The Founder and CEO of Micro-Fresh®, Byron Dixon started the global, anti-bacterial brand over 15 years ago. Today, the brand is used as an ‘added value’ by over 50 retailers such as Emirates, Next and John Lewis & Partners. It now serves as the ‘go-to’ brand for innovation-conscious retailers that want to incorporate freshness into their products.

Dr Nik Kotecha is a business leader and entrepreneur, as well as a philanthropist and influencer. Nik is the Founder and Chairman of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, a Midlands-based manufacturer, wholesaler and exporter of branded and generic medicines and healthcare products to the UK and international export markets. He started the business in 1991 from his home garage and grew it into a global business. Since inception, Morningside has exported to over 120 countries and has over 240 generic and branded licensed medicines in the UK and EU. As well as products delivered twice daily to UK pharmacies and hospitals, Morningside supplies some of the world’s largest aid agencies such as UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Red Cross. The Company also continues to grow in new markets, where product registrations in individual countries offer an opportunity to develop in the private sector. In addition to Morningside, Nik is a serial entrepreneur with a number of business and investment interests. This has been recognised by numerous awards, most recently the National Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2019 National Business Awards. In 2017, he was awarded an OBE for services to entrepreneurship, innovation in pharmaceutical services and philanthropy. Nik is active in public service at both national and regional level. His roles include Department of International Trade (DIT) Export Champion and sitting on the Department’s SME Trade Advisory Group. He also plays a dynamic role on the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), the Midlands Engine Council, CBI East Midlands and as Co-Chair of Charnwood Borough Council’s Town Deal Board. Nik and his family established The Randal Charitable Foundation in 2017. Its vision is to directly save lives, help the socially disadvantaged and significantly improve the quality of life for those in need in the UK and around the world with an ambition to save one million lives globally. Born in east Africa, Nik came to the UK as a young child and through hard work and tenacity, pursued an education. After gaining a First Class degree in Chemistry at Newcastle, he achieved a PhD from Imperial College London and then went on to further work at Cambridge University, before switching to work in pharmaceutical drug discovery followed by development, manufacture and supply of generic medicines. Nik is married and has two grown up children.

Helen is Director of Enterprise and Business Services at De Montfort University. Helen has an extensive track record in developing successful partnerships to support innovation and engage Higher Education as a catalyst for change and growth. Helen was previously Inward Investment Director at Leicester City Council during which time her team brought IBM, Hastings Direct, PPL PRS and Octopus Energy to the City. Before working in the public sector Helen was a senior leader at Dow Jones responsible for Marketing and Communications across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Professor Philip Baker is the University of Leicester’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research and Enterprise. In this role, Professor Baker leads the University’s efforts to foster research excellence and optimise the impact of that research, drive ambitious innovation and enterprise, and nurture the next generation of researchers. He previously held the role of Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Life Sciences. Professor Baker is a member of the Executive Board, Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the Academic Leadership Team. Born and bred in Leicester, Professor Baker trained in Nottingham, Cambridge and Pittsburgh before taking Chairs of obstetrics in Nottingham and then Manchester. He led both Manchester’s successful bid for an NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and the Manchester medical school, before moving to head the Medical School in Edmonton, Canada. He remained in Edmonton as special adviser to the Provost before being appointed as the Director of the National Centre of Growth and Development in New Zealand. During this time he also directed a pregnancy research centre in Chongqing, China, and the Chinese Government appointed him as a National Distinguished Professor. Professor Baker is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in both New Zealand and the UK. He was principal author of the position paper on ‘Health of Women and Children’ that was considered at the 2010 G8 Summit. Professor Baker has been awarded personal/institutional grants of over £100 million, has published over 400 peer-reviewed research articles and 19 textbooks, and has supervised over 40 PhD/MD theses.