29 Oct 2026
Tobacco Dock, London
Tobacco Dock, London
Who gets to decide which founders, ideas and communities receive investment? This session brings together fund managers, investors and institutions to examine what it takes to move from asking for capital to controlling and deploying it. The conversation will explore emerging fund managers, access to institutional backing and how a more representative investment ecosystem gets built.
Deborah Okonla is the Founder and CEO of YSYS (Your Startup, Your Story), a community supporting founders, talent, and investors. YSYS partners with leading companies to create opportunities for diverse individuals, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, through entrepreneurial and employability programmes.
Since 2017, YSYS has provided access to opportunities for over 17,000 people across the UK, playing a crucial role in shaping the next generation of startup leaders. Deborah's commitment to diversity has earned her recognition on the Financial Times list of the UK's Top 100 Black and Minority Ethnic Leaders in Technology, and Computer Weekly's Rising Woman in Tech.
Building on this track record, Deborah was selected in 2026 as one of the emerging fund managers for the British Business Bank's Investor Pathways Capital Programme, a £400 million initiative designed to back a new generation of diverse fund managers across the UK. She is now working with the British Business Bank to launch her fund, FirstDoor VC, a UK-based pre-seed fund with a talent-lens focus, investing in the next-gen agenda: the access infrastructure of the modern economy.
David Houghton is Co-founder of Common Ventures, a pre-seed fund backing state-educated and immigrant founders across the UK, anchored by the British Business Bank. Common grew out of a 4,000+ strong community of state-educated founders, investors and operators, built on the belief that adversity breeds the best founders. David grew up in Leeds and attended Guiseley School, building his career in VC through determination and some Yorkshire charm.
Abs Bulbuliya has spent his career helping turn ambitious ideas into investable businesses and funds. Today, as a Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, he works on Investor Pathways Capital, a £400 million initiative supporting high-potential investors from a wide range of backgrounds to launch their first VC funds and build their track records.
After 14 years in Australia working across startups, accelerators and investment, the Yorkshire native returned to the UK with a clear mission: to find overlooked talent, widen access to capital, and seed the next generation of fund managers.
Emily Turner is the CEO of HSBC Innovation Banking UK. Emily leads the bank and is responsible for scaling the business across the UK, Denmark and Sweden driving growth with leading innovation companies and investors. Emily is also a member of the UK Board. Over the past decade, Emily established and built-up Citi Ventures UK, led Citi’s Global Institutional Strategic Investing group, and developed multiple early-stage companies as part of Citi's internal incubator. Most recently, Emily held the position of MD and Head of Business Development, Citi’s Client Organisation. Before joining Citi, Emily worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in London. A native New Yorker, Emily is a graduate of Dartmouth College and has an MBA from Columbia University. Emily brings extensive experience of driving growth within the innovation ecosystem, both as an investor and as an operator.
