PUBLIC EVENT
The Culture+ Conference on Building World Class Teams is a unique opportunity for leaders in engineering startups and SMEs to explore how inclusivity fuels innovation. In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven landscape, engineering organisations must not only focus on technical excellence but also foster an inclusive culture where all team members feel they belong and can contribute to their fullest potential. Inclusive cultures have been proven to be a key driver of innovation and business success, yet building these cultures can be daunting, especially for smaller organisations.
This in-person conference, part of the successful Building World Class Teams series, shifts from online workshops to a highly interactive and engaging environment for attendees. It will provide you with valuable tools and resources from the Academy’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Platform, Culture+, offering practical ways to embed inclusivity within their organisations. Through expert-led sessions, collaborative discussions, and hands-on demonstrations, participants will walk away with a clear understanding of how to build and sustain high-performing teams that are diverse and inclusive.
Event programme can be found in the More details tab.
Why attend?
This conference is designed to offer practical strategies that attendees can immediately apply within their teams and organisations. Leaders will gain insights into:
- Belonging and Innovation: Understand how employee feelings of belonging influence innovation and how to measure these crucial elements within your workplace.
- Inclusive Behaviours: Learn the everyday behaviours that contribute to a culture of inclusion and how to develop and promote these behaviours in yourself and your team.
- Team Development: Explore ways to support your team’s growth through mentoring, coaching, and sponsoring, driving both personal and organisational development.
- Impact Measurement: Learn how to measure the effectiveness of your inclusion efforts, identify gaps, and adjust strategies to achieve better outcomes.
Throughout the day, attendees will participate in interactive workshops and breakout sessions, guided by experienced professionals in the fields of engineering and diversity and inclusion. Sessions will also provide opportunities to engage with Culture+, offering a hands-on look at how it can support leaders in fostering inclusive cultures.
Who should attend?
This conference is tailored for leaders and decision-makers in UK-based engineering startups, scaleups, and SMEs, particularly those involved in Human Resources, EDI, or leadership roles.
What to expect
The day will include keynote addresses, interactive table talks, and breakout sessions, all designed to foster peer learning and collaboration. Attendees will leave with actionable insights, practical tools, and a supportive network of peers committed to driving innovation through inclusivity.
Photography and filming notice
Please note that photography and filming may take place during this event. All photographs and videos will be securely stored on the Academy’s servers and used for editorial, marketing and media use by the Academy and selected press or industry media. Please let us know if you do not agree to this processing. Please refer to our General Privacy Policy for more details.
Venue and accessibility
It is very important to the Royal Academy of Engineering that our events are accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the Events team more than one week in advance of this event so that necessary arrangements can be made. Contact details: [email protected].
Further information about accessibility at Prince Philip House can be found at: https://raeng.org.uk/about-us/accessibility.
Diversity monitoring form
The Academy is committed to building an inclusive economy that works for everyone. To help us achieve this, we would like to collect some basic anonymous data about the event attendees. If you would like to help, please complete the diversity monitoring form by logging into your user account on our website and completing ‘Update my D&I data’
Melissa Sabella
Melissa is the founder and CEO of The Honeycomb Works, an organisation on a mission for everyone at work to belong and be free to invent. Since 2016, she has partnered with global organisations, startups, and SMEs to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion through research, data, and technology. Previously, she led global teams to deliver market-leading innovations in large organisations. A sought-after speaker on culture, inclusion, and innovation, Melissa also co-founded Tech(ish) Queer Women & Friends to support LBTQI+ women in tech. As a gay woman in tech, she champions equity, leveraging her privilege to fight inequality. A New Yorker based in London, she has grown to love women’s football and is always trying to be a better global citizen.
Muireann Bird
Muireann is a researcher, facilitator, and DEI consultant at The Honeycomb Works, specialising in creating inclusive cultures with a focus on LGBTQ+ experiences. She bridges academic research and real-world application, translating evidence-based insights into actionable strategies that foster sustainable change. Muireann designs interactive workshops using narrative and empathy to inspire lasting transformation and works closely with senior leadership to tailor solutions to organisational needs. Holding an MA in Critical and Creative Analysis from Goldsmiths, her collaborative and innovative approach helps organisations cultivate inclusive environments where individuals and teams thrive.
Brian Evje
Brian Evje helps individuals and organisations drive change and growth by aligning leadership, strategy, culture, and HR solutions. With experience leading HR for four venture-backed tech companies in Silicon Valley and London, he has also consulted for global corporations. Since 2008, Brian has advised Astia, supporting high-growth women entrepreneurs and diverse teams to access capital and leadership development, emphasising the innovation and profitability of diversity. He holds a BA from Santa Clara University and an MSc in Consulting and Coaching for Change from HEC/Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Brian is a Member of The Change Leaders and a former Inc.com columnist.
Pavneet Khurana
Pavneet Khurana is an Organisational Psychologist supporting high-growth organisations to scale sustainably by optimising all things People, Culture and Leadership. Bridging together strategy, human behaviour and storytelling, her expertise lies in supporting leaders to build organisations with culture at the core, creating inclusive working environments and enhancing employee motivation and performance. Pavneet is also a co-founder of &ForAll, a social impact organisation that equips leaders with the tools to level up when it comes to Inclusion & Diversity.
Dr James Kusena
James is Vice President of Operations and Product Owner at MicrofluidX, developing the Cyto Engine, a platform for cell therapy bioprocessing and manufacturing. With expertise in cell and gene therapy process development, he focuses on translating processes for manufacturability, clinical adoption, and health economics. An entrepreneur, James has founded and contributed to ventures spanning biotech, e-commerce, real estate, and more. He holds a PhD in regenerative medicine from Loughborough University and received the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Shott Scale-Up Accelerator Award. James advises the Centre for People-Led Digitalisation and lectures on UCL’s MSc in Cell & Gene Therapy Manufacturing.
Callum Rhodes
Callum Rhodes, People & Talent Manager, Notpla
Programme*
| 10.00am | Arrival and registration |
| 10.30am | Welcome and introduction |
| 10.35am |
Morning keynote: The cost of not belonging |
| 10.50am |
Understanding employee feelings of belonging - Interative session
|
| 11.45am | Comfort break |
| 12.00pm |
Breakout sessions (Groups will be pre-selected) Workshop 1: Becoming a leader that your team, investors and customers will trust
Workshop 2: Building a high performing team
|
| 12.45pm | Comfort break |
| 1.00pm | Lunch |
| 2.00pm |
Breakout sessions (Groups will be pre-selected) Workshop 1: Becoming a leader that your team, investors and customers will trust
Workshop 2: Building a high performing team
|
| 2.45pm | Comfort break |
| 3.00pm |
Measuring progress - Interative session
|
| 3.30pm | Wrap-up and accountability pledge |
| 3.45pm | Networking reception |
| 5.00pm | End of event |
*subject to change
Opening Keynote: The cost of not belonging
Session description: An inclusive culture is not just a nice-to-have—it’s critical to your organisation’s survival. This keynote examines the disastrous effects of missed opportunities and silenced voices that can arise from failing to foster psychological safety.
Morning session: Understanding belonging in your organisation
Session description: As your company grows, staying connected to how your people truly feel becomes more complex. This session dives deeper into belonging and psychological safety, exploring why and how to measure them effectively. Learn how “Belonging Uncertainty” can impact your team’s engagement and innovation, discover methods to gather feedback without overwhelming your employees or causing survey fatigue, and understand the importance of taking action from that feedback to build trust. Through interactive discussions and real-world examples, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to maintain a strong, inclusive culture as your organisation scales.
Workshop 1: Becoming a leader that your team, investors and customers will trust
Session description: Leadership is about more than just inspiring a vision—it’s about earning and maintaining trust across all your relationships. This session focuses on how to strengthen connections with your team, investors, and customers. Learn how to ask for constructive feedback in a way that drives performance and inclusivity. Drawing on data from Culture+, we’ll explore traits in high-performing teams and examine how inconsistent leadership behaviours have an impact on team cohesion. This workshop provides valuable insights into the habits and behaviours that foster trust and help you make the critical journey from founder to leader.
Workshop 2: Building a high performing team
Session Description: In this workshop, we explore team retention and identify what inclusive management behaviours will elevate your team’s performance. Learn how to approach feedback conversations with confidence and ensure that growth opportunities are distributed equally across your team and you don’t squander anyone’s potential. Through interactive discussions, you’ll develop practical skills for delivering impactful feedback and fostering an environment where every team member can thrive.
Closing session: Measuring progress
Session description: Effective change management relies on measurable progress. This session focuses on how to establish baselines, track improvement, and measure the impact of your efforts. We will hear from the team at an exciting and successful scaleup about how they used data to make informed decisions and ensure continuous growth within their organisation. The session will provide insights into key strategies for measuring cultural shifts and driving sustained change.