Meet the Founder: Simone
Welcome to our ‘Meet the Founder’ series, where we shine a spotlight on the three co-founders behind EDI-T. Through these interviews, we'll explore their personal and professional journeys, their visions, enjoyments and their insights on what it takes to succeed in today's ever-changing education business landscape.
Not a stranger to networks of strong, ambitious women, Simone is passionate about building and empowering professional communities that grow authentically and deliver positive impacts.
In this blog series, find out more about EDI-T's co-founder, as she shares with us some insights and anecdotes on her leadership journey so far.
Who or what inspired you to be a leader and why?
I’ve always been what was in the 90s called a ‘bossy child’ - I took it upon myself to research schools, and decided which one I was going to at the age of 13. I wrote business plans for my dad when I wanted money for a trip away as a teenager and was the managing editor of my university’s newspaper and journal.
It wasn’t until my mid-20s that I realised that being a leader is a lot more than a job title that reflects responsibility and ambitions. First, as a journalist, I really took my time to become part of the sector I was writing about and to build my personal brand and network. I remember the first time my articles were referenced at conferences and my ideas sparked debate in the sector (at the time, I was writing about Public Finance, particularly Gender Responsive Budgeting).
When I joined EducationInvestor Global and launched Business Women in Education, the leaders who joined me as founding members gave me a new boost of inspiration and motivation to support other female leaders excel at what they do best. There’s nothing that inspires me more than being surrounded by supportive and motivated people - and I hope EDI-T inspires others as much as it motivates me.
Lastly, becoming a mother really pushed me (in so SO many ways). Having a daughter and watching her grow inspires me to make a positive difference, especially for women and to support them in achieving their goals, whatever they may be.
When you began your career, did you aim to have a leadership role?
I always wanted to be an editor but I never really thought of it as a leadership role. I studied journalism, was appointed managing editor of the University newspaper and completed a human rights masters degree at UCL.
I’ve worked as a journalist across various sectors and I soon realised that what I loved most out of my roles was speaking and connecting people. Engaging in conversation offers the opportunity to exchange ideas, share insights and learn from others, and networking is the powerful tool that drives all of that together.
But if you’d told me my career would take the turn it did, I don’t think I would have believed you! I really think leadership can take many forms. It’s not always about reaching a C-Suite position, it can be leading a team, pursuing a passion or steering forward a vision that you know can make a positive change. Creating more accessible opportunities ultimately allows more people to become leaders in their own way.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned over your career so far?
The incredible power that a strong network can have in advancing progression, not only in our own sector circles, but globally. There are elements of society that can take a very long time to change, for example, gender equity. It’s still the case that women are significantly underfunded in investment - 1% compared to the 99% of investment directed to men
Tackling barriers like this is where a network’s role and capabilities become essential. Collective effort and collaboration leads to a better understanding of the challenges underrepresented groups face and helps build resilience, enabling more individuals to mobilise and support each other.
What advice would you give the next generation of leaders?
It’s never too early to start working on your own personal brand and build a network of connections that share your values, regardless of your current role. A lot of employers will expect you to grow a network that, above all, represents the corporate brand - but don’t forget the long-lasting influence you personally can have. When I started Business Women in Education, the founding members trusted my vision and ability to grow the network and that trust contributed massively to my own growth, career and long-lasting support to co-found EDI-T.
At what time of day do you get your best work done?
Well I’m about to have my second baby and have a young daughter who is an early riser and sometimes a late sleeper so there’s never two days that are the same. However, my working day starts at 8am and I usually get the most done in the morning. By the afternoon, I need time away from the screen. I get the most creative ideas on the nursery run and while putting my daughter to bed - at EDI-T we call the long WhatsApp messages ‘Simone’s bedtime thoughts/rants’ (sorry Bri).
Tell us something people would be surprised to know about you?
International education has actually been a part of my life from a young age without realising it. I’m Danish but at the age of 10 I moved to Thailand with my family and went to a lot of different schools as we moved around a lot, coming back to Denmark for a short period before moving back to Thailand at 12 years old.
After school, I went back to Denmark to work before applying to university in London and again, moving to a new country where I could experience a whole new way of life with all the challenges and opportunities that came with it. I’ve been exposed to so many different cultures that broadened my horizons, so I guess it’s no surprise that global connectivity is a passion of mine. I experienced being the minority in my class, where no one looked like me, but was also aware that I was privileged in so many ways. I’m grateful to my dad who ensured I knew this - he took me to various villages in the mountains around Chiang Mai every year for Children’s Day to help, donate school supplies and play with the local children. It was instilled in me that I had to use my privilege to try to make a positive difference to other people’s lives - I guess that’s why I pursued a human rights degree!
Now, after nearly 11 years in London, I am now packing up again and moving my family to a small village in Denmark.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?
As a mum to a feisty young girl, I don’t feel like I am ever not working. But my daughter is very into Disney books and movies so I know a lot of random facts and theories about how all the films are connected - did you know Elsa and Anna are Rapunzel’s cousins? (Yes, I’ve googled this and know the ages of most characters). I’ve got an impressive number of Disney facts and am more than happy to share them with anyone who might be keen to know more.
But family time is really important to me, so when we get the chance, I love planning days out and visits to coffee shops on the weekends where my daughter very proudly orders her own babychino. I also drink a lot of coffee (mum’s will relate) and my latte art has made me known as EDI-T’s resident barista.
What makes you excited about EDI-T?
One thing that excites me the most about EDI-T is being able to work with my co-founders, who share my vision of creating a community that will benefit the education sector and the people within it. I’ve worked with a lot of people - bad managers as well as great ones - and I’ve experienced being put down because of my gender by management, being told my idea would ‘not add value’ to the company (I’ll share this story with anyone who wants to hear it… spoiler, it did add value). I’m very grateful and excited to work with two inspiring people, who value my ideas and vision. I’m excited to be able to bring this to life and have the autonomy of owning the business to do it the way we feel is right.
I’ve experienced first handedly how a powerful network can help you progress - without the supportive people in my circle I would not be writing this today. I am excited to give other people in our sector access to a community that can help them achieve what they want from their career. It truly is about who you know.
I believe that through diversity the sector will be stronger. Diverse boards and management teams perform better financially, yet many are still not very diverse. I hope that through our platform and content, we will empower the people within our community, and our partners, to change this.