Dr Nicole Ponsford from the GEC included in prestigious 2025 Diversity Power List

Dr Nicole Ponsford from the GEC has been included in the prestigious 2025 Diversity Power List. Comprising 50 champions of diversity and inclusion across the UK, this honours-style list highlights and recognises individuals who work tirelessly to make a difference to other people’s lives.

Now in its fourth year, the 2025 Diversity Power List showcases an inspiring spectrum of individuals, from prominent public figures to unsung community champions, all dedicated to advancing inclusion and equity for people with diverse identities and lived experiences. Whether they are celebrating racial and cultural heritage, promoting male allyship, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, deepening understanding of neurodiversity, affirming gender identity, or championing mental and physical disability inclusion, these individuals are reshaping attitudes and influencing how society thinks and behaves.

Recognising the impact of their work, the Diversity Power List features high-profile individuals including Rizzle Kicks Jordan Stevens for his ongoing work around men's mental health, using his platform to give people a voice. From the home of Inclusive Companies, Stephen Graham for his impact on working class actors, as well as singer song writer Kate Nash using her platform earlier in the year to be an active trans+ ally. Listed alongside senior leaders championing diversity at well-known organisations including Channel 4, WHSmith and Natwest, they join an array of inspirational community champions ranging from poets, activists and athletes to authors, charity workers and young volunteers.

Dr Nicole Ponsford is not just leading change in education—she is redefining the system’s understanding of inclusion, accountability, and belonging. As CEO and Founder of the Global Equality Collective (GEC), Dr Ponsford has created a movement that is transforming how schools, trusts, regulators, and policymakers embed equity across the UK and beyond. Dr Ponsford is also Co-Head of Education at Microlink, leading the DfE’s national Assistive Technology Pilot and Programme—delivering innovation that improves accessibility for neurodivergent and disabled learners. As a Harvard-published author, she also led on inclusive practice in the DfE’s EdTech Demonstrator Programme, supporting 11,000 schools through the pandemic.

Dr Ponsford leads from lived experience—as a mother, former teacher, and a woman who was told she couldn’t lead once she had children. Her work is not just academic or technological—it is personal, purposeful, and urgent.

She is not building tools—she is building systems of belonging. Her legacy is already reshaping how we measure, deliver, and sustain inclusion across generations of learners and leaders. Dr Nicole Ponsford says:

“It is an incredible honour to be included in the Diversity Power List and, as the only person representing the schools sector, I feel a deep responsibility to ensure education is firmly part of the national inclusion conversation. Every day, students and staff tell us what belonging, bias and equity really look like in schools, and their voices deserve to shape the future. This recognition strengthens my research and commitment to championing diversity and inclusion in every classroom and staffroom, and to ensuring that every young person is seen, heard and valued.”

“Each year, our Diversity Power List reminds us that meaningful progress is driven by everyday people who choose to make a difference,” says Paul Sesay, CEO and

founder of Inclusive Companies. “Real change doesn’t always come from grand gestures, it often begins with a single act of compassion, a single voice that speaks up, or a single leader who chooses to lift others.”

“Across our workplaces and communities, there are individuals whose dedication inspires others to step forward. Their courage creates momentum, and their example shows us what’s possible when we stand together. I encourage everyone to reflect on how they can contribute, no matter how small it may seem. Collective action, built from many individual efforts, is how we build a fairer, more inclusive society for all.”

You can see full 2025 Diversity Power List HERE

Media contact: Katherine@prworkshop.co.uk / 07787 533143