Simon Cooper is Global Communications Lead for the United Nations Development Programme Green Commodities Programme, which works with commodity producing nations to combat deforestation.

Simon has led strategy work at international sustainability organizations such as the Alliance for Water Stewardship, Better Cotton Initiative, ISEAL Alliance, Textile Exchange, Pesticide Action Network UK, Cotton Made in Africa and the Social and Labour Convergence Project.

Simon previously spent 25 years as a broadcaster before becoming Communications Director at Classic FM. With a first degree in Geography from Cambridge University, he graduated in 2005 with an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice at the University of Bath.

Su McNab is a Chartered Accountant with extensive leadership experience in the charities and public sectors, including education and the NHS. She is currently Director of Corporate Services at UK homelessness charity Crisis, where she is responsible for finance, data and technology, estates and governance. She has previously held leadership roles at the national sustainable transport charity Sustrans, at NHS Wiltshire CCG and at Cabot Learning Federation, a Bristol-based academy group. 

Su has worked with a number of Charity boards, in executive roles, as a trustee, and in various pro bono and advisory roles. She is a non-executive director at the University of Bath, and is a volunteer with Woodcraft Folk. She is passionate about learning for all ages, and seeks to a positive impact on how and where we live and learn through volunteering and her work.  

Su has two inquisitive and imaginative daughters who are huge fans of We The Curious, and are very proud of her being a trustee.

Tom Betts is Group Data Director at European retail conglomerate Kingfisher Plc. He is responsible for how all parts of the group use data science and artificial intelligence to support quality, growth and efficiency.

Tom has previously worked in a range of roles and sectors. He helped lead the digital transformation of the Financial Times where he held the role of Chief Data Officer and board member. He has also worked as VP Analytics for Pearson Plc where he built global data analytics capabilities to support education and learning outcomes. Earlier in his career he worked on data mining projects while consulting for clients in telecoms, financial services and government. Tom holds 2 degrees in artificial intelligence.

Tom is the Product Strategy Director for Jaguar Land Rover. Prior to that Tom lead strategy at Dyson for 6 years. An experienced senior executive with a track record of developing corporate and product strategy and making it a reality. He has created new businesses, launched new products and driven change and growth across different industries including automotive, consumer technology, sports, financial services, hospitality, retail and gaming.

Tom has a real passion for innovation, technology and sustainability.

Fabian Breckels is the Labour and Co-operative Party Councillor for St George Troopers Hill.  He has represented this ward since 2016 and represented the old ward of St George East from 2007 to 2016.  He is committed to his ward and has considerable experience in planning committees and was quoted in the media when he supported We The Curious’ application for the Arc, against officer advice, ensuring it received the planning permission it deserved.

Originally from Essex, Fabian graduated in 1989 from Newcastle Polytechnic (now Northumbria University) with a BA (Hons.) in the History of Modern Art, Design and Film.  Fabian moved to Bristol in 1990 and has remained here ever since.  A Civil Servant by trade, he has a long term partner, is on the PCC and is a Deanery Synod representative for his church, and is a life member of the Cinema Theatre Association.

Fabian joins the We The Curious board in 2021 and is looking forward to helping to develop new ideas for exhibitions, especially regarding how we move to a sustainable future.

Chris Sims has been a Trustee since 2014, and was between Chair between April 2016 and September 2021. He is keen that We The Curious has a dynamic and challenging ethos, one that inspires all stakeholders – visitors, staff, and Trustees - and the wider audience.

A qualified Chartered Accountant, Chris worked for 20 years in the Bristol area, firstly as Finance Director of Bakers Dolphin Travel, and subsequently of Brandon Hire PLC. He was a governor of John Cabot Academy for many years and served as Finance Director of Bristol Cathedral Choir School, and of City Academy, Bristol.

Semi-retired, Chris co-owns a café and bed & breakfast business, and is an active shareholder and employee of Edge Equipment Hire Ltd.

David Sproxton co-founded Aardman Animations with Peter Lord, settling in Bristol in 1976. David oversaw the transition of Aardman into an Employee Owned company in 2018 and is now a Trustee of Aardman.

David co-produced many of Aardman’s feature films including “Chicken Run” , “Wallace and Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit”, “Flushed Away” all made in association with DreamWorks. “Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists “ and “Arthur Christmas”, produced in association with Sony Pictures. “Shaun the Sheep : The Movie” , “Early Man” and “Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” produced in association with STUDIOCANAL.

David has also been involved in the many TV series Aardman has produced including Shaun the Sheep, , Timmy Time and all the Wallace and Gromit short films .

David has been on a number of trustee boards including the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Trust, the UK Film Council, Encounters Film Festival (Bristol’s celebration of the Short film), We The Curious and also the Slapstick Film Festival. David was also a board member of the National Film And Television School for over a decade.

David and co-founder Peter Lord were awarded CBEs in the Queen’s 2006 Birthday Honours list.

Professor Kathreena Kurian is Professor of Neuropathology / Honorary Consultant Neuropathologist at the University of Bristol Medical School & North Bristol Trust. She is passionate about improving diverse participation in science with We the Curious. Her research aims are to identify modifiable risk factors, personalise diagnosis and find new drug targets for brain tumours.

She was born and brought up in London, she undertook medical training in Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Medical School, London where she also achieved a BSc in Experimental Pathology. She undertook higher pathology and neuropathology clinical (FRCPath Neuro) and research training including an MD (Medical Faculty Research Fellowship) in Edinburgh and Cambridge.

She has lived and worked in London, Edinburgh and Cambridge. She now lives in Bristol with her husband and two daughters and they love visiting We the Curious.

She sits on the National Cancer Research Institute, Brain Tumour Group, Cancer Research UK panels, Editorial Board Journal of Pathology, BRAIN UK and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists.

My name is Lara, I am 2nd year Chemistry LGBT+ postgraduate student in Bristol who is passionate about improving the lives of BAME people around the city. Since being chosen as the student representative on the BristolBME100 Power List in 2018, I have continued my work in improving the BAME diversity and inclusion within my university. This includes organising the Being BME in STEM conference, the first of its kind, which heavily focused on the leaky pipeline and retention of BAME staff/students within higher education. Numerous diversity initiatives have subsequently stemmed carrying on the message for change.  Following on from this, I recognised change must start from the top down as well as bottom up, therefore I co-organised and conducted a well-received Decolonising Science Workshop for chemistry and physics university educators.

Currently, I work with Kiki, We The Curious, the British Antarctic Survey and various other organisations to bring about positive change for people of colour from all walks of life and to build a better future for minority groups within Bristol and beyond.

Nick Jones has been a Trustee since 2009 and has been Chair since September 2021. He has been involved in education for over forty years, eventually as a headteacher in the West Country and London. He was described recently as a ‘radical educationalist’ having led a number of innovative projects including founding one of the innovative City Technology Colleges. He was also Head teacher of the first state funded academy in the England to be sponsored by an overseas organisation.

More recently as an educational consultant he has worked with teachers, headteachers and governments in the UK and overseas. He has been involved in the education systems in Sweden, Finland, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand, to name but a few.

He was Senior Education Advisor for a national science and technology school’s programme and was Chair of Trustees for The Bath and Mendip Partnership Trust. He is also heavily involved in supporting young people on the autistic spectrum, especially with projects that allow autistic young people to live independently in the community. At ‘We The Curious’ he contributes to the work of Finance and Risk Assurance and Purpose Committees.

Ross Fairley is a lawyer with the Bristol law firm Burges Salmon who heads up the Renewable Energy Team.  He specialises in environmental and clean energy projects.  He has previously been a Council Member of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association and sat on the Governments Innovation and Growth Team for the Environmental Goods and Services Sector.

Ross has worked on some of the most innovative clean energy projects in the UK including the largest tidal stream project, offshore wind projects and a Cornish geothermal project as well as a number of ground-breaking community energy schemes.  He is passionate about energy and renewables.

Ross is married with 3 daughters and lives in Blagdon, North Somerset. He is also a keen amateur artist and beekeeper.