Find a Speaker

Jo Wimble-Groves

Jo Wimble-Groves

Global award winning tech entrepreneur, STEM Ambassador, Business Director and Author committed to inspiring the next generation

Jo is a tech entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker who is passionate about helping young people believe in themselves and feel confident about their future. She is the co-owner of Active Digital, an award-winning technology company, and in 2025 she co-founded Active Digital AI, supporting UK organisations to understand and use artificial intelligence responsibly.

Jo works closely with schools to inspire young people to recognise their strengths, build confidence and explore future career possibilities, particularly in science, technology and emerging industries. Her talks are practical, engaging and age-appropriate, helping students understand that success is not just about grades, it’s about mindset, resilience and self-belief.

A key focus of Jo’s work is encouraging more girls to consider a career in STEM. Research from the OECD shows that confidence, not ability is often the biggest barrier to girls pursuing opportunities in science and technology. Jo’s sessions help challenge these stereotypes, empowering students to see what is possible for them.

Jo also talks about the future of work, including AI and robotics, helping students understand how jobs may change between now and 2050. After a recent visit to The National Robotarium in Edinburgh, Jo brings real-world examples of cutting-edge robotics into the classroom, sparking curiosity and excitement about future careers that don’t even exist yet.

Alongside her speaking work, Jo is a regular writer and commentator, contributing to publications such as The Guardian, The Telegraph, Grazia, and appearing on BBC and Sky News platforms to discuss confidence, leadership and the future generation.

In October 2021, Jo published her book with DK. Rise of the Girl: Seven Empowering Conversations to Have with Your Daughter, which continues to feature in the Top 100 parenting audiobooks. The book is a parenting guide designed to help parents and caregivers to build resilience in girls. It addresses seven key areas, such as fear of failure and social media pressure, providing conversation starters and advice to help daughters navigate modern challenges. The success of Jo’s book led her to be asked to deliver a TEDx talk in November 2022 on the importance of raising your hand.

Jo’s school talks are inspiring, honest and interactive, leaving students feeling motivated, capable and excited about who they can become in a fast-changing world.



Testimonials from Teachers

"I wanted to thank you for delivering such an inspiring and powerful lecture. Without the atmosphere of a live venue and without the opportunity to build a rapport with a physical audience, there is even greater emphasis on each and every word you are saying. Your talk was so engaging and absorbing, so relevant and resonant, and so personal, self-deprecating and humble and this meant that all our audience – from the youngest to the not-quite-so-young, from teenagers to parents – could really relate to you and your messages. The fact that almost without exception the whole audience stayed with us online right until the very end and asked a succession of genuinely insightful, challenging questions shows just how well received it was in homes throughout the county!"

– Mr JW Pressley, Senior Master, Royal Grammar School Surrey

"I worked with Jo as Director at Active Digital and always found her warm and friendly personality made her very approachable and a very effective communicator. Jo’s natural drive and enthusiasm is extremely inspiring to be around and I would choose to work with her again without hesitation."

– Steve Backley OBE

“We invited Jo to come and speak to the year 12 students at Dartford Grammar School. The students really appreciated the talk today.”

– Victoria Snell, Head of Year 12, Dartford Grammar School for Girls

"Thank you for your visit this morning. I had some very positive feedback from staff and pupils, so you definitely left with a buzz about the place. I really appreciate you finding the time to come and talk to us all today. It’s very much appreciated."

– Helen Hoffmann, Head of Derwent Lodge, The Schools at Somerhill

"Thank you for speaking yesterday at our Women's Enterprise Kent event. We really enjoyed your talk, it was very motivational and inspiring."

– Louise Patience, Kent County Council​

"Jo is the epitome of a successful young entrepreneur. She is clearly knowledgeable, hardworking, well organised and focused. But for those who think to be successful you have to be bull headed, arrogant, greedy and pushy - Jo is none of these. She is always pleasant, helpful, and mindful of needs of others - including staff and great fun. Jo makes others feel good!"

– Don Hales, Founder & Chairman of Awards International

"Jo came to speak to our students on why considering maths is a wise choice and can lead to a variety of careers. The feedback from students and staff was that Jo was extremely engaging, a good orator, keeping the students’ attention. She had a great story to tell which was very beneficial for our students who have a fixed mindset on where maths can take them."

– Ruth Culbreth, Careers Leads, Maidstone Grammar School

"Jo joined us as a keynote speaker for our Sutton High School GDST TEDx youth event, and her contribution played an integral part in the overall success of the event and the incredible feedback we have since received. Her natural and effortless delivery of a powerful and pertinent message proves that she fully understands the intricacies involved in delivering an engaging keynote speech to spark a desire for change.”

– Laura James, Director of Marketing and Communications, Sutton High School GDST

"Jo came to talk to us as our first speaker of the year and provided an inspirational start. Talking about her career she spoke with insight about taking opportunities when they present themselves and how through doing this, showing perseverance, imagination and co-operation she had been able to shape her life, develop a successful company and break through in an industry where she did not have many role models to look up to. It was also great to hear someone from outside the school talking to the pupils about the importance of good manner in life. Last lesson on a Friday is a difficult time to engage the pupils but they were completely engaged with Jo and her story. I have no doubt that as we move through the year and as opportunities present themselves to the pupils the way they will embrace them will owe much to this talk."

– Richard Vassar-Smith, Saint Ronan’s

"We were delighted to welcome Jo Wimble-Groves, co-owner of Active Digital, to Buckswood School for our Knowledge Is Power session. Her talk was engaging, inspiring, and full of practical insight that truly resonated with our students.

Jo brought her real-world experience as a successful entrepreneur in the digital communications industry, where she has helped build a thriving, award-winning business from the ground up. Her story of starting in tech at a young age and growing a company known for its innovation and customer focus was both authentic and motivating.

Students responded enthusiastically to Jo’s message about resilience, creativity, and the importance of embracing learning beyond the classroom. She encouraged them to think boldly about their futures, emphasising that a clear vision and persistent effort can open doors in unexpected ways. Her ability to connect with young people and spark thoughtful questions made her session one of the highlights of our KIP series.

We are grateful to Jo for sharing her expertise, energy, and encouragement with our community. Her visit has left a lasting impression and has helped shape our students’ confidence to pursue their ambitions in a fast-changing world."

– Patrick Mahoney, Head of Sixth Form, Buckswood School

Speaker File

Location

Kent

Topics

  • Technology
  • Enterprise
  • Careers
  • Women
  • Assemblies and Celebrations Events
  • Well-being

Please enquire for pricing information.

Book Now

We have a wide range of speakers from £250 to £2000 plus travel and VAT. An indication of your budget would be useful to select appropriate speakers.

Thank you for the details, your data will be stored whilst we process this request.

Our Partners

Aim Higher Apprenticeships GDST Girls Out Loud St John Ambulance