Kush Kanodia announced as one of the top 10 most influential Black, Asian Minority Ethnic leaders in the UK tech sector

Kush Kanodia banner image - No. 10 in the Inclusive Boards Top 100 Most Influential BAME leaders in TechAbilityNet Trustee Kush Kanodia has been announced as one of the top 10 most influential Black, Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) leaders in the UK tech sector. The list, produced by board appointments firm Inclusive Boards, will be released today at the House of Commons as part of the official launch of the Inclusive Tech Alliance.

The Alliance has been set up in response to new research by Inclusive Boards that will show the sector is significantly lagging behind others on diversity within senior leadership. The founder of the Inclusive Tech Alliance (ITA), Samuel Kasumu, who is also a member of the Prime Minister's Race Disparity Advisory Board said: "Technology is increasingly playing an important role in driving our economy and there is a great need to ensure that everyone can fully participate in the jobs and opportunities technology brings. Kush Kanodia and others featured in this list today are role models that will inspire the next generation, and hopefully help to improve diversity within the sector."

Kush Kanodia said: "I am truly honoured and humbled to have been selected in the top 10 most influential BAME tech leaders in the UK in Parliament today, and to have been featured in the Financial Times. I am a disabled BAME champion, who had both my hips replaced (CAD CAM) in 2002 and am only able to walk today due to assistive technology. I had the honour of being a Torch Bearer for the Paralympic Games in London 2012. Selected due to my dedication to disability rights and my ability to inspire, I have delivered speeches in Parliament and was selected as a role model for the Office of Disability Issues in Government. I am a Social Entrepeneur, who has developed a portfolio career helping several organisations from charities and social enterprises to non-profit organisations. With a passion for innovation, design and technology and a belief that the Social Model of disability combined with the innovations in Assistive Technology can have a transformational and sustainable impact, that can both enable and empower the lives of disabled people globally."

Those featured in the top 100 include senior leaders from Facebook, LinkedIn, IBM, Twitter and financial services firm EY. Judges include Tim Sawyer CBE (COO, Innovate UK), Sandra Kerr OBE (Race Equality Director, Business in the Community), and Catherine Muirden (Director of HR, Co-Op Foods).