Hi! I'm Amanda, a third year Neuroscience student and Laidlaw alum from UCL. I'm Swedish-Persian and grew up in Sweden before moving to London for uni. These days, alongside my studies, I work for the Foundation as a Marketing Assistant. For my first year research project, I worked on optimising alginate hydrogels for 3D astrocyte culture systems. In simpler terms, I was figuring out the best way to prepare a jelly-like scaffolds so that star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes could grow in three dimensions rather than flat on a dish. This matters because 3D environments mimic the brain more realistically, which could help researchers develop better treatments for neurological disorders!  For my Leadership-in-Action project, I co-created Beyond the Books, a resource designed to help students from underrepresented backgrounds navigate the unwritten rules of university life, from internships and networking to professional opportunities that aren't always obvious if you're the first in your family to go to uni. Always happy to connect, whether you want to chat about neuroscience, widening access, the Laidlaw experience, or just say hello! One of my favourite things about this community is getting to meet people from different universities and backgrounds, so please do reach out! 🌟

As the founder of Clocktower Advisors, I help organizations reduce risk and restore executive confidence in their online communities and digital workplaces. I act as a strategic partner and fractional leader for organizations that cannot afford for their digital investments to fail—specializing in identifying the hidden misalignments that lead to "strategic blindness" and wasted capital. I have built Clocktower Advisors into a premier consultancy by delivering high-stakes results and unique market intelligence: A Proven Track Record of Success: I have guided transformational strategies and governance reviews for world-class brands, including Activision, Facebook, SAP, Steelcase, and Medtronic. My work ensures that these organizations move past "compliance theater" and surface-level metrics toward resilient, high-trust systems. The Governance Lens (Market Intelligence): My consulting is powered by a bird’s-eye view of the global community landscape. As President of the Community Consultants Collective (CCC) for the past three years, I track the platform shifts and methodology gaps that others miss. I don't just see one community; I see the systemic trends of the entire profession. The Talent Journey (Human-Centered Vision): I believe communities are only as strong as the people—and incentives—behind them. My extensive background in executive and tech recruitment and my work as Co-founder of TalentLed allow me to fix the "broken process" of the talent journey. I understand the internal human incentives that dictate whether a community becomes a resilient asset or a strategic liability. Because of this "risk-first" perspective, I am a sought-after voice on the intersection of community, governance, and business stability. I have appeared as a featured guest or host on more than 50 podcasts and livestreams, including On the Brink with Andi Simon and my own series, Talk About Your Community. I speak frequently on topics such as Community ROI, Governance as a Risk-Reduction Tool, the Impact of AI on Digital Spaces, and the Psychology of Safe Spaces at Scale. Whether I am serving as a fractional strategist or conducting a high-stakes governance audit, my mission is the same: to prevent failure first, knowing that sustainable growth follows stability.

I enjoy writing articles about the integration of AI tools in web development and their potential to transform society. My interest in the relationship between language, thought, and creativity has inspired me to delve deeper into this fascinating topic. Exploring how these elements intertwine allows me to understand and share insights about the future of technology and its societal impact.