How did you first find out about Urban Synergy, and when was that?
I was introduced to Urban Synergy through a colleague from Google, who I was working with on a football tournament over the summer. She mentioned that she’d worked with Urban Synergy before and said it was a brilliant charity dedicated to social mobility and something we should look into and consider supporting as part of the charity element of the tournament.
So I did some research, and honestly, it was a no-brainer. I’ve always been passionate about social mobility, having grown up around organisations that champion those causes. When I saw the work Urban Synergy was doing, I was immediately drawn in.
I got in touch with Leila, Dianne, and the rest of the team, and they gave me a deeper understanding of their ongoing work. It really resonated with me and with others on my team too. That’s ultimately why we chose Urban Synergy as the dedicated charity partner for that year’s tournament.
What’s your current role, and what does it involve?
I’m a Cloud and AI Specialist at Microsoft, and I’ve been with the company for just over two years now. My role involves working with a large customer base to understand their strategic goals and help them with cloud transformation across four key solution areas: cloud infrastructure, data, AI, and app innovation.
Essentially, I guide them through the entire process, ensuring they’re leveraging the best tools and solutions to meet their business objectives.
What kind of feedback did you get from the young people who attended the tournament?
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. I think what stood out most was the exposure the young people got. We had around 16 different companies represented, spanning tech, FinTech, finance, and media.
Firms like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, MasterCard, and Moneybox were all present, which gave the young people a unique opportunity to meet and talk to professionals from these global organisations. It helped them realise that these kinds of careers are actually achievable, that they’re not out of reach.
And for many of them, it was powerful to meet people they could relate to. I grew up in Hackney, East London, in a single-parent household and an underrepresented community, so being able to share my story and show that it’s possible to work at companies like these meant a lot.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about becoming a mentor or supporting Urban Synergy?
Definitely do it. It doesn’t take much time to give something incredibly valuable to a young person. Think back to what you would have wanted when you were younger.
I think a lot of people forget that being in a position of privilege, working in a good job or at a big firm also gives you the responsibility to give back. There’s always someone looking up to you, trying to figure out how to get where you are.
Even a short conversation, 15 minutes of your time, can genuinely change a young person’s life. And that’s nothing in the context of your day.