An award-winning CEO and public affairs leader, recognised for her influential lobbying work during Brexit and her modernisation of the British Compressed Gases Association (BCGA), for which Ellen has served as Chief Executive Officer since 2020. In this episode, she explains why compressed gases are an essential part of the life sciences industry in the West Midlands and how the BCGA have helped businesses navigate global challenges affecting the region since the start of her CEO role.

A health technology specialist and UK Health Program Manager at Plug and Play, a global innovation platform and venture capital firm. Adam works closely with startups, universities, investors, and corporates to accelerate the development and adoption of transformative health solutions. In this episode he explains what he looks for in a start-up that’s ready for investment and how mentorship can be important for a success of new ventures.

A former corporate executive for Estée Lauder, Adidas and Avon and now managing Director of the Altruistic Capitalist, Lynn helps businesses to scale through innovation, digital transformation, and responsible AI integration. In this episode she talks about her route into the life sciences industry and the essential role of creativity and collaboration in innovation.

David Kidney. A former government minister responsible for climate change legislation reform and chief executive of the UK Public Health Register, David is now Executive chair of the West Midlands Health Technologies cluster (WMHTC). In this first episode David explains his approach to bringing disparate organisations together to create innovation and how the WMHTC is helping to create success in our Region.

“As small as the city is, I’m very proud to be from Wolverhampton. I was looking for a university where I was going to feel comfortable, a place that I could feel safe. I always knew who I was, I just didn’t have the language for it. This is me now, there’s no going back, there’s no hiding, there’s no fear of who I am or where I’m going.”

In our first University of Wolverhampton podcast, Every Story Has a Start, the UK’s first transgender rapper and Public Health degree graduate, Nate Ethan-Watson, chats to Mags from the University’s Communications team.

In this revealing and deeply personal conversation, Nate touches on his passion for music, his emotional journey as he juggled the complicated and often difficult process of transitioning, studying for a degree that changed his life and his dedication as a care worker and award-winning advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.