The Homerton Changemakers programme is dedicated to equipping its students with essential life-skills, tools and resources to be able to make real and positive change in the world.
Catalyst Fund Initiative
Now in its fourth year, the Changemakers Catalyst Fund Initiative is an exciting opportunity to win up to £2,000 in Catalyst funding, complemented by hands-on mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs and leaders through industry partner Cambridge Wireless and from Homerton’s own alumni community. Grants are awarded for establishing a social enterprise or business, to support an existing start-up or project, to develop a creative project or campaign or for research towards a new enterprise. Projects can be in any field, but must be focused on public good and societal change, and students are encouraged to embrace the use of technology.
From warming cosmetic creams to educational innovations in AI, the students now have a real opportunity to take their truly impactful, changemaking ventures to the next level. If you are interested in attending the Showcase Event on Thursday 2 October where these Winning Groups will be presenting their enterprise projects, please Register Here
Homerton Changemakers are grateful to TTP, Cambridge Wireless and Anglia Ruskin University for their continuous support of this Programme.
The 2025 Changemakers Catalyst Fund Winning Teams
DermaFlo (formerly known as Cooden Cosmetics)
Conor Crooks (left), James Millett (right)
Lead applicant: James Millett, PGCE 2024-2025
Everyone has cold hands, feet, noses, extremities and sometimes clothing does not cut it. We have made a cosmetic cream that maintains normal warmth for those very cold days. Our first product is made from safe cosmetic materials. We froze our hands and used thermal imaging to prove that it works. Apply it before going to the shops, cold water swimming (it’s waterproof), or before bed to warm up your feet. We are using Homerton Changemakers to help bring this non-medical cosmetic to market.
In parallel, Conor and James are developing a medical device for the 1 in 5 adults with Raynaud’s. Raynaud’s causes pain, numbness, and a loss of dexterity with no real treatments available. Our cosmetic product will generate revenue for further R&D of our medical device.
Team: Conor Crooks, Chief Scientific Officer, Imperial College London, PhD Candidate for Chemistry 2026, Medicinal Scientific Expert
Dastikari
Sahar Atif, Lums (left) Emelie Monye (right)
Lead applicant: Emelie Monye, Mst Social Innovation, Ambassador
Dastikari is a dual-platform social enterprise aiming to empowering marginalized women artisans in Pakistan by creating a sustainable income generation opportunity along with long-term skill development. The first phase launches an e-commerce marketplace, enabling artisans to access consistent revenue through urban and international markets. This platform aims to establish financial trust and social legitimacy, especially within conservative communities where women artisan’s interaction with external actors is discouraged.
The second phase introduces an EdTech platform offering vocational, entrepreneurial, and digital training through regional-language video tutorials. These will be developed in collaboration with Pakistan’s premier academic institutions—Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).
By integrating commerce and education, Dastikari aims to create an ecosystem of knowledge sharing, co-creation, and social and financial inclusion—ultimately transforming the lives of women artisans by bridging the rural-urban divide.
Team: Sahar Atif, Lums, Mst Social Innovation 2024-26, Fashion designer and researcher
InstaMark
From left to right, Deepak Biradar, Jana Abdel Aty, Sophie Tan and Ziyi Li
Lead applicant: Sophie Tan, MEd Primary Education 25, School Teacher & Ambassador
InstaMark is a real-time, AI-powered marking tool designed by a teacher, for teachers to transform classroom feedback. It instantly reads and evaluates students’ typed or handwritten answers (e.g. on tablet devices) during lessons, providing immediate, tailored feedback. Whether a student needs scaffolded support for mistakes or challenge questions to stretch their thinking, InstaMark responds in the moment - making feedback faster, responsive, and more personalised than ever before.
If a student’s answer is incorrect, InstaMark offers step-by-step hints or prompts to guide them toward the correct understanding; if the answer is correct, it delivers a follow-up question to deepen mastery. Meanwhile, teachers see a live heatmap dashboard of the class’s performance, helping them identify misconceptions and intervene on the spot systematically. By closing the feedback loop within the class session, InstaMark frees teachers from hours of after-class marking and ensures every student receives timely support. This innovation in assessment empowers educators to focus on teaching and fosters better learning outcomes for students.
Feedback in the moment.
Progress on the spot.
Team: Ziyi Li, MPhil in Education (KPP) 25, Deepak Biradar, MBA 25 and Jana Abdel Aty, BA Education
Pathia
From top left to bottom right, Elsa Walston, Bruno Collingridge, Sonny Kong, Rachel Brooks, Oliver Fogelin, Andre Pancholi
Lead applicant: Andre Pancholi, Geography, 3rd Year, Ambassador
Pathia is an AI-powered educational platform designed to support neurodivergent students - particularly those with autism - in passing critical qualifications like Maths and English GCSEs.
Inspired by the real challenges faced by students like our founder’s (Elsa) brother, Pathia transforms how GCSE questions are presented: breaking them down, rephrasing complex language, and offering visual scaffolding tailored to each learner’s cognitive profile.
With millions of capable students currently locked out of opportunities due to rigid, language-heavy exams, Pathia equips them with the mental tools needed to thrive. We don’t do this by changing the system, but by adapting learning to how they think.
Our goal is to pilot Pathia in schools and shape a more inclusive educational future with technology that empowers rather than excludes.
Find us as at https://www.pathia.app/
Team: Andre Pancholi, 3rd Year Geography Homerton College (CFO), Oliver Fogelin, 2nd Year Computer Science Homerton College (CTO), Rachel Brooks, 2nd Year English Homerton College (Public Relations), Elsa Walston, Climate Tech, Imperial College Innovation (CEO Founder), Sonny Kong, 2nd Year MSc in Design Engineering at Imperial (CPO), Bruno Collingridge, London Interdisciplinary School BASc 2nd Year (UX Design)
Tending Heart
Lead applicant: Qiyu Xia, MPhil Psychology with Education, Ambassador
Tending Heart aims to create a Grief Toolkit- a resource and training offering, co-designed with educators, caregivers, and students, to build grief-sensitive communities in preschools. It equips adults to support children aged 4-5 to understand and process grief, loss and death through picture books, class discussions, and emotional literacy activities. The toolkit builds adults’ capacity to model healthy nervous system regulation, and create safe, supportive environments that can hold complex and tender conversations about grief. With these skills, adults can support children to self-regulate, which research has found to be essential for lifelong learning and development. In an era of growing instability and polycrisis, this work empowers schools to build resilient, compassionate communities where children can navigate loss, strengthen emotional connection, and flourish together. The grief toolkit aims to create a more sustainable, just and regenerative educational system, in which educators, caregivers and students can regulate themselves with increasing reliability.
Team: Agnes Purwoko, MPhil Critical Approaches to Children's Literature 2024–25, Jay Levontine, MPhil Arts, Creativity, and Education 2024–25, Kate Noble, MPhil Psychology and Education 2024–25, Jingyun Zhang, 3rd Year PhD Education
CrossLingo AI
Dr. Sheena Mal (left) Thor Parker (right)
Lead applicant: Thor Parker, Economics Tripos, Year 2
Crosslingo AI aspires to empower every Filipino youth with learning facilities to achieve English proficiency, unlocking opportunities and escaping poverty. Starting with Metro Manila’s 6.92 million youth under 25—49.23% of 14.05 million (2024 estimate)—it targets 5.23 million (10% nationally). My Changemakers Change in the Community volunteering in Happyland, Tondo—Manila’s most dangerous slum and active gangland—revealed youth embracing learning despite crime and child labour. Crosslingo AI, an AI-powered companion, mimics developmental bilingual households, tailoring gamified conversations to interests and learning styles. Starting in native language, it gradually increases English for fluency. Unlike traditional language learning apps with 1.76% 30-day retention, AI companion apps have a 20.00% retention and 0.60-hour daily usage. Metro Manila’s slums provide Pisonet, Wi-Fi, affordable computer hubs, and Androids are common, enabling access. Crosslingo AI combats poverty and exploitation by fostering economic opportunity via education nationwide.
Team: Dr. Sheena Mal, St Edmunds College, Master's in Education (Final Year); Former Mathematics Professor; Licensed Lawyer
Verdance
Jesimiel Akinsuyi (left) Garat Chandigere Uria (right)
Lead Applicant: Garat Chandigere Uria, 4th Year Management
Verdance is imagining a future where every student can help build a greener world - and every climate startup has the support it needs to thrive. Our platform connects early-stage green-tech ventures with passionate students and recent graduates through real-world, project-based collaborations. By bridging two overlooked challenges - limited opportunities for young talent and resource gaps in startups - we are creating a new pipeline from innovation to impact. With structured development, personalised matching, and long-term ecosystem building, we aim to grow the next generation of climate leaders while accelerating solutions for a sustainable future.
Team: Jesimiel Akinsuyi, Cambridge Alumni, Start-up Operations & Marketing
Additional Prizes awarded at the Showcase Event
In addition to their initial funding and mentoring, the winners of the Catalyst Fund will have a further opportunity to secure additional funding through prestigious prizes presented during the showcase event on 2 October. The winning groups will take to the stand and showcase their projects in front of senior members of Cambridge's innovation and investor eco-system, academic colleagues and Changemakers peers.
At this showcase event there will be further opportunities to win additional prizes as follows:
The Ivan Baines Prize: one prize of £1,500 and three-months mentoring; donated by serial entrepreneur Rupert Baines, in memory of his son.
The Lovely Naha Foundation Prize: one prize of £500 and three-months mentoring; donated by Abhi Naha in honour of his entrepreneurial mother.
The Rowland Orugboh Prize: one prize of £1,000 and three-months mentoring; donated by Olu Orugboh CEO of Synergy and Chair of the Board for Cambridge Wireless in honour of her father.
The J. Nickerson, "Fulfilling Potential" Prize: one prize of £1,500 and three-months mentoring; donated by Dr Kevin Powell and his wife Ruth in honour of her father who is 92 and who has spent a lifetime teaching children from ages 8+.
