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Jo Wimble-Groves

Jo Wimble-Groves

Global award winning entrepreneur, Business Director and author committed to inspiring the next generation

Jo is a successful tech entrepreneur and the co-owner of an award-winning global mobile technology company, Active Digital. She is a motivational speaker, who specialising in encouraging girls and young women to find their strengths and build their confidence.

In 2016, she started her Guilty Mother blog about parenting, work-life balance and how we can instil resilience into our children. The blog now has over 55,000 followers. As a freelance writer, Jo shares her business, leadership, and parenting advice on raising girls with several media platforms including The Guardian, The Telegraph, Sky News Daily Podcast, The BBC and Grazia magazine.

Jo’s talk appeals to both girls and boys. She has a keen interest and a focus on girls due to the many reports she had read over the years, stating that girls still lack confidence in pursuing careers in science and technology.

The OECD* said that gender differences in ‘self-confidence’ could be the key difference. Even though girls might achieve better academic results, there is still a reluctance to apply for jobs. There were also findings that parents were more likely to push boys towards careers in science and technology. There is a drive currently ongoing to encourage more girls to adopt a future in science and technology.

“Believe in yourself” might sound cheesy or a cliché and according to research published by the OECD* it’s not a motto – it’s an economic strategy. So, could a lack of confidence and self-esteem be playing a huge part in the future academic success of girls? Jo has presented for Microsoft, Apple European HQ, Telefonica O2, Tesco Bank and The Federation of Small Business to name just a few.

In October 2021, Jo published her first book with DK, Rise of the Girl - Seven Empowering Conversations to have with your Daughter. Available in hardback, audible and kindle. It is still trending in the Top 100 parenting audiobooks even two years on!

Watch Jo in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zL0r1-qsEw

* The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)



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

Speaker File

Location

Kent

Topics

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

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