His book Right From Wrong was adapted by James Graham into the stage play PUNCH, which has run in the West End and on Broadway and has helped open conversations about supporting young people, preventing harm, and building safer environments.

Jacob is co-founder of the Common Ground Justice Project, a national initiative that listens across divides to uncover where the public agree on practical ways to cut crime and rebuild trust — and works with partners and policymakers to turn that common ground into action.

With more than a decade of frontline and strategic experience in restorative practices and systems change, Jacob helps teams create environments that reduce risk, strengthen relationships, and support positive behaviour. His sessions offer clear, applicable strategies for building safer and more connected communities and cultures.

I’ve spent my career redesigning processes, stabilising teams under pressure, and helping teams and managers face challenges with honesty and confidence. From risk resets to restructures, I know what the messy middle looks like and how to make it better.

Previously, Sarah held similar managerial roles at Dalhousie University and Wilfrid Laurier University, where responsibilities included providing 24/7 support to a large student body, enhancing living environments, and promoting staff and student development. Sarah began a career in student wellness and outreach with roles at the University of New Brunswick and Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society. Academically, Sarah holds a Master of Education in Student Affairs from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies from the University of New Brunswick.

She brings extensive experience in brand, insight, and customer strategy from marketing roles in the travel, hospitality, and retail sectors.

With an interest in how generational change reshapes expectations of place, community and experience, Caroline is passionate about using research and cultural intelligence to help the PBSA sector anticipate generational shifts, particularly as Generation Alpha approaches university age. Her work focuses on translating emerging behaviours, cultural signals, and technology shifts into clear thought leadership.
 

A Loughborough University alumna, Ama holds an MSc in Finance and Management and has built a career spanning elite sport, law, governance, and business. She currently serves as a Non-Executive Director at Birmingham Children’s Trust, contributing to the strategic oversight of services supporting vulnerable children and families, with a strong focus on safeguarding, wellbeing, and long-term outcomes.

Ama brings significant board-level experience, having served on the board of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, on the board of UK Anti-Doping, and as Chair of the Athletes’ Commission, representing athlete voice and integrity within sport at the highest level.

She is a passionate advocate for young people and the environments that shape their experiences. As an Athlete Mentor with the Youth Sport Trust, and through her work with organisations such as Greenhouse Sports, she has seen first-hand how structured support, inclusive environments, and strong role models can transform confidence, identity, and opportunity.

Alongside her governance work, Ama delivers corporate coaching and works with organisations on leadership and cultural development, helping leaders build environments where people feel supported, included, and able to thrive.

Drawing on her journey from high performance sport into boardrooms, she brings a practical perspective on how organisations can balance performance with wellbeing and belonging, insights that resonate strongly with those shaping student experience across higher education.

Clem’s work sits at the intersection of entrepreneurship, community, leadership and systems change. He has designed and delivered programmes for government bodies, corporate partners and grassroots organisations, with a particular focus on unlocking opportunities for underrepresented groups. His approach combines practical insight with a strong understanding of human development, helping individuals build confidence, capability, resilience and a clearer sense of direction.
Alongside his enterprise and leadership work, Clem has delivered workshops and mentoring programmes that support young people and adults to think critically about identity, influence, decision making, aspiration and personal development. This makes his approach especially relevant to conversations around digital masculinity, online influence, belonging and student wellbeing.

Through his work with 2020 Dreams, Clem supports schools, colleges, universities and youth organisations with specialist workshops that explore complex issues affecting young people and student communities, including online influence, digital culture, identity, wellbeing, respect, personal safety and positive relationships.

For the Residence Life Conference, Clem will bring a professional and relevant perspective on digital masculinity, the manosphere and student wellbeing, with a focus on how residential teams can better understand emerging online influences, recognise potential concerns and support safer, more inclusive student communities.

She has worked in higher education for the past 20 years and has an MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Indiana University and a PhD in University Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia. Megan has worked in a number of student services areas, including Fraternity and Sorority Life, International Education, Career Services, and Residence Life. Megan is an American immigrant and loves exploring promising practices in higher education from a global perspective. In her free time, Megan loves cooking and baking, visiting local markets, and exploring all the best bits of the UK.

Anca oversees the communications strategy for halls of residence and marketing for campus catering and retail. She specialises in data‑driven and student-focused digital engagement in higher education at LSE.

She oversees communications for students living in residences. Her role includes managing both traditional and social communication channels and leading the student content creator programme. Her expertise is in producing inclusive and engaging content that showcases the halls experience. 

With his finger on the pulse of student culture, he knows how to craft content to engage with student communities. He’s been a key player on some of our biggest Browzer projects, and his work has received millions of views.

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He works closely with colleagues across the University and external partners to ensure halls are supportive, inclusive and impactful spaces for students to live and belong.

She is currently in her second year of employment working in ResLife at The University of Manchester, having recently won an Outstanding Contribution Award for Newcomer of the Year within the Directorate for the Student Experience.

Asha also works as a Residence Life Warden providing pastoral support to students, managing wellbeing and welfare concerns, and contributing to a safe, supportive residential environment.  Through both roles, she is committed to improving the lived experience of students and promoting positive, inclusive residential communities.

Following graduation, Kirsty became Events Coordinator, where she delivers an ambitious programme of bespoke, creatively themed events with a strong artistic focus. She has developed and launched several flagship initiatives, including the Big Queer Bus Tour, Masquerade Ball, Trans Mailboxes, and the Reuse Fair.

Kirsty is part of the award winning Halls Life team, which has been recognised nationally for excellence in student engagement, equality, and community impact - most recently receiving the EDI Champions Award at The Association for Student Residential Accommodation Awards in April.

She is passionate about inclusivity and advocating for students who may be overlooked by traditional programs and policies!

Since joining the service in 2023, Emma has received an Outstanding Contribution Award for Newcomer of the Year within the Directorate for Student Experience and has played a key role in developments with the ResLife Advisor recruitment and training programmes. She remains passionate about community engagement and works closely with internal and external networks and partnerships such as the Alumni Community. You can often find her still enjoying a good, student art and crafts event, too!

With a background in content marketing and multi-channel communications, Aphrael is passionate about inclusive messaging, ethical marketing practice and enhancing the residential student experience through meaningful connection and collaboration.

Managing wellbeing and behaviour challenges in halls takes many teams and Paula ensures that all internal Uni teams work together to manage situations sensitively and for the best outcome for the students involved. 

Paula was one of the original members of the Residential Experience Team managing the change process from a Warden/Tutor model to that of the professional residence support service that is in place today. 

Coral is keen to share her insight and experiences with the University of Southampton's Harm Reduction model and support others within their institutions who may wish to adopt a practical Harm Reduction approach. 

Her experience has enabled her to have the skills of combining academic insight with a deep understanding of people and communities.

Since joining GSL, she has taken leadership in the development of our major research projects across the HE and student accommodation sectors and is currently Head of Insight at the Global Student Living Index - the world’s leading student insight platform and performance improvement tool for both university and private student accommodation providers. 

For the last three years, GSL have worked in collaboration with CUBO on thought-leadership projects to support the industry in driving up standards and enhancing their understanding of the student experience.  Sarah will be giving you a preview of some of the key findings from our latest report, which draws on the wealth of rich data and trends from the GSL Index and focuses specifically on the impact of the resident life experience on the student experience.  

This is the third report GSL have produced in collaboration with CUBO following our 2023 report “Future Proof” profiling different international student cohorts and last year’s ‘Closing the Gap report’, which took a deep dive into the experiences and needs of a number of potentially vulnerable student cohorts. 

With over 23 years’ experience in higher education, Helen has specialised in relationship management, international student support, international recruitment, and funding & financial support always with a focus on enhancing student and stakeholder experience.