Seyi Akiwowo

Seyi Akiwowo is prolific political changemaker, using her voice to highlight the injustices our system imposes on minoritised groups. In 2017 Seyi penned a piece for The Guardian after the death of Rashan Charles, a young Black man who died at the hands of the police. Throughout her leadership of Glitch, Seyi has consistently shone a light on the absence of prioritised safety for marginalised communities, particularly Black women, in the Online Safety Bill, and has spoken in UK Parliament on the subject of digital citizenship.

Seyi is no stranger to awards. From Amnesty International’s Human Rights Defender in 2018, to recognition from publications like Marie Claire and Evening Standard in 2019; from being a finalist for the United Nations Women Awards in the UK to being on the front cover of WIRED magazine as their Changemaker in 2021. Seyi was also offered a MBE in 2022, which she decided not to accept.

Seyi has had many opportunities to speak at various important events, like her talk at TedX that spoke to Glitch’s mission to help end online abuse through digital citizenship. She has also spoken at Google in New York and OECD Paris; at the British Council in Qatar, Kuwait and UAE; at Bupa and Natwest; and for Botswana’s Parliament and the European Parliament in Brussels. Seyi has also lectured at both London School of Economics and UAL, and will be a keynote speaker at the Alan Turing Institute.

But change must come with collaboration, working with platforms rather than against them. Seyi has raised awareness through partnering on campaigns with big brands like BT Sport on the #DrawTheLineCampaign, as well as being appointed to the boards of platforms like TikTok and Twitter’s European Trust and Safety Council. With all of her experience and the many achievements under her belt, Seyi has made a name for herself as a top consultant where tech and policy intersect – someone who can be trusted to call out injustices whilst also offering actionable solutions that hold platforms to account and help individuals stay safe online.

Seyi can now add author to her list of humble brags. Her book How To Stay Safe Online, published by Penguin, is a digital self-care toolkit for developing resilience and allyship, offering anecdotes, interviews, tips and context for why online safety needs to be the next movement we all invest in, from individuals to Big Tech.

• Leadership
• Reluctant Adulthood
• Ethics in Tech