At the heart of our summit is the chance to celebrate the extraordinary organisations within our social enterprise movement.
This session highlights the diversity and innovation within Scotland’s social enterprise community. From early-stage to established organisations, speakers will share their journeys, challenges, and impact — bringing our theme “Fair Economy, Shared Future” to life.
Jacqui Taylor , CEO of Lifelink (she/her)
Jacqui brings over 25 years’ experience in leadership, coaching, and mentoring across sectors including government, mental health, and employability. Passionate about people development and organisational resilience, her values driven, energetic approach supports individuals and teams to navigate complexity, build strong cultures, and deliver lasting social impact alongside strategic and commercial success.
Lifelink
Lifelink is a vibrant social enterprise dedicated to improving mental health and wellbeing across Scotland and beyond. We provide compassionate prevention, early intervention counselling, and wellbeing services designed to empower individuals to build resilience and lead healthier, happier lives. We also work with employers to create mentally healthy workplaces that support and sustain employee wellbeing. Deeply rooted in community values and driven by a clear social purpose, Lifelink believes everyone deserves the chance to grow mentally, emotionally, and socially.
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Martin Macleod, CEO of ILM Highland (he/him)
Martin began his ILM Highland journey in Care & Repair, progressing to Housing Manager before becoming CEO in 2017. He leads with a vision for a shared future — combining community wealth building, circular economy, and inclusive employment to grow services that reduce waste and improve lives across the Highlands.
ILM Highland
ILM Highland is a social enterprise committed to reducing waste, promoting reuse, and empowering people to live independently. Through our recycling, retail, and care services, we deliver practical solutions that create local jobs, protect the environment, and support vulnerable individuals across the Highlands.
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Ashley Scotland, CEO & Founder of Thriving Survivors (she/her)
Ashley Scotland is a passionate social entrepreneur and visionary leader transforming the lives of trauma survivors through innovative, trauma-informed services. As CEO of Thriving Survivors, she led the creation of Scotland’s first restorative justice service for survivors of sexual harm. Ashley champions lived experience leadership and sustainable social impact.
Thriving Survivors
Thriving Survivors is a Glasgow-based charity and social enterprise supporting survivors of trauma, particularly sexual violence. Through a four-stage recovery pathway, mentoring, counselling, and restorative justice services, the organisation empowers individuals to reclaim control of their lives. All services are designed and delivered by people with lived experience.
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Sean Macaskill , Director of Autistic Knowledge Development (he/him)
Sean has worked as an award-winning business advisor, educator, project manager and social entrepreneur for almost two decades. In this time, he has worked with hundreds of organisations of all sizes, including well-known UK-wide charities, universities, and local and national governments. He is both autistic and ADHD and had a late-in-life diagnosis for both.
Autistic Knowledge Development
Autistic Knowledge Development (AKD) is an autism think tank. The organisation is led entirely by autistic people, who are accomplished professionals in their own fields. AKD creates innovative new projects for the autistic community, and all their work is designed to improve the life opportunities of autistic people. They are a driver for creating the change the autistic community needs.
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Danielle du Plooy, Founder and Manager of Uppertunity (she/her)
Danielle du Plooy is an entrepreneur, creative psychotherapist, and coach, passionate about regenerative leadership and nurturing thriving communities through inclusive collaboration. She blends creativity, psychology, and business to build stronger, more inclusive communities. With 15+ years’ experience, she champions growth over perfection, and sustainability over burnout.
Uppertunity
Uppertunity empowers adults with additional support needs through creative, social, and skill-building programmes. Its catering social enterprise arm, Serendipities, models sustainability and supportive skill development. As a co-founder of Changemakers Hub Dundee, they collaborate with local organisations to create stronger communities through systemic change, supportive working, shared resources and innovation.
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Vitalii Diakov, Co-Founder & Project Manager of Bring Together
Vitalii Diakov and Hanna Dushkova are mediators and social entrepreneurs who founded Bring Together Ltd after being forcibly displaced from Ukraine. Settling in Scotland in 2022, they turned their personal experiences of upheaval into a powerful platform for fostering connection, cultural understanding, and community integration.
Bring Together
Bring Together is a Dundee-based social enterprise specialising in cultural mediation, conflict resolution training, and innovative integration programmes. Working closely with schools, local councils, and cultural organisations, through initiatives such as Warm Circles peer-support project, Bring Together leverages their lived experiences to inspire dialogue, empathy, and cooperation across diverse communities.
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Got a question?
Please email: nia.evans@socialenterprise.scot