Youth STEM 2030 Wins Scottish Impact Award for Diversity & Inclusion Leadership
We’re honoured that Youth STEM 2030 has been recognised as the winner of the Diversity & Inclusion Leadership award at the 2025 Scottish Impact Awards!
Our Founder, Mhairi, being presented with our Scottish Impact Award for Diversity and Inclusion Leadership
Recognising organisations that “foster inclusive workplaces, champion diversity, and address social inequalities in Scotland”, Youth STEM 2030 has been selected from nominees across the Scotland as winner of the 2025 Diversity and Inclusion Leadership award, sponsored by Diageo.
Announced on 16th September at an awards ceremony hosted by broadcaster, journalist, and filmmaker Zara Janjua in Glasgow, the award recognises our extensive work to ensure equity and inclusion is deeply embedded within everything we do - from our programme design, to our recruitment and selection processes, to our communications to our procurement - and is truly at the core of our work to meaningfully embed diverse young peoples voices in other organisations and our overall mission of empowering marginalised youth as STEM changemakers.
On winning the Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award at the 2025 Scottish Impact Awards, Youth STEM 2030 Founder & CEO Mhairi McCann said:
“Being named Winners of the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award amongst an incredible group of finalists recognises the work our team does every day to create a just and sustainable future. We believe embedding equity and being intentionally inclusive to create a fairer society are a fundamental responsibility of businesses and non-profits alike, and we hope that wining this Scottish Impact Award will enable other organisations to learn from our practice, use our consultancy and training services to meaningfully embed diverse young peoples voices in their decision-making, and share their resources to empower a generation of STEM changemakers for a just and sustainable future.”
Group photo of the 2025 Scottish Impact Award Winners
The Scottish Impact Awards were created to recognise the trailblazers who embed purpose into action and are creating lasting impact across society, the environment, and the workplace. Partnered with The Herald and GenAnalytics, they honour and celebrate leadership across Scotland that drives real change through impactful work in inclusion, sustainability, ethical leadership, and community transformation.
Award winners were selected following an open nominations process to organisations across Scotland of all sizes and sectors, and a rigorous judging process reviewing our inclusion policies, practices and data. Leaders including Dr Lesley Sawyers (Director, GenAnalytics), Franceska van Dijk (Chief Executive Officer, One Stone Advisors Ltd), Sophia Goring (Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Business Stream), Dr Martin Valenti (Director of Director of Investment & Sustainable Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise), Laura Young (Less Waste Laura), Mariam Ahmed (Chief Executive Officer, Amina Muslim Women’s Resource Centre (MWRC)/ EHRC Scotland Committee Member), Caroline Cuthbertson (Operations Director, Crosswind Developments), and Sandy MacDonald (Executive Director, Head of Impact Assessment and Reporting, Scottish National Investment Bank) formed the judging panel, and said:
“Youth STEM 2030 is awarded the Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award for empowering marginalised young people worldwide as STEM changemakers. With 85% of participants from underrepresented groups and 100% of leadership roles held by women and minorities, they’re proving that true equity builds a more just and sustainable future.”
Read a full recap of the Scottish Impact Awards in The Herald.
