Julia Middleton is a best-selling author of “If that’s leading, I’m in”, "Leading beyond Authority" and "Cultural Intelligence" and the host of the Women Emerging podcast.

She is deeply committed to helping people from all backgrounds to lead and speaks regularly about leadership to audiences around the world.

In 2022, Julia launched an expedition of 24 women to find 'an approach to leading that resonated with women'. In 2024 she then founded Women Emerging. She now leads expeditions with women across the world using the 4Es methodology, discovered on the first expedition.

Prior to this Julia was Founder and Chief Executive of Common Purpose, which she grew to become one of the biggest leadership development organisations in the world.

Julia is also an Ambassador for the Aurora Prize based in Armenia, on the advisory councils of AUB in the Lebanon, Fundacao Dom Cabral in Brasil and Synapse in Pakistan. She is also a board member of Equality Now globally.

Born in London and brought up in New York and Geneva, Julia was educated at French Lycées and graduated from the London School of Economics. She is married, with five children and seven grandchildren.

Listen to Julia’s Ted talk on Cultural Intelligence

Julia’s books can be found here:

1. If that’s leading, I’m in

2. Beyond Authority: Leadership in a changing world

3. Cultural Intelligence: The competitive edge for leaders crossing boundaries:

Julia Middleton

Founder Women Emerging

Amy Stillman loves helping to build the brand and profile of young, founder-led, global non-profits focused on systems change. She was previously the Chief Communications Officer of the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) where she led the development and execution of the communications strategy to advance the GIIN’s mission and brand.

Prior to joining the GIIN, Amy was Director of Communications at Impetus – The Private Equity Foundation, the pioneer of venture philanthropy in the UK, where she was responsible for both external/internal communications, and UK policy. Previously she was Head of Communications and Public Engagement at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), the world’s leading independent international development organisation that uses volunteers to fight poverty and reduce inequality. Her background also includes senior marketing and communications roles at commercial organisations, including Merrill Lynch and WATG, as well as marketing consulting at the Commonwealth Group. She moved to the social sector in 1999 as Marketing Director of global leadership development organisation Common Purpose. Amy was based in the United Kingdom for 25 years before returning to New York in 2014.

Amy Stillman

COO

Sonam is a brand and marketing expert with a passion for bringing brands to life via powerful storytelling, and integrated marketing. Her expertise lies in designing integrated branding and marketing strategies with execution at the core of it, developing, and implementing processes and performance metrics, building, and leading high-performance teams, and contributing to bottom-line growth. In her 15-year career span, she has worked with enterprises to achieve 1.5x growth by driving multi-locational teams, and an integrated B2B marketing strategy. Her experience spans across Not for profit, B2B SaaS, IT Solutions, Outsourcing, Recruitment, and Financial Industries

Sonam Dave

Marketing Director

Funmi has a track record of delivering successful program, fundraising, and partnership solutions on a global scale. Funmi is passionate about empowering women through education and leadership, which prompted her to join the Women Emerging team.

Funmi is an experienced professional who has worked in various roles focused on development, partnerships, and education across Not for profit, Television and Radio. Her last role was with Teach For Nigeria, where she successfully secured financial partnerships and increased funding support for the organisation. Funmi holds a Master's degree in English Language and Literature/Letters, and has undergone training in education and teaching.

Funmi Adeyemi

Expedition Director

Andini Makosinski is a 2020s multipotentialite—an inventor, host, and sought-after speaker passionate about both science and the arts. Raised by resourceful parents from the Philippines and WWII-era Poland, her childhood was rooted in creativity, often building her own toys from spare parts.

At 11, she began entering science fairs, ultimately winning her age category at the Google Science Fair with the Hollow Flashlight, a device powered by body heat, inspired by a friend in the Philippines without access to electricity. She later invented the eDrink, a mug that turns excess heat into electricity for small devices—earning awards at the Intel Science and Engineering Fair.

Andini has been featured on The Tonight Show, Forbes’ 30 Under 30 (Energy), Time’s 30 Under 30 World Changers, and more. She has given five TEDx talks, hosted the financial literacy show Your World on Money, and worked with brands like Uniqlo, Converse, and Maybelline.

A graduate in English and Film Studies from UVic, she also trained in acting in New York and is developing a line of green-energy children’s toys. She’s a member of the Women Emerging expedition and is currently writing her first book on 21st-century multipotentialites, releasing with Knopf Canada in Spring 2025.

She was an explorer on the Women Emerging first expedition and is currently writing her first book on 21st-century multipotentialites, releasing with Knopf Canada in Spring 2025.

Andini Makosinski

Dr. Ayesha Mian is the Founder and CEO of Synapse: Pakistan Neuroscience Institute. She is the immediate past Chair, Department of Psychiatry (2013–2020), Aga Khan University, and the Founding Dean of Students of the Office of Student Experience (2017–2020), AKU.

A US-trained adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist with extensive experience in teaching, capacity building, and programme development in the areas of leadership, mental health, medical education, cultural intelligence, and gender.

Dr. Mian created the first child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship training programme in Pakistan. She has been internationally recognised for her work; key awards include the Jeanna Spurlock Award for Diversity and Culture by AACAP, the Laughlin Fellowship by the American College of Psychiatrists (ACP), Presidential Award and Outstanding Mentor by AACAP, Robert Fellowship for Inspirational Mentorship (AAP), Fulbright and Jaworski Awards in Educational Leadership by BCM, and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the University of Missouri, Department of Psychiatry.

She is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), awarded for her instrumental work in paediatric mental health. She is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK, a recognition given for her leadership in medical education.

She is a board trustee/advisor for Mukhtar A. Sheikh Hospital (MASH), Karwan-e-Hayat, Vital Trust, Kazim Trust, Sabeen Mahmood Foundation, and the entrepreneurship and youth development society SEED Ventures, Pakistan.

Ayesha Mian

Folawe Omikunle is a social entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience spanning education, development, non-profit management, fundraising, and sustainability.

Her degrees in International Law and Diplomacy, Diplomatic Studies, and Montessori Education from Babcock University (Nigeria), the University of Westminster, and Modern Montessori International (UK) prepared her to be a catalyst for change, as she has revolutionised the education non-profit sector in Nigeria. She also holds executive certifications from Lagos Business School (Nigeria) and Harvard University.

Folawe is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Teach For Nigeria, a non-profit organisation focused on addressing educational inequity by recruiting university graduates and working professionals to serve as full-time teachers in Nigeria's most under-served schools. Through her dedication and resilience, Teach For Nigeria was named Best Education Innovation of the Year at the 2018 Arclight Award.

As a visionary leader, Folawe has served in various leadership capacities, including being the Pioneer Executive Secretary of the Association of Private Educators in Nigeria.

She has served Nigeria and the world at large in various roles, including Head of the Basic Education Committee of the Human Capital Development Commission (Nigerian Economic Summit Group); Committee Member of the Education Transformation Committee, Ministry of Education (Lagos); and Board Member of the Vocational Training Centre of the Blind Society, Nigeria, and the Nigerian Breweries—Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund. She also sits on the Advisory Council of Teach For All, Africa, and the Network Advisory Committee of Teach For All.

In 2016, Folawe was listed on the PowerList as one of the ten most influential Nigerians under 40 by YNaija. In 2018, she was listed as one of the 100 most inspiring Nigerian women by Leading Ladies Africa. She has received the HER Network Education Woman of the Year Award and the Arclight Foundation Woman of the Year in Education Award. In 2020, in commemoration of Nigeria’s 60th Independence Day, she was listed as one of the 60 most inspiring and impactful women in Nigeria.

Folawe Omikunle

Joanna Janik (she/her/hers) is an Engineering Lead working on Google Home technology. For the last 20 years, she's been working across large tech companies and smaller startups, combining engineering and managerial experience to build strong, impactful, and happy teams that deliver high quality, cutting-edge technology that can drive positive change in the world.

Joanna holds a master’s degree in computer science from the Academy of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland. She is passionate about increasing diversity and representation in STEM, and the social impact that technology can have on the world. She serves as an advisor for manara.tech, a social enterprise organisation on a mission to diversify the tech sector and unlock the full human potential of the MENA region. Always seeking new ways for technology to make the world a better and fairer place, Joanna served as Tech2Empower advisor to Wake International, and a board member for the Global Fund for Women UK.

Joanna Janik

Sharmila Mona Sinha (Mona) is a globally recognised advocate for gender equality, combining her background in finance (Morgan Stanley), marketing (Unilever), and business restructuring (Elizabeth Arden/Unilever) with a strong focus on social justice and women’s economic empowerment. Known for her “muscle for finance and passion for justice”, she uses business tools to drive sustainable impact and unlock the potential of women and diverse talent across sectors.

Mona is currently Chair of Women Moving Millions, a network funding bold initiatives ($1 million+) for gender equality, and Chair of the ERA Coalition Fund for Women’s Equality, which works to enshrine equal rights in the US Constitution. She is Executive Producer of Disclosure, a documentary on trans representation, which premiered at Sundance and streamed on Netflix during Pride Month.

Her board roles include Vice Chair of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, the Columbia Business School Tamer Social Enterprise Board, Connected Women Leaders, and advisory roles with Apne Aap (anti-trafficking), the Columbia Global Mental Health Programme, and the Tamer Centre for Social Enterprise. A former trustee of Breakthrough USA and Smith College, she co-led Smith’s record-breaking $486 million Women for the World campaign and championed its transgender admissions policy.

Mona has also produced Sell/Buy/Date, My Name is Andrea, and the Tony-nominated play What the Constitution Means to Me. She co-founded Raising Change to close funding gaps in mission-driven organisations and founded the Asian Women's Leadership University to train future female leaders. To date, she has helped catalyse over $1 billion for social change.

A mentor to hundreds of young people, Mona is also an investor in women-led businesses. She holds a BA in Economics and Art History from Smith College and an MBA from Columbia Business School. Her work is featured in She is Me and What I Told My Daughter.

Her many honours include the Ellis Island Medal of Honour, CARE USA’s Impact Award, and the Smith College Medal. In 2022, she was named Distinguished Woman of the Year by Children’s Hope India and received Columbia’s Horton Award for Social Enterprise.

Mona Sinha

Vidya Shah is the Executive Chairperson of EdelGive Foundation, an organisation set up by Edelweiss Group in 2008, with the aim of funding and building the capacities of grassroots organisations across India. With over three decades of rich industry experience, Vidya has channelled EdelGive’s structure of giving to include both financial and non-financial support to over 150 grassroots organisations, scaling their budgets, impact, and reach exponentially.

She also serves on the boards of various prominent civil society organisations such as Akshaya Patra Foundation, Agastya International Foundation, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy at Ashoka University, Olympic Gold Quest, Mann Deshi Foundation, and the Indian School of Public Policy. She is also a member of the Governing Board of the Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur.

Additionally, Vidya is on the board of several international organisations including WINGS and Empower Families for Innovative Philanthropy. Most recently, she joined the Asia Gender Network, a group of members curated by AVPN, committed to changing the future for Asian women and girls.

She spent the first 11 years of her career in investment banking with companies like ICICI, Peregrine, and NM Rothschild. She joined Edelweiss in 2000 and was its Chief Financial Officer until 2007. Vidya holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Vidya Shah

Bin is a seasoned human capital executive with a deep passion for cultivating talent and empowering individuals to achieve their fullest potential. With a distinguished career spanning over 35 years at Ernst & Young (EY), Bin held numerous senior leadership roles in Human Resources and Talent, most recently serving as EY’s Deputy Talent Leader before her retirement in December 2024.

Throughout her tenure at EY, Bin was instrumental in shaping and executing the firm’s global talent strategy. She brings a wealth of expertise in leadership development, organizational effectiveness, and workforce transformation. Her ability to lead large-scale, enterprise-wide change programs has been a hallmark of her career. Bin successfully spearheaded multiple global transformation initiatives that aligned people strategy with evolving business needs, enabling the firm to navigate complex changes with agility and resilience.

Bin is a strong advocate for human-centric transformation. She believes that sustainable change requires not only strategic clarity but also a deep understanding of the human experience within the organization. She has partnered closely with C-suite executives and business leaders to ensure that talent and culture remain central to the success of transformation initiatives. Her leadership approach emphasizes empathy, inclusion, and the creation of environments where people thrive.

A global citizen in both perspective and practice, Bin has lived and worked in multiple countries and regions, bringing rich multicultural insights to her leadership. Her cross-cultural experience has informed her ability to lead diverse teams, foster inclusive workplace cultures, and develop talent across geographies.

Bin Wolfe

During a 25-year career as an Army officer, humanitarian responder, and executive in the corporate and startup sectors, Liz Bloomfield has worked with mission-driven leaders and change-makers across the globe. She has experienced firsthand what exceptional leadership looks like in the most challenging settings, including war and natural disasters.

Liz currently leads non-clinical operations at Perfusion Medical, a startup commercializing a game-changing drug for the treatment of hemorrhagic shock and other ischemic conditions. Before this, she deployed globally in support of programs empowering communities facing extraordinary challenges. With Ripple Effect Images, she led efforts to leverage visual storytelling to shine a light on proven solutions empowering women globally. At Airlink, she led operations connecting nonprofits and the aviation sector to deliver disaster responders and supplies in the wake of humanitarian crises worldwide.

Liz previously managed renewable energy infrastructure programs for Siemens Wind Power and delivered significant change programs within the UK public sector. She began her career as a logistics officer in the British Army, deploying to Iraq in 2003, working closely with the local civilian population to re-establish rail infrastructure.

Liz is committed to creating a more just world in which everyone thrives. Alongside her day job, she draws on her extensive experience across multiple sectors to build performance and resilience in mission-driven leaders. She combines adept storytelling and actionable strategies to help individuals and teams transform their performance and live more fulfilling lives

Liz Bloomfield