Martyn Kilbryde
Head of Engineering
Chemist4U

SESSION OVERVIEW: Martyn Kilbryde is an experienced software architect and engineer with many years of experience working with global highly transactional web applications, specialising in building and delivering large complex systems from scratch. He is especially interested in event-driven and serverless architectures, as well as AI and ML workloads.

Martyn is also an AWS Certification Subject Matter Expert, and a member of the AWS Community Builders program; spending his personal time digging deeper, exploring technology and sharing that knowledge with the wider community.

Tasha Moorhouse
Innovation Specialist – Digital
Business Growth Hub

SESSION OVERVIEW: GenAI could be misused to create deceptive misinformation, impersonate individuals (via Dream Machine & Sora) and launch sophisticated social engineering attacks. Both UK Gov research and 1st hand business support highlight a concerning gap – many organisations are lacking specific practices, knowledge & expertise to mitigate vulnerabilities across the full lifecycle with 47% of organisations lacking specific cybersecurity practices to mitigate AI risks. However, we have an opportunity to leverage GenAI’s capabilities to fortify cyber resilience. Crucially, we must educate individuals on the benefits & risks of this technology to ensure our digital ecosystems remain secure, ethical, & aligned with human values. We’ll explore use cases of the transformative power of GenAI for business & the ethical risks it poses in cybersecurity highlighting key resources (Alan Turing Institute’s AI Ethical Guidance, UK Gov’s AI Cyber Security CoP) + available business support (GM BGH, DiSH, NWCRC).

Ben Armstrong
Co-Founder
Cytix

Amanda Allan
Director
Barclays Eagle Labs

Alison Magee-Barker
CEO
AJ Lakes Training Academy Ltd

SESSION OVERVIEW: Are you an entrepreneur seeking fresh perspectives? If so, this is the session you’ve been waiting for.

Come prepared for a dynamic discussion hosted by Barclays Eagle Labs, with founders who’ve navigated the rollercoaster from startup to scaleup, delving into the real challenges and mindset shift to balance the growth with the grind of building a successful business.

This session provides no-nonsense advice on overcoming roadblocks and mastering the balance between ambition and execution.

This isn’t your typical fireside chat. We’re ditching the script, and nothing is off-limits in this founder-first session with tips that could help you on your journey to the next big breakthrough.

Adetolani Eko
Product Manager
Evaluagent

SESSION OVERVIEW: It’s focused on helping tech professionals & early-stage startup founders learn how to get attention for their work. This is to help them attract more opportunities in their careers/businesses.
The rise of AI has made this more important

In the session, I won’t be speaking about as a ‘branding expert’ because I’m not. I will share relatable info on what has worked for me, what has failed, why they failed & things that I want to try next

Professionally (Engr & Product Mgr), I will share how I got the UK government to recognise me as a leading talent in tech, How I got job offers without applying, how I got promoted at various jobs

On the start-up side, I will share practical examples of how I got my small start-up to final interviews at YCombinator, and how I got featured on Reuters, BBC & other top media platforms for free & without having any connections

My goal is to ensure that people who join the session leave with something that they can try the moment they get home

Zahid Rahman
CTO
Drovi

Elliot Morris
CEO
Drovi

SESSION OVERVIEW: Today, we’re more connected than ever, but 40% of people still feel lonely. Even with countless networking platforms, real relationships are rare. Our interactions have become shallow and impersonal.

Join us at the Manchester Tech Festival to explore this issue. We’ll discuss how transactional networking leads to missed opportunities, isolation, and slow community growth.

Discover how we can change this with an AI-powered platform that:

Encourages You to Participate
Makes Finding the Right People Easy
Offers Personalized Experiences.
Creates Meaningful Interactions
Bridges Online and Offline Worlds.
Fits Seamlessly Into What You Already Use.

Why Attend?

This talk isn’t just about the problem—it’s about real solutions to help you build genuine connections in your life. Whether you’re into tech, networking, or just want deeper interactions, you’ll find valuable insights and tools here.

Don’t miss this chance to be part of a movement to change how we connect in the digital world. Let’s move past surface-level interactions and build relationships that truly matter.

Alice Pickersgill
Startups Programme Manager
Manchester Digital

Ash Rust
Managing Partner
Sterling Road

SESSION OVERVIEW:

Manchester Digital are delighted to welcome Ash Rust (Managing Partner at Sterling Road – a US-based pre-seed venture fund) back to the region for learnings from his journey and tips for founders on building a business and fundraising. 

Through a Q&A session hear about Ash’s journey – growing up in the North West, joining the military, and being one of the first AI graduates in the UK; through to moving to the Bay Area, being a startup early employee, founding his own YC backed company; to exiting and setting up his own fund – and the lessons and insights he has learnt along the way.