Nicole Bennett is a research and project officer at AHEAD, building on previous roles with Core Research, the National Disability Authority, and Dublin City University. She holds an MSc in Social Research Methods from the London School of Economics and a First-Class Honours BA in Sociology and Social Policy from Trinity College Dublin. Throughout her studies, she was actively involved in student leadership, including roles within the Mature Student Society and Trinity’s S2S mentoring programme. She has also contributed to public policy dialogue as a member of the IIEA Emerging Voices Panel since 2018.

Siobhán Ayres is a PhD researcher at Dublin City University Business School (Ireland). Her research focuses on gender, the glass cliff, and self-selection into precarious leadership roles. She comes from a senior leadership background in fundraising in the NGO and charity sector in Ireland. She focused on training, developing, and mentoring emergent leaders in the industry. Siobhán has unseen disabilities, including autoimmune illness (endometriosis), a rare lung condition (aspergillosis) and chronic pain (neck & lower back injuries resulting in spinal surgery & pain management).

Leah Ennis Mcloughlin is a Deaf final-year PhD researcher who uses Irish Sign Language and draws on her lived experience to advance accessibility and equity in higher education and science. Specialising in virology and infection biology, her work investigates viral infection mechanisms and host responses at the UCD Centre for Experimental Pathogen Host Research. A recipient of the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship, she combines rigorous research with active outreach to Deaf and Hard of Hearing students in STEM. Through advocacy, mentoring, and her role as a LaunchPAD ambassador, she champions disability inclusion and strives for a more accessible and representative scientific community.

Hasrizal Abdul Jamil is a Malaysian educator and author based in Ireland, formerly Director of Education at Yayasan Pendidikan Khalifah and member of Malaysia’s National Education Policy Review Committee.Despite publishing 30 books, he struggled through five unsuccessful master’s attempts.Following an ADHD diagnosis in 2022, he returned to university and earned an M.Ed. in Diversity and Inclusion from Trinity College Dublin.His work is now grounded in Universal Design for Learning, shaping his advocacy for inclusive education.