Governance

Andrew Comley is a Consultant Naval Architect, who runs A Comley Limited a company that provides “Asset Integrity through Neurodiversity”. He became a freelancer in 2008 when offered the opportunity to freelance for one of his previous employers and has been providing an ever-increasing range of services since. These days that encompasses both theoretical and practical engineering, ranging from writing scopes of work for the underwater inspection of offshore floating production units through to designing and building bespoke camera mounts for the quarrying industry. He is a dad, Aspergerian, and suffers chronic pain, so running a micro-business allows him to fit his work around his private life. As a result, he advocates freelancing for the disabled as a way to empower and live independently.

Chris is the co-founder of Getdoddle, a project management SaaS business, as well as being a Digital Strategy consultant. Chris also runs Proper LinkedIn Marketing, a niche marketing service. With more than 24,000 followers on LinkedIn, Chris made a name for himself with his straight talking approach to marketing. 

Chris was also a CC member at IPSE.

Faye Dicker; a voiceover artist and founder of Freelance Mum – the award-winning child- friendly networking group. Freelance Mum was born of my own need, being a freelance voiceover artist, trying to juggle motherhood around business. There wasn’t a group that catered for mums like me, so I set one up! They’re brilliantly bonkers. 

When I’m not busy running FM, I’m recording voiceover sessions, from my home studio in Bristol. I can be heard on Leapfrog TV adverts, national campaigns for Matalan and Hurrah for Gin.

I won Freelance Ambassador of the year award in 2018 and Top 100 Inspirational Woman in the West in 2018 and 2019, for my work with Freelance Mum. I love cycling my children to school in my cargo bike and can be found in my ‘free time’ swimming in the local Lido! I’m passionate about supporting mums in business and love chatting about ‘freelance life’.

I have been freelancing for over 6 years. I provide project consultancy and business analysis services to other businesses, both large and small.

I live with my husband who is also a freelancer in the cycling industry, and we have three (sort of) grown up children all of whom are actually self-employed too! Helping them carve their own niche has helped me get other perspectives on self-employment for young people.

Working on the IPSE forum gives me the opportunity to work with and for other members to ensure the issues we care about are addressed. I am particularly interested in ways in which freelancers can grow their businesses and create new revenue streams. 

Gemma Church is "the freelance writer who gets tech". Based in Cambridgeshire, she's a specialist science and technology journalist, blogger and copywriter, with degrees in physics and astrophysics. Gemma is also a former software developer and began her writing career 15 years ago with Bluesci, Cambridge University’s science and technology magazine. 

My name is George, I'm 36 years old and I come from the magical land of Transylvania, Romania. 

I completed my Bachelor Degree in Textile Sciences and Engineering, in 2006, before leaving Romania for the UK in 2010. In November 2015, I became one of the first Uber Partner Drivers in the South Coast and have been selected as one of the founding members of the UberENGAGE pilot project in the UK.

Before Uber I worked for different companies in the taxi industry as a local town driver in Portsmouth, airport transfers and long-haul chauffeur. 

I enjoy driving and interacting with customers because every journey is unique and special due to the fact that everyone has it Is own little life story. 

Recently, I started to invest more time into my own business, as a chauffeur and launched a new company, GRB Executive Cars. The main profile for the business is airport transfers, private/special events, corporate/business trips, day hire and long hauls. I'm using my expertise and experience over the years, to play a big role in this industry and make a difference when it comes to the odd "taxi trip".

I married my lovely wife in 2015 and we welcomed our little girl in 2016.

Gianni Frankis is a former GB International in the 110m hurdles having won medals at World and European levels and breaking age group records along the way. Currently, he is a speaker and workshop facilitator in schools while also running a coaching company with his former coach Tony Jarrett called "110% Beyond Your Limits".

Gianni, with his experience in teaching and professional sport, joins the members forum to give the education sector and athletes and coaches a voice within the self-employed landscape where he feels they are severely underrepresented.

Katy Carlisle has been freelance since 2013 and runs The Wheel Exists, a Squarespace web design and training business. In 2015 she set up Freelance Folk, a community focused on bringing freelancers together through popup coworking events. She's also co-host of the 99 Problems (but a boss ain't one) podcast. Katy recently moved to Anglesey, achieving a lifelong dream of living by the sea, and now takes advantage of freelancing to go surfing more regularly. She was a finalist in the 2016 IPSE Freelancer of the Year awards and winner of the IPSE Ambassador of the Year award in 2017.

Leah Matthews, founder of The Virtual Studio, is a designer and digital specialist based in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. She specialises in web design, branding and digital implementation services for female founders and works with businesses around the world to up level their marketing and build a cohesive online identity.

As a mum of two, she is an advocate for removing age and parental stigmas within the online community and regularly speaks at events and mentors students and those starting self-employment.

She was recently a finalist for IPSE's 'Young Freelancer of the Year Award' in 2018.

Lolade Onabolu is a Mechanical Engineer turned business advisor and transformation programme director and director of Austin Akanni Associates. She has a track record of successfully delivering large and complex change programmes within the central government including NHS England, the Department of Health, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Justice, and Home Office. She is experienced in managing a wide variety of partners and stakeholders bringing together teams from different organizations to work towards a common goal – to deliver benefits to the client.

Lolade is married with 4 grown up boys.  In between consulting and family life, she writes and publishes folklores for children and enjoys prancing around the gym with much younger folks!

Melissa Holloway is a freelance medical copywriter for healthcare specialist advertising agencies. She is also a marketing and strategy consultant to companies with an interest in diabetes care. A member of IPSE since 2014, Melissa was a Runner-Up in the 2017 Freelancer of the Year Awards. She has supported IPSE’s educational outreach programmes, policy initiatives and press activities. Melissa is also involved with JDRF, the type 1 diabetes charity, as well as local organisations in Pimlico, central London, where she lives with her husband and two young children.

Sue is an experienced technology and digital product professional, having held senior positions in public, private and not-for-profit organisations. She has provided consultation for leaders in a variety of sectors, including media, public service, health, SaaS and government. She is customer and audience driven, with a constant focus on identifying areas for improving her clients’ businesses and developing their people. With a strong background in publishing and journalism, Sue also advises on communications, story-telling and content sharing. Sue is Co-Chair of Byte Night Wales, which raises money to prevent youth homelessness, and is also a trustee for Early Years Wales.