Seyi Akiwowo is the Founder and CEO of Glitch, a charity dedicated to preventing online abuse, gender-based violence, and hate speech. She is also the author of "How to Stay Safe Online" (Penguin, 2022), a guide on identifying red flags, responding to threats, and using the internet positively.
Seyi's commitment to creating a safer world began when she was elected Councillor in East London at 23, becoming the youngest black woman to hold the position. Motivated by her own experiences with online abuse, she founded Glitch, which has grown into Europe’s leading not-for-profit focused on online safety for marginalised groups.
As Glitch evolved from a social enterprise to a medium-sized charity, Seyi has been recognised for her leadership and dedication to inclusive change. She has been appointed to TikTok and Twitter’s European Trust and Safety Council, named Digital Leader of The Year in 2019, and featured as one of WIRED’s Global Changemakers. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Multitudes Foundation, supporting changemakers across Europe in reimagining political power.
In Spring 2022, Seyi was offered an MBE for her work but chose not to accept it.
Author, award-winning Founder and CEO Seyi Akiwowo has always navigated the complexity of breaking new ground. Whether that’s being the first person in her family to go to University, being elected London’s youngest Black female councillor in 2014, or in her current role as part of the 3% of UK Charity CEOs from a BAME background. Throughout Seyi’s journey, she has found new understanding of the nuances of trailblazing, and for the last 15 years has learnt to navigate external accolades while dealing with institutional discrimination, internalised misogynoir, and a myriad of blockades. In this keynote Seyi offers practical and inspirational insights for the next generation of leaders looking to develop their own agency and frameworks in the pursuit of truly values-aligned leadership.
Author and award-winning Founder and CEO, Seyi Akiwowo, has consistently broken new ground, from being the first in her family to attend university to becoming London’s youngest Black female councillor in 2014. As one of the 3% of UK Charity CEOs from a BAME background, Seyi has spent 15 years navigating accolades, institutional discrimination, and internalised misogynoir. In her keynote, she shares practical and inspirational insights for aspiring leaders, helping them develop their own agency and frameworks for values-aligned leadership. Attendees will learn how to navigate challenges and lead with integrity and purpose.
This talk will share how Seyi has navigated through the ebbs and flows of creating, leading and sustaining a healthy, equitable, diverse, and impactful work culture at Glitch. By dealing with the challenges of overcoming burnout, negotiating the growing pains of leading a young organization and reimagining modern leadership, Seyi has developed a framework to energise leaders to embrace compassion and find true inclusivity both online and offline.
