Global Equality Collective: Advancing Inclusive Education Through Research, Innovation and the RIEm Programme

Schools are increasingly expected to improve inclusion, belonging, wellbeing and outcomes for diverse communities. Yet many still rely on traditional datasets that struggle to capture lived experience, intersectionality and the voices of marginalised groups. Without this insight, leaders often lack the evidence needed to design truly inclusive environments and evaluate impact.

At the same time, founder-led education technology businesses often face significant barriers when seeking funding, developing research partnerships and scaling innovative solutions. For founders from underrepresented backgrounds, accessing larger grant opportunities and navigating the funding landscape can be particularly challenging.

With support from the RIEm Programme at Brunel University of London, the Global Equality Collective (GEC) has been exploring new opportunities to strengthen its research capability, develop strategic partnerships and secure funding for future growth.

Founded by Dr Nicole Ponsford FCCT FRSA, the Global Equality Collective combines educational expertise, doctoral research that led to the development of the Kaleidoscopic Data framework, and technology to help schools create more inclusive and supportive environments.

The GEC operates through three interconnected areas: the GEC Circle, the largest collection of inclusion and wellbeing experts in education; the award-winning GEC Platform, which helps school leaders surface hidden voices and build belonging within their communities; and an extensive programme of research focused on inclusion and equity.

The GEC Platform and research programmes have now engaged more than 35,000 staff, students, parents and carers across 400 schools and organisations in over 30 countries, generating more than 1.8 million data points and one of the largest lived-experience datasets focused on inclusion and belonging in education.

Dr Ponsford's doctoral research, which explores intentional inclusion, educational leadership and ethical educational technology, was shortlisted for the British Educational Research Association (BERA) Doctoral Thesis of the Year Award.

Through the RIEm Programme, Dr Ponsford has worked with Brunel academics, innovation specialists and funding experts to explore collaborative research opportunities and identify pathways for scaling the organisation’s impact.

Process

The collaboration has focused on mentorship, funding readiness and research partnership development:

Specialist Guidance
The programme provided access to experienced innovation and funding specialists who supported the development of grant applications and commercial growth plans.

Research Collaboration
Working with Brunel colleagues enabled exploration of interdisciplinary opportunities spanning education, psychology, mental health, wellbeing and data-driven research.

Funding Support
The team provided practical guidance on identifying and pursuing larger-scale funding opportunities, including national and charitable research grants.

Peer Learning
Participation in a diverse cohort of founders created opportunities to share experiences, develop pitching skills and learn from innovators across different sectors.

Business Development
The programme helped strengthen commercial understanding and provided insight into how academic research partnerships can support long-term business growth and innovation.

Impact

The programme directly supported the development of collaborative funding applications, strengthened university partnerships and helped position the GEC for larger-scale research and innovation projects focused on educational inclusion, belonging and equity.

Key outcomes include:

• Increased confidence in pursuing major research and innovation funding opportunities.
• Development of new collaborative relationships across Brunel University departments.
• Enhanced understanding of funding pathways available to research-led education technology businesses.
• Improved integration of academic research with commercial growth and product development.
• Stronger foundations for future innovation projects focused on inclusion, belonging and educational equity.
• Access to expert mentorship and a supportive network of founders and innovation specialists.

The experience has helped position the GEC as a growing research and innovation organisation, strengthening its ability to combine academic rigour, lived-experience insight and scalable technology solutions to improve outcomes for learners, educators and families. The work now informs inclusion strategy, policy and practice across schools, trusts, local authorities and educational organisations nationally and internationally.

Future

Looking ahead, the GEC aims to:

• Secure major national and international research funding to further develop Kaleidoscopic Data methodologies and scale evidence-informed inclusion practice across education systems.
• Develop collaborative research projects with Brunel University.
• Expand the reach of its inclusion and belonging platform across the UK and internationally.
• Generate new evidence and insights to support schools, trusts and educational organisations.
• Continue amplifying the voices of marginalised groups through innovative research and technology.
• Explore opportunities for national and international recognition of its educational impact and innovation.