ProGRESS

Zoologist, microbiologist and science champion Dr Bushra Schuitemaker has carved out a career in research and is determined to ensure young people from disadvantaged backgrounds know that science is for them too.Growing up in a single parent household in rural Essex, entitled to free school lunches, Bushra’s stella science career is all the more remarkable because her local secondary school offered pupils no opportunities at all to take science A level courses.Positive she wanted to study zoology at university, she petitioned the school board, teachers and fellow pupils to get A level biology put on – which they did. Several years later, the school has full physics, chemistry and biology classes.Bushra’s professional achievements, include working for Cancer Research UK at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, and now researching childhood obesity and puppy gut health at Biome9 and the Quadram Institute in association with the Guide Dogs organisation. And she partly puts her success down to thinking differently (she describes this as a superpower) because she has both dyslexia and dyspraxia.Read more and find extra links on the ProGRESS website show notes page hereYou might like to listen to:Sarah Ashworth, Researcher developer at University of Manchester S1 E11Rachel Warren, Professor of global change and environmental biology, The Tyndall Centre UEA S1 E7Matthew Halteman, Philosophy professor and animal and food ethicist, S3 E10Lydia Carrington, Sustainability manager Edgbaston Stadium S2 E1About ProGRESS:Host Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible careers, courses and activities and asks for real-world insights into the paths and decisions that led to them.Original content © Sandra Kessell Original music © Lyze KessellFollow ProGRESS on LinkedInInstagram: @progress_green_careers_podcastEmail us: hello [@] mypro-gress.co.uk

Dr Mark Sumner was one of ProGRESS's earliest guests, so his 2025 return to the podcast to talk about the latest developments in his career feels like a seal of approval.Mark talks about leaving Leeds University's School of Design at the end of the 2024 academic year in favour of a new role at WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme.WRAP is a not-for profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) and for 20 years it has been pushing for global environmental action and circular living.Read more and find extra links on the ProGRESS website show notes page hereListen to Mark's original Season 1 interview hereYou might also like to listen to:Nicki Black, fashion and creative director S2 E3Glen Burrows, photographer, disrupter, regenerative food entrepreneur S2 E5Beccy Dickson, co-founder of Branded Bio and eco-entrepreneur S3 E12About ProGRESS:Host Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible careers, courses and activities and asks for real-world insights into the paths and decisions that led to them.Original content © Sandra Kessell Original music © Lyze KessellFollow ProGRESS on LinkedInInstagram: @progress_green_careers_podcastEmail us: hello [@] mypro-gress.co.uk

Business leader Justin Kelly stepped away from his C-suite role at the international engineering and technology company Siemens in 2022 and is now chief executive at Glass Futures, a not-for-profit tech membership organisation.Glass Futures researches more sustainable glass manufacture across the globe, so this role fits well with Justin’s other recent appointment, chair of Sustainable Ventures North, a hub for climate tech business start-ups and entrepreneurs, building on the success of its London beginnings.In this episode, Justin explains how he secured a university place, sponsored by Siemens, and how he rose to the top of the organisation.As a business leader with a valued voice, particularly in England’s North-West region, Justin also discusses using his experience and knowledge to influence, guide and support organisations and programmes in manufacturing, technology, transport, skills and education…Read more and find additional links on the ProGRESS website show notes page hereYou might also like to listen to:Sarah Ashworth, Researcher developer, University of Manchester S1 E 11Don Weatherbee, CEO of RegenX Tech S3 E7Shaheer Hafeez ACA, Director ESG and climate risk KPMG S3 E2About ProGRESS:Host Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible careers, courses and activities and asks for real-world insights into the paths and decisions that led to them.Original content © Sandra Kessell Original music © Lyze KessellFollow ProGRESS on LinkedInInstagram: @progress_green_careers_podcastEmail us: hello [@] mypro-gress.co.uk

Season 3 round-up: The lightbulb moment Featuring all 11 guests, this end-of-season episode highlights guests' explanations of how, when and why they got into their career. For some, it was a natural progression from a childhood interest or obsession, while others had a lightbulb or lightning bolt moment that made them reassess their courses or careers.About ProGRESS:Host Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks for real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to them.Instagram: @progress_green_careers_podcastOriginal content © Sandra Kessell Original music © Lyze KessellEmail: hello@mypro-gress.co.uk

In spite of business liquidation and a divorce, award-winning f:Entrepreneur Beccy Dickson and now ex-husband Macey Mitchell decided to remain business partners, founding Branded Bio, which supplies sustainable walls and backdrops full of living green plants and flowers for events, to interior designers and even to cover electric vehicle chargers and furniture. In fact it was a living plant-covered bus touring round Westminster in London that sparked Beccy's appearance on the podcast.Stuck on holiday on the island of Madeira during an enforced extended Covid lockdown, Beccy and Macey spent time talking about where and what next, and settling a future path. But if that makes being a female entrepreneur sound a bed of roses, Beccy is quick to point out the graft behind the spectacular living walls that now make up the mainstay of their business.Beccy didn't have a clear route to becoming an award-winning small business owner. She left full-time education aged 15, with few formal qualifications. Through family connections, Macey helped her land a job with a small wine branding business, where a mentor believed in her potential and encouraged her further.It wasn't until she was a mum that Beccy returned to college to study for her GCSEs, initially thinking she'd like to train as a teacher. Across the years she has worked variously in sales, marketing and as a creative director, but it was a chance commission that led Beccy to find her passion. The print production agency she and Macey were running was asked to quote to brand a living wall and suddenly her interest was sparked and her outlook on life changed.Beccy is candid that her cousin, a long-time champion of sustainability, now teases her about being green and the awards she has won for it. Beccy jokes she may be an accidental sustainability passionista.Creating living green backdrops can use 1000 plants, all of which have to be looked after and watered to remain looking good. It's hard physical work that requires high energy levels on top of all the usual business worries. When she's not juggling family demands in a multi-generational house alongside the business office in the back garden, Beccy goes to the gym and swims to stay strong.She wants to pass on sustainability lessons to the next gen, including her children. And Beccy urges everyone to try to make a difference to the planet's future."We all have to do our little bit," she says.Links mentioned in the podcastBranded Bio websiteBranded Bio Instagramf:EntrepreneurSmall Business BritainSME business population (Table C)You might also like to listen to:Mark Sumner, Leeds School of Design at Leeds University S1 E6Rachel Warren, professor of global change and environmental biology S1 E7Content © Sandra KessellOriginal music © Lyze KessellEmail Hello@myPro-GRESS.co.uk

A creative child who was also interested in science, Helen Walsh was encouraged by her teacher parents to explore all her interests, something that stood her in good stead for her future career.Helen was fascinated by sharks as a child – though growing up in Stoke she was about as far away from the sea as it is possible to be in the UK. An animal lover and budding conservationist, even then, Helen was also a keen fan of The Really Wild Show, a BBC children's programme. Back then it was presented by Michaela Strachan, Terry Nutkins and conservation campaigner Chris Packham, someone she later met through her work.Helen gained a first-class BSc in Zoology at the University of Nottingham, then an unexpected phone call led to her enrolling in a Masters in biological photography and imaging, something that resulted in the career she still does.From the time she left university and stepped into the world of communication and public engagement, Helen has been encouraging people to learn about wildlife conservation, the countryside and their natural surroundings. From starting work for the West Midlands Biodiversity Partnership. She went on to work in media and communications for Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, (fondly known as BBOWT to local supporters), before setting up as a freelance.Today, Helen splits her time between her own business, Lonely Cottage Productions, and a publications business, Nature Bureau, designing, photographing and writing for scientific, environmental and wildlife-themed projects. In that time she has supported many projects and campaigns and helped organisations raise their profile with the public.Now a parent, Helen starts and ends her day with walking her children to school, who help her retain her optimism for the world's future too, since they often come home with information and suggestions about better ways to live.Links mentioned in the podcastLonely Cottage ProductionsNature BureauUniversity of Nottingham MSc in biological photography and imaging.You might also like to listen to:Jake Fiennes, National nature reserve director and general manager, conservation, Holkham Estate S1 E8Sarah Kessell CEO of The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales S1 E5About ProGRESS:Host Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially Responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks for real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to them.Content © Sandra Kessell Original music © Lyze KessellEmail: Hello@myPro-GRESS.co.uk