What To Expect
The Agenda (9th June 2026)
Upon arrival, attendees can check in at the registration desk before beginning their Super Connect Networking through:
- Super Support Expo: We will be joined by Inspire People, Nomius, Regulogix, ZenBit, Bruntwood SciTech, iNVEST Manchester and more
- Super Connect Networking*: The Super Connect team at Empact Ventures will super connect attendees who register, opt-in and check-in in person on the day with 5 potential partners, clients, funders, business support or collaborators (in addition to your own networking)
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- During the Event (by email): You’ll be super connected with exhibitors, pitchers, speakers or panellists you and they’ve arrived based on your preferences
- During the Event (in-person) – Attendees will be able to consult the Lead Super Connector, Kosta Mavroulakis (CEO, Empact Ventures), to make warm introductions in person (if in attendance) to other attendees, speakers or exhibitors
- During the Event (Super Connect Wall) – Attendees will be able to view the photos of all speakers, exhibitors, partners and attendees opted-in registrants to find them in the event or consult Kosta to introduce them where possible
- After the Event: We may also super-connect you to a wider network of partners, clients, funders, collaborators, or business support based on your registration form up to 8 weeks after the event, subject to capacity
- Super Connect Clinics: If you need one-to-one business support to discuss your challenges with our experts (to be announced)
Learn More in the Rise of the Super Connectors piece in leading tech publication Maddyness here, and note that in some cases, we may introduce you to our delivery partners before the event, subject to capacity
Note: Photography and videography provided by our partner, NT91 Photography in Manchester
A welcome to the event will be made by each of our delivery partners, including:
- Empact Ventures (Kosta Mavroulakis, Founder & CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Global Good)
- iNVEST Manchester (Andrea Winders, Head of Inward Investment – Life Sciences & Healthcare)
- Bruntwood SciTech (Hannah Churchman, Head of Innovation and Growth,
Ralph will outline how companies of all sizes can work with the NHS and the support available in Manchester
If you are ready to make that jump and scale your impact by building a rockstar team, our recruitment experts will help you. You will learn how and where to find the right talent for your business in Manchester from those who do it every day of the week for startups, scaleups, SMEs and large organisations.
Panellists include:
- Andrew Medhurst (Managing Director, Inspire People)
- Joshua Tinsley| Managing Recruitment Consultant Anson McCade Ltd
Chaired by Kosta Mavroulakis (Founder and CEO, Empact Ventures, Editor-in-Chief of Global Good)
We will announce our panellists from investment firms to healthcare organisations, and our 4 pitchers, soon
- Joshua Higgins, VC Investor, Mercia Ventures (Panelist)
Join our experts to understand setting up in Manchester with advice and Q & A on areas like banking, accounting, employment law and sourcing the right workspace.
Chair: To be confirmed
Panellist: Jamie Bottomley, Director, Track Real Estate
Panellist: Joe Williams, Operations Director at EBS
Panellist: Laura Darnley, Partner at Ward Hadaway
The panel will focus on the benefits of being in Manchester and how the ecosystem can support you to scale.
The panel will focus on the benefits of being in Manchester and how the ecosystem can support you to scale. Chaired by Hannah Churchman, Head of Innovation and Growth at Bruntwood SciTech
Are you planning to raise investment? Join the session to learn from our fundraising experts, including investors, VCs, and more chaired by iNVEST Manchester
The event will come to a close after this session, and we encourage you to go to the next event at Bruntwood SciTech’s CityLabs 1.0, led by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, with lunch starting at 1 pm
Note: There will be no lunch provided, though you are welcome to finish your networking while we pack up
Our Speakers (9th June 2026)
Andrea Winders
Head of Inward Investment for Life Sciences and Healthcare
Andrew Medhurst
Founder and Director
Hannah Churchman
Head of Innovation Bruntwood SciTech
Kosta Mavroulakis
Founder and CEO l Editor-in-Chief (Global Good)
Laura Darnley
Partner
Ward Hadaway
Kevin Reed
Business Development Manager
Life Science and Healthcare
Joshua Higgins
Investor
Joe Williams
Operations Director
Nataliya Noreika
CEO Regulogix / Nomius
Professor Ralph James MacKinnon
CEO and Consultant Children’s Anaesthetic Doctor
Jamie Bottomley
Director
Nikesh Patel
Business Development Executive
Healthcare and Life Sciences
Joshua Tinsley
Managing Recruitment Consultant
Our 2025 Speakers
Terry Reed
Director of Business Development, AstraZeneca
Dace Dimza-Jones
National Life Sciences Specialist l Global Entrepreneurship
Department for Business and Trade
Chris Taylor
Sustainability Lead UKI Philips Health Systems
Isil Mirzanli
Commercial Partnerships Manager
Nina Richards
Senior International Executive Search Consultant RMG (Recruitment Management Group)
Gillian Dalgleish
Global Technical Lead Qiagen
Graeme Forth
Senior Innovator
Jacqueline Swift
Programme Manager NIHR HealthTech Research Centre for Rehabilitation & Program Manager, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Ben Davies
Marketing Director Praetura Ventures
Taryn Hobson
Key Account Manager at Solventum
Lee Lindley
Life Sciences and DeepTech Investor Mercia Ventures
Holly Young
Network Manager GM Growth Hub
James Reston
Investment Associate DSW Ventures
Emma Bennett
Director of Operations Patchwork Hub
Tan Ahmed
Partnerships Manager
Maria Angeles Jimenez Sigstad
CEO
Doug Quinn
Partner
Ashley Strong
Founder Strong Pillars
Adnan Ashfaq
Nina Janda
Co-Founder
Justin Carpenter
Partner Bailey Fisher
Dr Lucy Buckley
Founder
Dr Anand Patel
Co-Founder LV8 Health
Philippa Takhar
Head of Implementation at XR Therapeutics Ltd
Dr Zied Tayeb
Co-Founder and CEO
Paul Reeves
Managing Director Vortex Liquid Biopsy Solutions
Nick Gompertz
Founder, Chairman and CEO EarSwitch
Dr Parsa Pirhady
COO Simplex Molecular
Darren Crowder
Founder and CEO
Johnny Pawlik
CEO Mantra Media / Atelier Japan
Michael Jakubiak
CEO
Waheed Abdul
On Time Healthcare
Andrea Demichellis
Ventures Executive
Are You Ready to be Super Connected?
- Empact Ventures are super connectors who make a genuine effort to facilitate warm introductions between attendees and beyond
- Those who register, opt-in and attend receive 5 free super connections to potential partners, clients, funders, or business support
- Upon submitting your Eventbrite registration, you will be sent the Super Connect form link to submit your business challenges, needs and interests
- Upon arrival, the Super Connect team will facilitate pre-drafted warm introductions that broadly match the submission
- The team will stay cc’d in every email to help you move it along towards a collaboration where possible
- The Super Connect Wall will also feature the photos, names, title and organisations of those who confirm up to 2-weeks before that they will be attending, to help people find each other
- You can also ask our Super Connect team to facilitate introductions in-person at the event
Learn more about our approach in the Rise of the Super Connectors piece in the leading tech publication Maddyness here
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