From left to right – Jagdish Chander, Tony Lake, Ajay Sharman, Meena Chander, Jacqueline Gavin, Brenda Jefcoate, Paul Minns, Sarah Thorne, intern Jess, Emma Kent, Anne Walsh and Storm Rae.
A newly convened advisory board for the Overt STEM Summit and Awards 2026 has set out its vision for strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) across the South Midlands and the Oxford-Cambridge corridor.
Meeting for the first time this month, the board—comprising senior figures from academia, engineering, recruitment and national education organisations—outlined a programme designed to tackle the region’s most pressing STEM challenges, including skills shortages and the disconnect between education and industry.
The advisory board will support the development of the Overt STEM Summit and Awards, scheduled to take place on Tuesday 3 March 2026 at MK Conferencing. The event will bring together regional STEM businesses, local authorities, not-for-profit industry bodies and educational institutions.
Central themes will include industry collaboration, support and funding, and the recognition of innovation, leadership and impact within the sector.
The Overt STEM Advisory Board includes:
Meena Chander, Founder, MK STEM Awards and Overt STEM Summit and Awards
Brenda Jefcoate, STEM and Aviation Skills Consultant, Civil Aviation Authority
Jacqueline Gavin, Director, 5 Senses of Inclusion
Ajay Sharman, National Lead, STEM Learning UK
Sarah Thorne, Managing Director, Thorne Project Solutions
Emma Kent, Managing Director, Initivo
Paul Minns, Director, Lucid Connect
Jagdish Chander, Chief Executive, Intellectual Collaboration
Storm Rae, Learning and Development Leader, Cranfield University
Laura Giddings, Founder, The STEM Project
Eman Martin-Vignerte, Director, Bosch
Tony Lake, Founder, Production Live
Anne Walsh, Communications Lead, Stratos
Ajay Sharman, National Lead at STEM Learning UK, said: “I’m delighted to join the advisory board for this important initiative, aimed at strengthening the pipeline of STEM talent from education into industry. The summit will serve as a platform to showcase effective practice, support collaboration and celebrate the contribution of STEM ambassadors and innovators.”
Organisers are now inviting expressions of interest and abstract submissions for presentations and workshops. Proposals should address one or more of the summit’s core themes: regional collaboration, education-to-industry pathways, STEM funding and support, diversity and inclusion in the future workforce, and social mobility.
Submissions and enquiries should be directed to [email protected].
Further updates are available via the Overt STEM LinkedIn page.
