All About STEM People

We go by many names, but you can be sure that the good people who make up our fantastic team are agile, ambitious and extremely talented. Get to know us a little more and find out who you need to speak to below. You never know what you might discover!

Michelle Dow

Managing Director

Michelle is our Managing Director. If you’ve met her then you will already know what she is about. In fact, she has probably got you involved in the quest to inspire and engage our young people. If you’ve yet to met her…then what are you waiting for? There is always cake on standby.

Always one for the non-traditional approach Michelle began her career as an apprentice Gas Service Engineer in the early 90's and was quickly identified as one to watch. Moving swiftly through the ranks she swapped her gas van for a BMW and began the challenge of management in a large organisation.

Fast forward a few years & the first incarnation of the company, MerseySTEM was born out of the need to take action to provide a translation and engagement service between industry & education that is honest, effective & innovative. As the reputation and geography of 'her patch' grew All About STEM became the natural successor and the new name and vision was launched in 2016. Merseyside and beyond!!

Businesses need to attract new talent in a fast paced technological world and schools need to equip our young people for the future at the same pace. But, critically, both are often inundated with information whilst facing their own sectors’ evolving challenges.

Fun Facts

Michelle is bi-lingual...she speaks fluent Scottish being married to Scotsman. She also likes cake.

Alison Christoffer

Operations Manager

Ali keeps the wheels turning and keeps us all on course - always on the go and with a special talent for translating strategy into action. Ali oversees our working relationships with partner companies and organisations, as well as our engagement with and advice to schools & teachers or community groups. It’s her personal mission to ensure that it is relevant, supportive, and purposeful.

With a twenty-year teaching career, spent as a Head of Department and Pastoral Lead in a large secondary school, Ali has a deep understanding of, and a sharp insight into, the evolving educational landscape as well as the implications of policy and the day to day challenges these present to teachers at the chalk face.

It was this passion and understanding of teachers’ needs that inspired Michelle to poach Ali to become her ‘right-hand woman’ and embark upon the All About STEM adventure. Together they have successfully grown the business from scratch with their people-centred approach.

We believe that good communication is key to ensuring that we’re the trusted voice for our teachers, businesses and other stakeholders, helping them to filter out the noise. Ali’s talent for remembering names and faces is legendary, as is her ability to relate and ‘speak human’. But you probably already know this!

Fun Facts

Ali is at her happiest travelling to the mountains or the coast with ‘Steady Eddy’ – her trusty VW campervan.

Helen McCann

Project Manager - Quality

In her role as Project Manager, Helens leads logistics. She streamlines, develops and manages processes to coordinate colleagues and contracts and efficiently organises our services for employers, partners, schools and colleges.

Quality assurance - Helen is the human equivalent of our team hub!

Fun Facts

Helen can pack up a van of our kit like she's playing Olympic level Tetris.
She always has a hug and a cup of tea at the ready!

Selena Ledgerton

Web, Media & Marketing Manager

Selena is our 24/7 web, media and marketing overlord.

It is essential in today’s social and connected age that All About Futures & All About STEM stay current and that you are up to date with everything we're doing. Too often great inspirational things happen in our schools and colleges that nobody ever finds out about. Selena’s job is to spread the word far and wide about our programmes and events, and celebrate the amazing partners, employers and students that help make them happen. Whether it’s offers, collaborations, ideas or event coverage, Selena is your girl.

She manages all things digital in real-time, so be sure to explore this website for the latest news, resources, events, inspiration & more!

Get in touch to share what you are doing or celebrate being inspirational.
@AllAboutFutures @AllAboutSTEM

Fun Facts

Selena came to us after working for Microsoft so she's a certified & self-confessed geek - and proud of it!
She loves coding & 3D printing with her son & would like to be Lara Croft. Military boots come as standard.

Kev McCann

Project Manager - Design, Print, Brand

Kev is all about BRAND. He is our go-to-guy when we want something with that extra special sparkle! When the rest of the team think they have past the finish line on a piece of work, its really Kev who gets the final baton and is up till all hours giving all our work the polished look that you know and instantly recognise.
King of Copy, Prince of Print, Master of the pull up banner... call Kev if your business or school needs some help with any type of design, print or brand.

Fun Facts

Kev can name a font at 40 paces.

Paul Seton

Project Manager - The Careers & Enterprise Company

Paul comes to us with a wealth of experience in both the electronics industry and education.

With All About Futures he works alongside the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and The Careers and Enterprise Company in supporting schools to deliver a Careers Education that meets the statutory Gatsby Benchmarks for Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance (CEIAG).

Call Paul if you want to know all about The Gatsby Benchmarks.

Fun Facts

A man of many talents, Paul has green fingers and light feet! He enjoys gardening and is an award-winning Ballroom and Latin dancer who for fun also likes jumping off the North West’s hillsides in his paraglider!

Jemma Grindlay

Project Manager - Employers

Jemma brings our teachers and employers together across lots of our projects and programmes.

Jemma coordinates our Liverpool City Region Employer Network by hosting masterclasses and networking sessions, and liaises with our teachers to make amazing things happen - like our Unilever Inspire Programme, GameChangers and IET Faraday Challenge Days.

She's also our in-house Zoom maestro and one of our technical support team!



Fun Facts

Jemma's specialist Mastermind topic would be The Real Housewives.

Joanna Bateman

Project Officer - CREST Awards & Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge for Schools & Colleges

After being inspired by an engineer at a careers event in 2010, Joanna knows how a short encounter with someone passionate about their career can be life changing- she is the proof! Not only did Joanna start her career in civil engineering after that encounter, it became her passion and hobby, claiming “it’s not my job, it’s my lifestyle.” She started participating in STEM outreach at university in 2014 and joined the STEM Ambassador programme in 2015. In her time as an Ambassador she has worked with thousands of young people and she loves to come up with creative ways to promote STEM careers.

While her area of expertise was traffic signal engineering, Joanna realised she loved a much wider range of career engagement, including mock interviews, judging competitions and mentoring young people. A chat with Joanna can show you how much STEM is influencing your life and she is always ready to highlight to young people on how their skills can be applied to the World of Work. Her enthusiasm is not just for raising aspirations for young people, but for empowering parents and teachers and to encourage businesses to play their part in bridging the gap between education and employment. Her dedication to STEM outreach has seen her gain the Institution of Civil Engineers North West STEM Volunteer of the Year Award 2020 and the STEM Learning Outstanding STEM Ambassador for the North 2022.

Jo is dedicated to preaching the joy of STEM to all and she’d love to have a chat with you about how we can bring a little more STEM magic into your life!

Fun Facts

Joanna loves STEM so much, it was the theme for her wedding. She had a JCB, wore white steel toe capped boots and had white hard hat complete with veil! Guests sat at tables decorated with concrete centrepieces and the wedding favours were in petri-dishes. Even the hen-party was STEM themed, with a trip to Diggerland!

Gary King

Project Manager - Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge for Schools & Colleges (ASK)

Gary is our Project Manager for Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge for Schools & Colleges (ASK). You can find him promoting apprenticeships and technical qualifications in schools and colleges and informing young people about career options and pathways.

With a career that spans engineering, education, and even a Netflix video game, Gary brings a wealth of experience to his role. At his core, Gary is passionate about involving young people, employers and stakeholders in shaping what truly matters to them. He ensures people’s voices are at the forefront, whether he’s supporting learners or crafting creative ways to engage them, making sure they receive the right information in a way that resonates.

Contact Gary if you're looking for careers advice and guidance for young people in the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and Warrington.

Fun Facts

Gary is a dedicated board game enthusiast. Not only has he designed a few games, but some of his titles have been translated into languages like Korean and Dutch. His board game artwork even earned him a nomination for a Golden Geek Award — which, for the uninitiated, is a big deal in the board game world!

A Bit More About Us

We are passionate people with a clear vision

All About STEM do amazing things working with schools and businesses to promote exciting and rewarding Science, Technology Engineering and Maths opportunities, inspiring young people right across the North West!

We are passionate people with a clear vision We are passionate people with a clear vision We are passionate people with a clear vision We are passionate people with a clear vision We are passionate people with a clear vision We are passionate people with a clear vision
We are passionate people with a clear vision We are passionate people with a clear vision We are passionate people with a clear vision

All About STEM is making it happen across Merseyside, Cheshire and Warrington. We work on lots of different projects to bring exciting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to schools across the region, linking them with business and industry expert volunteers inspiring the next generation of STEM specialists.

Described as the ‘hidden wiring in the system’, we work hard to build and maintain relationships with our schools, businesses, industry, colleges and universities so that we can strategically match-make opportunities with need.

Cutting through the noise is what we’re all about, making sure that schools and industry have easy access to the information and events they need in order to support, enrich and enhance the work they’re doing.

We are experts in our field. A marketing manager might say that we offered ‘tailored solutions’, but honestly… we just talk with the right people, work hard and make it happen.