The people, stories and ideas behind our conversations.
At Coffee & Research Beans, we believe that meaningful research engagement begins with conversation. Our events bring together researchers, professionals, students and members of the wider community to exchange ideas, share experiences and explore issues that matter.
From gender equality and professional development to leadership, wellbeing, parenting and social sustainability, each guest brings a different perspective to our growing community.
Explore the moments, people and conversations that have shaped Coffee & Research Beans.
Explore Our Conversations
Arch. Clementina Albanese
Senior Architect at HOK | LONDON
Clementina studied and became fully qualified in Italy, where she started her carrier. In 2013 she decided to come to London just for 3 months to improve her English skills. That initial plan quickly changed and 10 years have passed. Since then she lives and works as a professional architect in what she describes as a “vibrant and rich of humanity city!” Her favorite architectural sector is aviation, but she enjoyed developing large scale Healthcare and Commercial projects as well lately. She is keen on details but with a constant focus on the entire building. Her latest challenge is about working as Senior Architect for a company specialised in high-end residential and hotels developments.
Arch. Christina Cattelan
Senior Associate, Project Leader, Stantec | LONDON
A senior design architect with over 20 years experience, Christina is passionate about design and has specialised in the architecture of health to universities and academic research institutes, education and culture. She has worked extensively with public and private clients as a designer and as an architectural adviser. Taking a holistic approach to sustainable design and the built environment, she has collaborated with environmental and conservation groups to realise appropriate architecture, including remodelled listed structures, in conservation, urban and rural settings. Christina is active within the architectural community. She is a RIBA Client Design Adviser and mentors young architectural students on behalf of RIBA. Christina is also a member of Stantec’s internal design review group, which benchmarks design standards on projects. She spearheaded the use of BIM in the UK as part of Stantec’s early commitment to implementing BIM techniques on all projects.
Prof. Anusha Shah
Senior Director, Resilient Cities and UK Climate Adaptation Lead- Arcadis, President ICE | LONDON
Anusha is a Senior Director for Resilient Cities and UK Climate Adaptation Leader at Arcadis, a global, sustainable design, engineering and management consulting firm. She’s a Fellow at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), and its President for 2023. She will be the third woman and first person of colour to be elected as President in 205 years’ of ICE’s history. Anusha is also a Non-Executive Director at the Met Office, a Trustee at The Green Alliance and a Visiting Professor at several universities. She was awarded Honorary Professorship by University of Wolverhampton for Knowledge Transfer and an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering by University of East London for her services to address Climate Change. Anusha has specialisation in water and environmental engineering with over 22 years’ experience in designing, managing and leading projects and programmes both in the UK and internationally. She’s a past chair of the Thames Estuary Partnership Board. A recipient of several awards including 2020 – Top 50 UK Women Engineers Sustainability and CECA – Inspiring Change Award, she was recognised by Climate Reframe as one of the UK’s leading BAME voices on climate change.
Dr Mariam Akinlolu
Lecturer in Construction | Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange | LONDON
Dr Mariam Akinlolu obtained her BTech in Project Management from Bells University of Technology and a Master of Construction from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa. She holds a PhD in Construction Management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She is a Lecturer at the School of Built Environment at London Metropolitan University as well as Research Associate at Nelson Mandela University. Mariam has presented papers at conferences locally and abroad, published in peer reviewed journals; written chapters in books and edited several book collections. She has been involved in international funded projects in the areas of sustainable built environment education, waste management, construction health and safety and circular economy. Her research interests are engineering education, gender issues in construction, sustainability and construction health and safety.
Miss Faye Allen
Director at J.S. Held | LONDON
Faye is a Director within the Construction advisory practice of J.S. Held and is a highly experienced Chartered Quantity Surveyor with three decades of experience in the construction industry. She supports a variety of construction and engineering clients to avoid, mitigate and resolve disputes and is regularly involved in dispute resolution processes both domestically and internationally. Her clients, both contractors and client organisations, benefit from her breadth of experience having worked for various contractors and consultants across a wide range of sectors. She is accredited as a practising member of the Academy of Experts and is an RICS Accredited Expert Witness and has been instructed as an Expert providing reports numerous times. Faye’s experience combined with her legal and dispute resolution training gives her a unique ability to quickly understand and analyse issues in dispute and enables her to successfully value claims and defences and provide reasoned opinion based on her personal and technical experience.
Artist Mariella Costa
Former entrepreneur in construction and current artist | ITALY
Mariella Costa is a former entrepreneur in the construction industry with a deep passion for art. In the past, her company was specialised in producing prefabricated concrete blocks and used to employ a considerable workforce, under her supervision. The company has been closed since a few years due to an economic recession and is now undergoing a major environmental regeneration project, transforming the industrial site into an artistic space. The guiding principle of the emerging “Parco degli Dei” (Park of the Gods) is a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. Around 80% of the artworks in this open-air museum are made from recycled materials, primarily industrial waste. Today, Mariella Costa is a versatile artist, excelling in sculpture, painting, ceramics, and glass fusion. Her works have been exhibited worldwide, and she has received numerous international awards. She has created several monumental pieces, but for her, the ongoing development of the Park is her most significant project to date.
Mr. Harry Ife
Senior Construction Professional | LONDON
Harry Ife is senior construction professional with over 11 years’ experience in construction management, specialising in project delivery across residential and mixed-use developments. He is also a public speaker and a career mentor, sharing industry insights and career development tips to an array of diverse audiences, across industries such as Construction, education, and tech.
Mr. Sayed Kazem
Tutor at the University of East London | LONDON
Erfan is a dedicated tutor and experienced Construction Manager with a strong background in civil engineering and humanitarian work. Experienced in managing international construction projects, providing educational support, and contributing to cultural and humanitarian initiatives. For the past three years, he has served as a tutor at the University of East London, bringing extensive management experience and a strong track record in both academia and industry.
Mr. Jeremy Stockdale
CEO of Ylead | LONDON
Jeremy is the CEO of Ylead, a Leadership Consultancy he founded in 2020 after a long 1st career in Banking, where for the last 15 years he led large teams across the UK and Africa.
He is now a passionate advocate for Gender Equity, something that he brings to life every week through his LinkedIn posts – “On Wednesdays We Smash The Patriarchy”.
Miss Archana Dhankar
LinkedIn Top Voice | Global Marketing & AI Leader | TEDx Speaker | Top 10 Marketing Influencers of 2024 | LONDON
Archana Dhankar is a seasoned marketing professional with deep expertise in marketing transformation and AI implementation. Her recent speaking engagements have covered crucial topics including AI in social media content creation and future-ready skills. She brings a practical, results-oriented approach to helping organizations navigate the challenges and opportunities of AI adoption.
Dr Alexandra Onisie
Engineer, Certified Coach & Author | LONDON
Dr Alexandra Onisie is an Associate Engineer, senior project manager, certified coach and author, with over 14 years of experience in engineering and major infrastructure projects. She holds a PhD in engineering and has previously worked as an Assistant Professor in academia.
Alexandra is the author of Let Me Be a Child, a reflective parenting book written from the voice of the child.
Inspired by her experience of balancing a demanding career with motherhood, the book invites parents to see the world through their children’s eyes, understand the feelings behind their behaviour and rediscover the importance of connection.
Every Conversation Opens a New Perspective
Would you like to share your research, professional journey or experiences with Coffee & Research Beans? We welcome contributions from researchers, professionals and members of the wider community.
