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UK Space Agency Accelerator - Empowering Female Entrepreneurs in the Space Sector
UK Space Agency Accelerator - Empowering Female Entrepreneurs in the Space Sector

Wed, 05 Feb

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Live Theatre

UK Space Agency Accelerator - Empowering Female Entrepreneurs in the Space Sector

In this session, representatives from the UK Space Agency, female entrepreneurs, and industry experts will discuss the challenges and opportunities for female founders in the space sector.

Time & Location

05 Feb 2025, 14:30 – 15:15

Live Theatre

About the event

Female entrepreneurs remain significantly underrepresented in the space industry startup ecosystem, with women accounting for approximately 25% of participants in UK Space Agency Accelerator programmes. This underrepresentation poses long-term challenges for diversity, innovation, and equity in the industry’s future.  In this session, representatives from the UK Space Agency, female entrepreneurs, and industry experts will discuss the challenges and opportunities for female founders in the space sector.


The panel will delve into key insights, including: 

  • The barriers female entrepreneurs face in navigating the space industry. 

  • Lessons and insights from female entrepreneurs on driving meaningful change in the sector. 

  • Recommendations to improve access to support for female founders. 


The discussion will also highlight the Accelerator’s efforts and successes in fostering diversity and inclusivity and explore how we can leverage these experiences to drive meaningful change.


Speaker Information





Chair - Chris White Horne.

Prior to joining the UK Space Agency Chris was the Senior Responsible Owner (jobshare with Annelies) for the Rail Transformation Programme in the Department for Transport, building the programme to deliver a simpler and better railway for Britain.  Previously Chris had a 25-year career in defence and aviation, was Programme Director and Chief Engineer in the international programme office for the Typhoon aircraft in Munich and a diplomat in Washington DC.  Chris lives in Gloucestershire on a smallholding. He is a trombone teacher, trustee of a youth music charity, runs a swing band and is Non-Executive Director of a multi-academy school trust. 



Elaine Harding is a skilled leader and entrepreneur with extensive experience in the aerospace industry. 

  

As the founder of Augment Aero, she leads the development of innovative augmented reality and artificial intelligence software striving towards a safer aviation industry. 

 

Previously, she built and scaled Capilaux Aero, a consultancy known for its consistent growth and strong client partnerships. 

  

Elaine began her career in sales, where she honed her business skills and ability to build meaningful relationships. Now a thought leader in the aviation space, she aims to continue to effect meaningful change in the sector she is passionate about.  



Rachel Forster represents Exotopic, a science and technology consultancy dedicated to bridging the gap between scientific innovation and business. With a strong commitment to supporting the UK space start-up ecosystem, Rachel leads key initiatives, including the Catapult’s Technical Expert Support programme and the UK Space Agency’s Unlocking Space for Investment programme. She is also involved Exotopic’s delivery of the UK Space Agency Accelerator, the Unlocking Space for Government Programmes, and more recently the launch of the Give Me Some Space mission. 






Mike Stephens is the CEO of Entrepreneurial Spark, one of the longest established accelerators in the UK. He has a deeply-held belief in the power of creativity and curiosity to change the world, hence his love of working with entrepreneurs. He sees the limitless possibilities in people and businesses and is always working on something new, with an infectious imagination and a constant desire to do better. Mike joined Entrepreneurial Spark in 2015 after 12 years in banking, specialising in growth finance for SMEs. He re-founded the business after an exit, and has owned and led ES since 2018, walking the founder’s journey along with the entrepreneurs the accelerator supports. As well as having raised investment himself, Mike has supported and enabled fundraising of over £100m across debt and equity transactions. 




Joanne Oliver is a Director of SpaceCareers.uk. Here she plays a pivotal role in supporting professionals throughout their career in space and helping employers identify and nurture the talent they need to thrive in the UK space sector. With a background in business and psychology, she is also a freelance business consultant supporting start-ups with experience working across the space sector with industry, government and academia. Joanne is driven to understand the skills gaps in the industry and develop innovative solutions to bridge them, to grow the UK space workforce. 

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