Leila Thomas

Leila Thomas is a technology leader and social mobility champion who founded Urban Synergy, an award-winning charity that has transformed the futures of over 33,000 young people across the UK since 2007. Through her dual expertise leading large-scale technology programmes for organisations including Thomson Reuters and London Stock Exchange Group, alongside her pioneering youth mentoring work, she has earned recognition on the Empower Role Model List and received the Powerlist Community Award presented by Meta. Leila equips audiences with practical strategies to unlock potential, build diverse talent pipelines, and create meaningful pathways to employment and education that drive lasting social and organisational impact.

Since 2007, Leila Thomas has opened doors for more than 33,000 young people across the UK, turning aspiration into opportunity through Urban Synergy, the award-winning charity she founded to bridge the gap between potential and achievement. Her work has enabled pupils from inner-city schools facing socio-economic barriers to secure places at leading universities and launch careers in competitive industries, redefining what social mobility looks like in practice. Alongside her charitable leadership, Leila has built a distinguished career in technology, steering large-scale transformation programmes for organisations including Marconi, Computer Sciences Corporation, Thomson Reuters, and the London Stock Exchange Group. Her dual expertise in both the tech sector and youth empowerment positions her uniquely to address the challenges of building diverse, future-ready workforces.

Leila's impact has been recognised nationally and internationally. In 2021, she appeared on the Empower Role Model List and was named among the Top 10 Black Role Models, sponsored by Google, while Urban Synergy won the East London Business Award for Response to Covid. The following year, she received the Powerlist Community Award at the Black Excellence Awards, presented by Meta, in acknowledgement of her exceptional contribution to improving young people's lives. These accolades reflect not only her personal commitment but also the tangible, measurable outcomes her work delivers. Urban Synergy's model combines mentoring, work experience, and access to inspiring role models, creating pathways that equip young people with the confidence, skills, and networks they need to succeed in education and employment.

Leila speaks with clarity and conviction about what it takes to create equitable opportunities and build inclusive organisations. She shares practical strategies drawn from real-world experience, helping audiences understand how to identify and nurture untapped talent, dismantle barriers to progression, and design mentoring and development programmes that deliver lasting change. Her presentations resonate across sectors, offering actionable insight for business leaders, educators, and policymakers committed to diversity, social impact, and workforce innovation. Audiences leave with a renewed sense of purpose and the tools to turn intention into meaningful action, understanding that building a fairer, more diverse future benefits not only individuals but organisations and society as a whole.