Hello! My name is Mayowa and I am an operations director with a background in architecture and interior design, bringing over eight years of experience in the real estate and design industries. I have led design teams, optimized processes, and driven operational efficiency to improve business performance. Currently, I am pursuing an MBA at IE Business School, where I am focused on expanding my leadership and business expertise to drive operational excellence and strategic innovation. As a Laidlaw Scholar, I am committed to research and leadership initiatives that foster industry transformation and efficiency. After my MBA, I aim to transition into management or strategy consulting, leveraging my expertise in operations and business strategy to solve complex challenges and drive sustainable growth.

I am the Programme Manager for the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership & Research Programme at Trinity College Dublin. Before joining the Careers and Development Service at Trinity College Dublin, I have been looking after a portfolio of open enrolment short executive education courses at Trinity and have over 10 years of experience in admissions, event coordination and higher education management across Ireland, United Kingdom and Ukraine.

I am currently an International MBA candidate at IE Business School, supported by the Laidlaw Women Scholarship, where I am expanding my knowledge in global business strategy, corporate governance, and technology-driven solutions for organizational management. With over ten years of experience in internal audit and governance within Kazakhstan’s mining and metallurgy industry, I have contributed to transformative initiatives, including audit system automation, ERP integration, and sustainable reporting processes.  My academic and professional journey has equipped me with skills in change management, process improvement, and corporate policy development. As I progress through my MBA, I am particularly interested in exploring new perspectives on sustainability in business and fostering inclusive organizational cultures. Proficient in English, Russian, and Kazakh, with intermediate Spanish skills, I am eager to connect with and learn from a diverse community of forward-thinking leaders.

Hi there! I'm Jane Emmins, a Senior Sophister in English Studies at Trinity College Dublin and alumna of the Laidlaw Scholarship. My Summer 1 research was concerned with representations of space, place, and utopianism in the literature of Fire Island 1940-2000. I was interested in exploring how contrasting authors handled ideas and constructions of 'gay paradise' as a means to interogate the nature of queer utopian desire(s) in America at this pivotal period in LGBTQ+ history.  My Summer 2 'Leadership-in-Action' saw me flying to Cape Town, South Africa to volunteer at SOS Children's Village in Thornton. I designed and delivered a six-week dance movement therapy based psychosocial intervention for orphaned, abandoned, and precariously housed children.  I am a lover of sacred music and a member of multiple choirs. My hobbies also include swimming in the sea and watching good television.  Feel free to reach out to me using my contact info. 

Surayyah Ahmad is a Founding Partner at Sabou Capital (formerly Aduna Capital), which provides a blend of revenue-based financing, equity funding, and technical support to SMEs in West and Central Africa. She is also a founding partner of TTLabs, an accelerator focused on empowering founders from underserved regions, particularly Northern Nigeria, and supporting women entrepreneurs. Surayyah is currently studying at the University of Oxford, where she focuses on finance and impact investing. Through this, she serves the co-chair of the Oxford Africa Business Alliance. As an experienced operator, Surayyah founded and successfully exited an e-commerce and fulfillment service company with operations in both Nigeria and the UK. She is passionate about uplifting women and driving economic development in underserved regions through private enterprise.

Mary May Furtado is an experienced startup strategy and business operations consultant. She scales businesses to thrive in changing economic climates. Mary has worked with startups from pre-incorporation through $80MM+ fundraise rounds and is passionate about working with companies at the cutting edge. She thrives in fast paced roles requiring creative, complex problem solving and believes that meaning, direction and joy stem from a life of accountability and intense responsibility. She is currently undertaking her MBA at the University of Oxford's Said Business School to expand her professional bounds into even higher level financial strategy. Mary is passionate about supporting women and parents in the workplace and has three sons of her own.

Laidlaw Scholar Alumna at Oxford University's Saïd Business School, I'm often found at the piano🎹, mesmerized in a theatre🎭, or painting away the night with friends🎨.  If our paths align in interests or work, why not connect? Ping me, and let's connect on LinkedIn.