Profiles Insights Contact

Emma Sinclair MBE

CEO & Co-Founder

EnterpriseAlumni

New York, NY, USA

Emma Sinclair

Konstantin Sidorov

London Technology Club

Elliott Investment Management L.P.

Emma Sinclair’s Biography

Emma Sinclair MBE is a serial entrepreneur.

Currently CEO of EnterpriseAlumni, the market leader in alumni management software, their software powers the alumni networks of many of the world’s leading companies for competitive advantage, helping them to maintain and maximise relationships with former employees as a source of re-hires, referrals, business development, as a marketing army and more. Customers range from LinkedIn and GoogleX to Citi and Marks & Spencer.

Described by HSBC as having ‘a CV that would make entrepreneurs twice her age green with envy’, she is the youngest person to date to have taken a business public, floating her first business on the London Stock Exchange at 29.

In addition to creating the alumni management software space by day, Emma has been active in media since 2012. Emma was the launch business columnist in the Wonder Women section of The Telegraph and now regularly contributes to other publications, as well as to television and radio. She is also a regular public speaker at events and conferences on business and entrepreneurialism.

Emma... Emma Sinclair MBE is a serial entrepreneur.

Currently CEO of EnterpriseAlumni, the market leader in alumni management software, their software powers the alumni networks of many of the world’s leading companies for competitive advantage, helping them to maintain and maximise relationships with former employees as a source of re-hires, referrals, business development, as a marketing army and more. Customers range from LinkedIn and GoogleX to Citi and Marks & Spencer.

Described by HSBC as having ‘a CV that would make entrepreneurs twice her age green with envy’, she is the youngest person to date to have taken a business public, floating her first business on the London Stock Exchange at 29.

In addition to creating the alumni management software space by day, Emma has been active in media since 2012. Emma was the launch business columnist in the Wonder Women section of The Telegraph and now regularly contributes to other publications, as well as to television and radio. She is also a regular public speaker at events and conferences on business and entrepreneurialism.

Emma is UNICEF’s first Business Ambassador including conceiving and launched their first crowdfund to build Innovation Labs in Refugee Camps in 2017. More recently, in March 2022 as the Ukraine War loomed, Emma created a consortium bringing together over 200 companies to help provide resettlement skills and job opportunities for refugees in the UK in partnership with RefuAid. Her father’s family arrived to the UK from Ukraine so this was an especially personal initiative.

Emma was appointed by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to the G7 GEAC Council in 2021, her focus areas being technology and entrepreneurship. She was also a founding member of the UK Government’s High Growth Women’s Enterprise Taskforce.

She was awarded an MBE for Entrepreneurship by HM The Queen in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours in 2016. READ MORE VIEW LESS

Emma Sinclair’s Newsfeed

The Sunday Times

Entrepreneurs warn of exodus if capital gains tax rises

Read more

Forbes

Women Backing Women: Can Crowdfunding Create More Female Angels?

Read more

View News Archive

Emma Sinclair’s Background

EnterpriseAlumni

CEO & Co-Founder

2014 - Present

London, UK

Based in London and California, EnterpriseAlumni is the market-leading alumni management software helping medium and large organisations to maintain a connection with alumni for competitive advantage and community.

Emma Sinclair’s Gallery

Advisory Roles

G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC)

Member

2021 - Present

In 2021 Emma was appointed by the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary to the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC). Emma brings her expertise in the areas of technology and entrepreneurship to this independent group of experts responsible for championing the principles of freedom, individual humanity, opportunity, and dignity for women around the world.

Other Business Interests

UNICEF UK

Business Mentor

Oct 2013 - Present

London, UK

Emma was appointed UNICEF’s first Business Mentor. Originally part of the Building Young Futures partnership between UNICEF and Barclays, she subsequently focused on launching new innovations including UNICEF’s first crowdfund which focused on funding innovation labs in Azraq refugee camp, Jordan. These labs helped young people missing out on school to learn design, coding and engineering skills.

Previous Advisory Roles

Women-led high-growth enterprise taskforce

Member

Jul 2022 - 2023

London, UK

The taskforce was set up by the UK Government to increase the number of women-led high-growth businesses, with a particular focus on regions outside of London.

Philanthropy

Help Emma unlock young refugees' potential with Unicef UK

Crowdfunding

Emma launched UNICEF UK's first crowdfunding campaign to bring Innovation Labs to Jordan's Azraq Refugee Camp. The campaign and subsequent roll out sought to provide young people with assistance, financing and training in digital skills such as engineering and coding.

Media

LBC: Cross Question with Iain Dale, 4th December 2024

Panellist

Dec 2024

London, UK

Emma and her fellow panel members answer questions posed by LBC listeners including "Is it time to boost defence spending?", and "Should we renationalise railways?".

Women in Tech - At the forefront of innovation: Emma Sinclair MBE, EnterpriseAlumni

Podcast

May 2024

London, UK

Emma discusses the gender funding gap and the need to improve access to tech investing. She also talks about her #BeMyAngel investment campaign, and how others can support female-led teams.

Storytelling About EnterpriseAlumni With Emma Sinclair

Dec 2022

Emma talks to The Use Case Podcast about the business case (or 'use case') for why her clients choose EnterpriseAlumni.

The High Performance Podcast

Emma Sinclair: Why Generosity Pays So Well

Oct 2022

Emma Sinclair talks to High Performance Podcast hosts Jake Humphrey and Professor Damian Hughes about persistence, leadership and what she looks for in new hires.

Emma Sinclair talks to Ian Young on Sky News

May 2022

Emma Sinclair is interviewed on BBC News

Mar 2022

Toolbox for the future: Why innovation is the only way out of the climate crisis

Panelist

Jun 2021

At CogX2021, Emma chairs a discussion between two influential leaders, actor and investor Robert Downey Jr and iPod inventor Tony Fadell, exploring why unconventional thinking and innovation are such effective tools for addressing the climate catastrophe.

Inspirational Women 2020: City leaders

Featured

Nov 2020

For more than a decade, Brummel has celebrated women at the forefront of development in the City. Emma was honoured in 2014, and is featured on Brummell's 2020 list of the City's most Inspirational Women, which showcases 10 of their most extraordinary past recipients.

The debate still raging around the UK’s Future Fund

Quoted

May 2020

After the announcement of Britain’s start-up support package, Future Fund, Emma Sinclair MBE calls on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to ensure the fund benefits business founders from a diverse range of ethnic and economic backgrounds.

My Career So Far

Subject

Dec 2017

London, UK

Saatchi & Saatchi‘s video, created when Emma spoke at their annual leadership offsite, gives an overview of Emma’s career from floating a company on the London Stock Exchange at the age of 29, co-founding and leading global software business, EnterpriseAlumni, to facilitating the crowdfunding of UNICEF’s innovation labs in refugee camps and being awarded an MBE in 2016.

Welcome to Wonder Women, new from The Telegraph

Mentioned

Oct 2012

The Telegraph launches its ‘Wonder Women’ section which features insightful content by women on business, family, politics, life, and much more. As a successful entrepreneur, Emma will be sharing her views and insights on business and the economy.

View all Hide

Features

London entrepreneurs & industry disruptors

Featured

May 2022

Entrepreneur Emma Sinclair, Founder & CEO Enterprise Alumni, is profiled on pages 13 - 14 of OneLeap's report on London Entrepreneurs.

Publications

Barring skilled refugees from work in the UK is a travesty that must be solved

Author

Feb 2023

Emma Sinclair argues that, in a country short of doctors, engineers and other professionals, bureaucracy must not deny people the dignity of work.

Hampton-Alexander Review: FTSE Women Leaders

Contributor

Feb 2021

The Hampton-Alexander Review was set up in 2016 with the aim of increasing the number of women in leadership roles at the UK’s leading companies.

ERP Today

Author

Click on the logo to view articles Emma Sinclair has written for ERP Today magazine, recognised as the independent voice of the enterprise technology sector.

How epic failure changed the world

Author

Mar 2020

Delving into the story of failed start-up General Magic, Emma Sinclair shares how a business almost no one has heard of irrevocably changed the world, and what can be learnt from its failure.

How we built a company with a gender-balanced ownership

Author

Mar 2019

In her Financial Times article ‘How we built a company with a gender-balanced ownership’ Emma outlines how EnterpriseAlumni achieved a gender-balanced shareholder structure.

General Magic: The team who invented the future

Author

Apr 2018

Emma reviews General Magic, a captivating documentary about the most important failed Silicon Valley company you probably never heard of. The film was created and directed by Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude.

Female African entrepreneurs taught me more than Dragon's Den ever could

Author

Nov 2014

With the launch of the first universal Women's Entrepreneurship Day, Emma discusses how there is no conventional image of a business woman, how being self-sufficient is a crucial requirement for women living in remote areas across the globe, and how important it is for women to make themselves heard.

View all Hide

Awards & Recognition

Most Influential Women in UK Technology

Oct 2022

Emma Sinclair has been voted one of the most influential women in UK Tech by Computer Weekly.

New Year Honours

Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE)

Jan 2016

London, UK

Emma was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Her Majesty The Queen for services to entrepreneurship.

Press Releases

G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council membership announced

Mentioned

Apr 2021

Emma is listed as a member of the Gender Equality Advisory Council in this announcement by the Minister for Women and Equalities. The Council, made up of business leaders, scientists and vaccinologists, aims to promote the fundamental concepts of freedom, dignity and opportunity for girls and women across the globe.

Emma Sinclair’s Education

University of Leeds

BA Hons, French and Spanish (with Italian)

1994 - 1998