Champion of the Year 2025

How did you get involved with Apps for Good, and how have you worked with us and our students?

I had the fortune of meeting both Iris Lapinski and Debbie Forster in the Trampery in London back when Apps for Good was just getting started! We decided at Thomson Reuters to partner with Apps for Good at the outset to help scale the programme. I was mentoring teams from that very first year of existence and have travelled or video called with schools all across the UK!

Are there any particular highlights from working with Apps for Good?

I have so many fond memories: travelling to Wick in Scotland and working with Chris Aitken and his kids was always fantastic (and flying in/out of Wick Airport is an adventure)! I was coaching Westfields Junior School in Yateley, Hants and after giving some feedback, a 10 year old responded with “we will take your feedback under consideration.” Fantastic! And of course, my favourite highlight is seeing how quickly we were able to get girls just as excited as boys and hit a 50/50 participation rate.

Tell us about some of your favourite app ideas that young people have shared with you

To this day, the “I’m Okay” app from the Stratford Girls’ Grammar School always sticks out in my mind. The app provided a safe space for LGBTQ teens to find unbiased, factual content along with support and advice. Both Sir Stephen Fry and Sir Richard Branson tweeted about the app: a remarkable recognition of what the team came up with. I also love one of the very first apps ever from the programme, Transit. Developed by now trustee Mohima Ahmed, the app solved a language barrier issue between teachers and parents during conferences. I thought it was a fabulous, focused solve for a real school problem. Check out Mohima here.

What have you gained from the experience of volunteering with Apps for Good?

The kids that I first mentored in the early 2010s are now adults in careers of their own. What I really learned in all of this was twofold and something I’ve said many times: first, innovation does not recognise postal codes. Great ideas do not care where you come from - they come from individuals who see a problem that needs to be solved. Second, as an industry “expert” (and let’s keep that in air quotes), I have seen unique ideas every single year from teams. And believe me, I’ve seen a lot in my time; it just makes me feel so good for the future to know that the world is in very capable hands with the kids that come through the program.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about volunteering to support Apps for Good students?

From my very first interaction with Iris and Debbie, I knew that Apps for Good could be something very special. 15 years on, and I’ve watched the programme evolve and go from good to great to outstanding...I’d tell anyone volunteering that not only will you give the gift of yourself to kids who have great ideas, but you’ll also be rewarded when you see the finished products, the finals competition and then years down the line - how those kids you mentored have gone onto amazing careers of their own.