From first role to data founder - HER+Data MCR Meetup - February 2026

HER+Data MCR is a community working to connect, inspire, support and empower the NW UK’s Women in Data. Our goal is to bring together women and non-binary people who work in data or who would like to work in data - to support one another, share experiences and talk data - big or small! Whether you’re a student just embarking on a career or a seasoned data professional, this group is for you. We want to connect and inspire amazing data women with diverse expertise and passion for data and tech.

Our first 2026 event in February will host Inuri Illeperuma, Georgia Smith and Hurma Ehteshamuddin.

The event is very generously hosted by Kraken who are providing the venue, food and drinks. The event will take place at their Manchester offices on the 3rd floor at No 2 Circle Square, 1 Symphony Park, Manchester, M1 7FS (Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/xAXpijcSGHas7CYw7). The venue is wheelchair accessible and there are lifts to the 3rd floor. All toilets are gender-neutral. Please let us know of any accessibility and dietary requirements/allergies as soon as possible.

Agenda
(All times in GMT)
18:00 - 18:30 Networking with food and drinks
18:30 - 18:40 Welcome and announcements
18:40 Lightning talks and Q&A
20:30 Close

Speakers
Inuri Illeperuma - Bridging Climate Tech and Data Science: Women Leading the Transition.
Inuri Illeperuma is a strategic programme and innovation leader, mentor for AI startups, and consultant in climate tech and inclusive economic growth. She combines expertise in data science, impact finance, and ecosystem building to empower diverse communities and champion women’s leadership in technology.

Georgia Smith - Data is my Co-founder - How using data as a co-founder removes ego, sharpens strategy and builds brands that actually scale.
Georgia Smith is the founder of The Loud Agency, a social media marketing agency she launched at just 15. Over the past few years, her team have worked with over 50 brands, generating hundreds of millions of organic views across social platforms. Georgia now leads a team of four, has been recognised as one of the top 26 marketers to follow in 2026 by Girls in Marketing and previously hosted The Social Commuter podcast. Alongside the agency, she speaks to and mentors young women through The Next Generation of CEOs, encouraging them to back themselves and build bold businesses.

Hurma Ehteshamuddin - Three Data Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes in Their First Role.
Hurma Ehteshamuddin is a Data & Systems Analyst based in Manchester, working primarily with analytics, reporting, and automation in a non-tech organisation. Her work focuses on making data usable in day-to-day decision-making, particularly in environments with legacy systems and mixed technical audiences. She’s especially interested in the practical realities of data roles beyond theory and tooling.

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Our Meetup page is very generously sponsored by Kraken!