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Follow the Changemakers Driving Positive Change in the World of Work

In many ways, it felt like the global pandemic put everything on pause. But in reality, change was the one thing that impacted us all as professionals, communities, and most importantly, people. 

All of us had to adapt to huge changes overnight. Working remotely and virtually precipitated a shift in how we value work-life balance and our mental health in this new, ever-evolving world of work. All of us were touched by or impacted by job losses, redundancies or a re-evaluation of what’s important to us in our careers and beyond.

On the flipside, it became even more apparent that change is not happening fast enough for so many people. From systemic racism to gender inequalities, the conversations around being a more inclusive world ignited - whilst conversations around the environment were pushed to the bottom of the agenda. It became even more clear that we still had a long way to go in building a more equitable and sustainable world of work.

We’re all in it together. We’ve seen the LinkedIn community come together to rally around these issues. We’ve seen our members have open, honest and frank conversations on LinkedIn more than ever before. We’ve seen people share content, ideas and perspectives that have helped us adapt to the seismic changes of the past eighteen months, and in some cases, drive important changes forward.

In and amongst this rich sea of conversations, we identified eight #Changemakers: LinkedIn members and creators actively driving change in the topics most important to UK professionals. 

Follow them today and join the #ConversationsForChange on LinkedIn.

Follow Phyll Opoku-Gyimah: #Intersectionality | #Diversity | #Inclusion

Lady Phyll is a stalwart of the LGBTQ+ community, both as the co-founder of UK Black Pride and the Kaleidoscope Trust - an international charity working to uphold and advance human rights and equality for LGBTQ+ people around the world. She wants to help workplaces understand the importance of intersectionality so every professional can bring their full, true self to work.

Follow Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis: #CareerDevelopment

As the founders of career development consultancy Amazing If and authors of the Sunday Times #1 bestseller ‘The Squiggly Career’, Helen and Sarah know better than anyone that our careers have become far less predictable, and far more 'squiggly'. They're helping LinkedIn members and organisations succeed in this squiggly context to make work a better and happier place for everyone.

Follow Sonya Barlow: #GenderEquality | #Diversity | #Inclusion

Sonya is an award-winning entrepreneur and content creator using LinkedIn to build like-minded communities that challenge the narrative around diversity and inclusion - primarily by enabling and empowering women and underrepresented groups to succeed in the world of work.

Follow Neil Laybourn: #MentalHealth

In 2008, Neil walked past a man called Jonny, sitting by the bridge, who was contemplating taking his own life. Six years later they were reunited through a viral social media search (#FindMike). This inspired Neil to set up multiple charities and organisations to help eradicate the stigma of mental health, whilst offering real support and solutions to professionals facing challenges with their mental health.

Follow Martyn Sibley: #DisabilityEquality | #Diversity | #Inclusion

Martyn is the co-founder and CEO of The Purple Goat Agency, a specialist disability and inclusion marketing agency and one of the most influential disabled people in the UK. He’s helping LinkedIn members and companies connect with the needs of the disabled community to transform the way everyone lives, works and contributes.

Follow Nicole Crenstil: #Diversity | #Inclusion | #BlackBusiness

As an angel investor and founder of Black Girl Fest, Nicole wants black businesses and black business owners to get the hype and credit they deserve. She’s using LinkedIn to connect with young people and underrepresented communities to help equip them with the tools they need for professional success.

Follow Leyla Acaroglu: #Sustainability

Leyla challenges people to think differently about how the world is designed and works. Through her ‘Disruptive Design Method’ she’s helping drive positive social and environmental change by overhauling businesses' approach to sustainability.

Follow Andrew MacAskill: #JobSearch | #CareerAdvice

Andrew is on a mission to end job search misery. Having been through an unexpected redundancy himself, he now helps jobseekers on LinkedIn navigate the ever-changing job market, overcome setbacks, and give people the confidence they need to ace those big moments in their careers.

What’s the one thing you’d change about the world of work? Follow our UK Changemakers and join the #ConversationsForChange on LinkedIn.