Rising Star
Sophie Bradley, Founder, Spike’s Sight Words
Spike’s Sight Words is a specialist leader in inclusive literacy, dedicated to supporting neurodiverse and reluctant learners through high-engagement, multi-sensory intervention. Founded by Sophie Wehbi-Bradley to bridge the gap left by traditional phonics, the resource transforms sight word mastery into an accessible, child-led activity that builds pupil confidence and independence.
Sophie consistently pushes the boundaries of what a micro-SME can achieve in the educational sector including transitioning from a conceptual idea to becoming a DfE-vetted Qualified Supplier within a remarkably short timeframe.
As a DfE-vetted Qualified Supplier and a 2026 Finalist for Primary Resource of the Year, Spike’s Sight Words has achieved rapid industry recognition for its specialist impact. By meeting the highest Ofsted standards for inclusive practice, the resource provides schools with a proven tool for delivering ‘high-quality support for all.’ Focused on providing low-intervention, high-impact literacy solutions, Spike’s Sight Words is committed to ensuring that every learner – regardless of their barriers to reading – can achieve success in their early literacy journey.
Victoria Edgar, Sales & Partnerships Director, Auris Tech / Fonetti
Victoria Edgar, Sales & Partnerships Director at Fonetti, is an exceptional rising leader whose journey is as inspiring as it is impactful. Progressing through every stage of the organisation, from Marketing Assistant to Director, she has helped shape Fonetti’s growth, culture and mission to transform children’s lives through reading.
Victoria was instrumental in the creation of the National Read Aloud Challenge, championing the importance of reading aloud as the foundation for confidence, fluency and oracy. Her instinct to place read-aloud at the heart of the initiative reflects both her product understanding and her unwavering belief in what truly changes outcomes for children.
Driven by her own experience of dyslexia, Victoria brings authenticity and empathy to her work. She connects powerfully with teachers, parents and pupils, turning her past challenges into a force for change. Her dyslexia is not a barrier, it is her superpower, shaping her passion for inclusive, confidence building literacy support.
Victoria leads with energy, purpose and heart, inspires colleagues, builds trusted relationships and consistently goes above and beyond.
She represents the very best of the next generation of EdTech leadership, bold, values driven, and deeply committed to ensuring every child can find their voice through reading.
Ryley Francis, Senior Field Engineer, eduthing
Ryley is one of the most promising young professionals we have had the privilege of working with. At just 19, he has already exceeded expectations and demonstrated exceptional maturity, ambition, and professionalism. We first met Ryley at 16 during an apprenticeship interview, where his curiosity and confidence immediately stood out. Although he initially chose a different opportunity, we maintained contact and later welcomed him to eduthing as his apprenticeship came to an end.
Despite no immediate vacancy, we recognised his potential and created an opportunity for him. After a short time on the service desk, Ryley transitioned into a field role, where his impact was immediate. Within four months, he was fast-tracked into a management position — a rare achievement reflecting his capability and leadership potential.
Ryley sets high standards, seeks to improve processes, and supports those around him. His leadership style is defined by enthusiasm, accountability, and a genuine commitment to team success. Feedback from colleagues and customers alike highlights his professionalism, work ethic, and ability to build strong relationships.
Ryley has made a significant impact, and his drive, integrity, and ambition mark him as a future leader.
Alex Gutteridge, Marketing Manager, National Foundation for Educational Research
Alex Gutteridge, Marketing Manager on the Product Marketing team at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) exemplifies everything the BESA Rising Star Award seeks to celebrate: exceptional talent, fresh thinking, leadership potential, and a transformative impact on his organisation.
In just a few years at NFER, Alex has become a driving force for innovation, collaboration, and performance.
His contribution has been pivotal not only to the success of the marketing function but to the wider organisation, consistently demonstrating the values, initiative, and commitment that mark him as an outstanding emerging leader in the education sector.
Natalie Jubb, Policy and Public Affairs Lead, Digital Poverty Alliance
Natalie Jubb has been integral to the development and growth of the Digital Poverty Alliance. She is a leading voice on digital poverty policy and research in the UK, leveraging her unique and creative perspective to build a digitally inclusive future.
Natalie has created a meaningful impact on the culture and direction of the charity, starting as a volunteer and rising to Senior Policy, Operations, and Projects Officer, building the National Delivery and Advocacy Plan and working confidently alongside politicians and members of parliament to bring digital poverty to the forefront.
Natalie brings a unique perspective to the Digital Poverty Alliance, always ensuring that recipients and participants of our programme are met with respect, dignity, and compassion.
It is hard to capture how many lives Natalie has supported through her work, but she will undoubtedly reach great heights throughout her career. Her dedication, warmth, and passion is felt by all of those who meet or work with her.
Finola Kirrane, In-House Content and Design Specialist, Orso Publishing
Finola embodies everything it means to be rising star, demonstrating a tenacity for constant improvement and a track record of consistently strong results both personally and at the company level.
Since joining Orso Publishing as a fresh graduate in the summer of 2024, Finola has been a key driving force behind our fast and continued growth, going above and beyond to improve our services both internally and externally. She wears all the hats that are required of a small-company employee, whilst also seeking out new and ever-larger hats of her own.
Highlights of Finola’s short time in the industry have included successfully leading a public tender bid worth nearly £70,000, and revolutionising our internal design processes despite no formal training in this area.
Beyond this, she has also been a key part of growing a strong and vibrant company culture, and she has done all of this with unrelenting humilitiy – always being the first to ask for feedback and the last to take credit on any team project.
Jamie Livingston, School Estates & Sustainability Mentor, iAM Compliant
Jamie Livingston didn’t begin his career advising schools on sustainability. He started as a school caretaker, unlocking gates and fixing faults. From there, he worked his way through various estates roles before becoming an Estates and Sustainability Lead in a multi-academy trust.
That background shapes the way he works today. As School Estates & Sustainability Mentor at iAM Compliant, Jamie supports hundreds of schools and trusts navigating the growing expectations around sustainability and climate action. His focus is always the same: turning complex guidance into practical steps that busy school teams can actually implement.
Jamie also helps shape how sustainability support is delivered across the sector. He’s contributed to tools that help schools develop structured Climate Action Plans and understand concepts such as Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Alongside this, he regularly shares his knowledge through webinars, sector articles and events.
What makes Jamie really stand out is his practical approach. He meets schools where they are, helping them recognise the progress they’re already making and builds from there.
Through that work, Jamie is helping schools move forward with confidence on their sustainability journey.
Phoebe Ng, Co-founder/Head of Marketing, Excelas
Phoebe Ng is the Co-founder/Head of Marketing at Excelas, where she operates as a “technical translator” bridging the gap between complex Vertical AI and the classroom. Joining as the company’s first commercial hire, Phoebe architected a “human-first” GTM strategy that delivered a 227% increase in organic website traffic and a 34x rise in search impressions in just six months.
Her work championed the concept of “ethical translation,” directly supporting the deployment of an AI marking tool that has now processed over 100,000 student questions, returning thousands of hours of capacity to teachers. Beyond her commercial impact, Phoebe is a published researcher (presenting at the 9th World Conference on Teaching and Education) and the founder of “Coffee, Croffles & Careers,” a community initiative dedicating to mentoring underrepresented talent in the corporate world.