I also spent many summers volunteering for UNICEF and Society for Women living with AIDS in Africa (SWAA) in Accra, Ghana.
It was therefore no surprise that, in 2015, when the biggest Ebola outbreak happened in West Africa and the World Health Organisation put out a call for Scientists as consultants, I quickly signed up, was recruited and deployed to Guinea. There, I spent 6 weeks in Coyah, Guinea at the Ebola Treatment Centre, testing patients for Ebola or Malaria. I was subsequently awarded “the Ebola medal for service to West Africa” by Her Majesty, the Queen of England the II.
This experience was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhaustive. Being the problem solver that I am, I began to speak, write and advocate for some of the inequalities I experienced on ground and sought solutions to these challenges.
Serendipitously, all my worlds collided - the Scientist, the Entrepreneur and the advocate as I was selected as a European Commission Young Leader 2016 to advocate on Sustainable Development Goals from a Youth Perspective.
With extensive experience and excellent public speaking skills, I was a voice of youth to speak with decision makers on high level panels and influence policy through some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the European Development Days 2016 and 2017. These goals included SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all).
I shared my opinion and experiences on a high-level panel alongside Decision Makers such as Dr. Mark Dybul - Executive Director of Global Fund, Dr. David Nabarro - Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Lilianne Ploumen – Minister for foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, The Netherlands, Bob Collymore – CEO Safaricom, Martha Rojas-Urrego – Head of Global Advocacy, Care International and Martin Seychell – Deputy Director DG SANTE, European Commission
I decided to join the Jobseekrs team as a Director and one of the Founding Members. Jobseekrs is a careers platform that mitigates unconscious bias at the sourcing and screening stage of the recruitment process to increase Diversity and Inclusion and to decrease churn.
Due to my excellent public speaking skills, I soon became the “Designated Pitcher” and Head of Operations. Alongside the team, I was able to develop strategic partnerships with 6 Universities and sought opportunities that led to us being accepted on 2 prestigious startups in the UK (Wayra & GCHQ) and in Austria (360 Lab Accelerator) where we won €100,000.
Alongside Jobseekrs, I co-founded a Community Interest Company - Solidarity in Tech. Solidarity In Tech is on a mission to build a culture of Diversity and Inclusion in STEM (Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics) with a particular focus on Technology, BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic), neurodiversity and Gender.
Solidarity In Tech has gained exceptional partnership with other organisations such as Accenture & HMRC as well as Funding from the National Lottery, UK.
My strategic and growth mindset have led to my appointment as one of the youngest independent council member (Non-Executive Director) at the University of Salford, Manchester, UK working with executives on the leadership and management of the University. I am a Trustee of the Smart Works Greater Manchester Charity - A charity empowering and supporting women into gaining employment. I am also an advisory trustee for the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester
All of this brings me to you…
