Inspirational Leader
Kim Antoniou, Founder and CEO, Auris Tech / Fonetti
Kim Antoniou is a visionary founder and inspirational leader driving meaningful change in education through innovation, collaboration, and purpose. As Founder and CEO of Auris Tech, she has led the development of patented Automatic Speech Recognition technology designed specifically to support reading, helping to improve fluency, confidence, and literacy outcomes.
Inspired by her own children’s challenges with reading, Kim refused to accept limitations and instead brought together leading experts, including collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, to pioneer a new approach to literacy support.
Alongside this, she co-founded Kafoodle, successfully building and scaling the business through to acquisition, demonstrating her ability to lead and deliver across multiple sectors.
Known for her relatable and down to earth leadership style, Kim is deeply committed to her team, creating an environment where people are empowered to grow, lead, and succeed. She is also a passionate advocate for collaboration across education, business, and policy.
Through initiatives such as the National Read Aloud Challenge and the Future Ready Conference, Kim continues to inspire collective action, champion innovation, and work towards a future where every child has the opportunity to become a confident reader.
Simon Hill, Managing Director, YPO
Simon Hill has been the driving force behind the continuing growth and success of YPO during the past 15 years. Since he joined one of the UK’s largest public-sector buying organisations as managing director in 2011, Simon has remained dedicated to helping schools and public sector bodies get the most from their squeezed resources.
He has transformed YPO from an organisation known primarily for providing classroom supplies to one that can offer schools everything they need, from exercise books to maintenance frameworks.
The impact is felt far beyond YPO’s founder, authority owners, and associate members, who receive an annual dividend. YPO’s loyalty scheme has handed millions of pounds back to schools and MATs, and Simon has founded charity partnerships, including one that has raised a six-figure sum for the NSPCC.
He has championed sustainability and communities by focusing on working with SMEs in procurement and helped 120 young people into the workplace through the YPO apprenticeship scheme he launched in 2011. Simon is enthusiastic about his role within the community and is in great demand as a speaker. He has been on BESA’s Executive Council for more than nine years and served as chair in 2023-2024.
Ilesh Kotecha, Founder and CEO, Technical One
Ilesh Kotecha is the founder and CEO of two symbiotic ventures in education: Technical One Ltd (focused on EdTech development) and the award-winning Eleven Plus Exams Tuition Ltd (tuition providers). Ilesh’s goal has always been to provide clarity and exceptional educational resources for students and educators, especially those preparing for UK selective senior school entrance examinations.
Technical One has created in-person and online 11+ tuition courses serving thousands of students, over 70 11+ preparation books, hundreds of 11+ mock exams, and a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Ilesh’s companies’ success is evident, with over 90% of Eleven Plus Exams Tuition’s students securing their first or second school choice each year, including notable success in super-selective schools.
Having attended five UK universities, including both Oxford and Cambridge, and having lectured at two of them, Ilesh is passionate about education, be it post-graduates at a business school or primary-age children preparing for their entrance exams.
Ilesh is recognised as a thought leader in the EdTech sector and Technical One continues to innovate in the world of 11+ tutoring with its comprehensive resources and services, and its commitment to measurable outcomes.
Chris Mahady, CEO, Findel
Chris Mahady is an inspirational leader who has demonstrated a clear vision for the future, inspiring others and driving meaningful change not only at Findel, but within the wider education sector.
His commitment to a supportive, inclusive, and collaborative environment has had a lasting impact on his organisation, the community, and industry.
Through his leadership, he has created a company culture where people thrive, and education continues to evolve and improve ensuring Findel remains focused on its mission of ‘growing education for generations’.
Chris’s dedication to both the personal and professional growth and genuine care of his team, alongside his drive for innovation and positive change, makes him an outstanding nominee for Inspirational Leader of the Year.
Patrick McGrath, Head of Education, Everway (formerly Texthelp)
Patrick (Paddy) McGrath, Head of Education Strategy for EMEA at Everway (formerly Texthelp), is an inspirational leader who turns vision into measurable, scalable impact – across his team, his organisation, and the wider education sector.
In the past year, he has not only driven significant growth but led the adoption of AI-powered approaches that are transforming how his team works and how schools implement inclusive technology – streamlining processes, increasing efficiency, and improving outcomes at scale. His work is now influencing ways of working across the wider business, with his strategies adopted as blueprints by other departments.
Patrick has built one of the highest-performing teams in the organisation, leading in efficiency, sales performance, and retention – while maintaining a culture rooted in trust, wellbeing, and continuous development.
A passionate advocate for inclusion, he works with governments, policymakers, and industry partners to shape more accessible education systems. Beyond Everway, he mentors emerging leaders and edtech entrepreneurs, extending his impact across the sector and leaving a lasting positive impression on all those he meets.
Combining strategic clarity, innovation, and genuine care for people, Patrick McGrath is not just an outstanding leader, but a standout candidate for the Inspirational Leader Award.
Alexa Polidoro, Co-Owner and Creative Director, Learn French With Alexa
If anyone has shaped the contours of online French education over the past two decades, it is Alexa Polidoro. Having taught French locally and online for the past thirty years, Alexa positioned herself at the forefront of the wave of French YouTube content creators in the early 2010s, and has amassed millions of fans and followers on YouTube, social media and in her meticulous, engaging online courses.
Learning French used to be a matter of rote memory and battling through textbooks. Having reimagined French education as something both exciting and engaging, and beguiled countless learners with her inimitable, quirky personality, Alexa’s influence is recognised far and wide. She has been cited as a top French resource in countless sources, from The Telegraph and The Times to The Sun and Connexion. As of this year, she has been in higher demand than ever for partnerships, collaborations and speaking opportunities. But her influence also extends to actions that haven’t always been acknowledged, such as the abundant free resources she released during COVID, the many opportunities she has provided for work experience and tuition in the local area, and her fastidious commitment to building networks and friendships across the online French education ecosystem.