Ayo Sokale is a Civil engineer, BBC Presenter, Former Deputy Mayor of Reading and a highly regarded speaker on STEM, sustainability and Neurodiversity
A generation of young people have grown up following Ayo at the BBC - most prominently as the co-presenter on CBeebies of Get Set Galactic - an entertaining, science-based immersive gameshow, exploring themes from gravity and the Solar System to pollination.
Ayo has presented for BBC Reel and BBC Bitesize, where she’s covered the first principles on an array of scientific subjects from the Physics to Design. She also works as TV expert on STEM issues - including documentaries for the likes of the Smithsonian, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Yesterday TV and Channel 5 - and counts Shell, Heineken, Blue Yonder, the NHS and Thames Water among the leading clients she has worked with as a keynote speaker.
Ayo is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Project Team Manager for the Environment Agency in Eastern England and is a popular Keynote Speaker on the environment and sustainability. She was previously a project manager and BIM lead, pushing for innovative, efficient and sustainable delivery of flood and coastal risk management schemes.
Ayo was a Graduate Civil Engineer on the Environment Agency’s training scheme where she undertook internal and external placements which enabled her to sign off her ICE training agreement in 2.5 years and achieve CEng in 3 years. A former Deputy Mayor of Reading, she campaigned tirelessly on sustainability issues in the area.
Ayo was selected as one of Professor Lord Robert Mair’s Future Leaders for his year as President of the ICE. She is one of the ICE’s Water Superheroes aptly named Eco Warrior (previously Angel) and is an excellent Motivational speaker, particularly when it comes to inspiring young people to pursue STEM subjects.
Ayo is a STEM ambassador and mentor, encouraging others to take up careers in Civil Engineering. She was also nominated for the Top 50 Women in Engineering under 35 initiative run by The Telegraph in partnership with The Women’s Engineering Society and is a popular Diversity and Inclusion Speaker, particularly during black History Month.
In recent years, Ayo has felt more able to talk about being on the autism spectrum. She has a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome and is an empathetic and inspirational keynote speaker on neurodiversity, mental health challenges and how to overcome them.
Ayo loves the performing arts, fitness, has a passion for supporting great causes and has raised funds for a number of charities, using her platform as a beauty queen and finalist for Miss Galaxy England, Miss Earth and Miss Great Britain.
TESTIMONIALS
The session with Ayo was fantastic. I have to say she was phenomenal, really inspiring, we had great feedback!
Colt Technology Services
Ayo was fantastic and the session went down really well. Please extend my thanks to her for such a well presented and well-rounded session, not only touching on race but also neurodiversity a topic we have also presented on earlier in the year.
Senior Risk Manager at ClearBank
Ayo was an excellent speaker for DVERSTY's Intentional Engineering series, we were humbled to have her. She represented her experiences as a Chartered Civil Engineer and Councillor extremely well. Delivering her presentation so eloquently, Ayo gave our guests an insight into the DNA of Civil Engineering. We'd like to thank Ayo for encouraging everybody to use their 'voice' to challenge injustices seen in their environment.
Development Director- DVERSTY
Very interesting - such a positive force of nature…People often say that change happens because people 'stand on the shoulders of giants'. Today, I think we've all just met a giant!
NHS Network members