Our Projects: Young Advisory Committee
Overview
The Young Advisory Committee (YAC) was created to ensure Cambridge Ahead remains current for the future workforce by capturing the thinking of under 35-year-olds about their future and their ideas for the future of Cambridge.
The Committee is leading the creation of a vision for Cambridge’s future, called the ‘City of Quarters’ project. The project aims to make Cambridge a more vibrant, inclusive, sustainable and accessible place to live and work for all. In addition to research drawing on the views of community organisations and representatives from across Cambridge, three other YAC projects which feed into this work are:
- The Future of Flexible Working – a series of surveys of employees under 35 across the Cambridge Ahead membership are being undertaken to understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on younger employees.
- Meeting the Housing Needs of Young People – The Committee has developed four ‘housing tribes’ that highlight the needs and priorities of two prevalent cohorts who currently work and live in Cambridge. The group will explore other ‘tribes’, housing products that meet the needs of these tribes and whether these tribes are reflected in the Housing strategy and policies.
- Creating a sustainable future – collaborating with local networks to address a range of sustainability priorities in the Cambridge City region. The Committee aims to contribute to initiatives such as evaluating the return on investment for renewable energy, capturing energy and carbon data, and enabling and scaling building retrofit projects, among others.
Members of the Young Advisory Committee sit on other Cambridge Ahead project groups to provide their insight into project work and to feed that back into the Committee.
Latest News & Insights
Cambridge Ahead appoints new co-chairs to Young Advisor Committee
Cambridge Ahead, the business and academic member organisation dedicated to the sustainable and inclusive growth of the Cambridge city region, is delighted to announce the appointment of Jacqueline Platt and Jason Mellad as co-Chairs of its Young Advisory Committee.
Housing Tribes Vol. 2 Report
Since 2018, the Young Advisory Committee has been conducting research to shine a light on the housing challenges faced by under-35s living and working here. In its second major report, the 'Housing Tribes' group explores new housing types and tenures which could make living here more affordable.
Cambridge Nature Network Project
The Young Advisory Committee is part of the Cambridge Nature Network project with the Wildlife Trust and Cambridge Past, Present and Future. The purpose of the project is to build a vision of an interconnected network of nature parks for the wildlife and people of the growing city of Cambridge.
Young Advisory Committee Co-Chair: Jacqueline Platt, Senior Manager, Deloitte
Jacqueline is a Senior Manager in Deloitte’s Assurance practice with 10 years of experience across various geographies focussing on the Life Sciences industry. She specialises supporting clients with large financial controls transformation projects and financial and controls audits, serving predominantly multinational groups that operate in a regulated environment (listed on LSE or NASDAQ) as well as fast-growing companies looking to IPO. She has been a member of the CA YAC since it was founded 5 years ago and has been the vice chair to Rob Carter for the last year.
Jacqueline arrived in Cambridge six years ago and lives on the edge of the city and is based in the Deloitte offices at 1 Station Square in CB1.
Being involved with an organisation like CA has been a brilliant catalyst to get to know the city and the people and organisations in it. The opportunity for collaboration, shaping the future and strengthening the dynamic eco system that being involved with CA brings is extremely valuable. Jacqueline said “Stepping into the YAC chair role is a privileged opportunity to lead an exceptional group of motivated individuals who are giving a voice to the next generation in Cambridge; influencing the city we want to inherit in a collaborative, inclusive and sustainable way.”
Young Advisory Committee Co-Chair: Jason Mellad, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Start Codon
Jason is a scientist and entrepreneur, passionate about translating innovative technologies into better patient outcomes.
As CEO and Co-Founder of Start Codon, a UK-based accelerator, he aims to discover the most disruptive life science, BioTech and healthcare founders and help them translate their innovations into successful ventures. This is achieved through a combination of seed funding and a bespoke venture-building programme, which taps into the exceptional resources of the Cambridge cluster as well as the global network and knowledge of Jason and the Start Codon team.
Previously, he was CEO of Cambridge Epigenetix (now Biomodal) and Business Development Manager for Horizon Discovery’s diagnostics division. He also served as an associate for Cambridge Enterprise, the technology transfer office of the University of Cambridge.
Originally from Louisiana, Jason was awarded a Marshall Scholarship to complete his PhD in Medicine at the University of Cambridge (Clare College) after graduating Summa Cum Laude from Tulane University with a BSc in Molecular Biology and Chemistry. He is also a visiting Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge, and lives in Cambridge with his husband and sons.
Photo credit: StillVision Photography
Project Group Members
- Allia*: Natalie Boyle, Financial Controller
- Arm*: Jingyao Chen, Hardware Engineer
- Aviva Investors*: Josh Robins, Asset Manager | Real Assets
- Barclays Bank*: Liam Witten, Relationship Manager
- Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge*: Nina Jorden, Research Associate
- Bidwells*: Sebastian Corke, Graduate Residential Development Surveyor
- Birketts*: Josie Beal, Associate
- BioMed Realty*: Orestis Tzortzoglou, Development Director
- Brockton Everlast*: Alexander Gunn, Associate | Adam Isaacs, Managing Director
- Deloitte*: Jacqueline Platt, Manager, Audit and Assurance
- First Intuition*: Chloe Mattick, Marketing, PR and Communications Executive
- Howard Group*: Thomas Bewes, Asset Manager
- Jagex*: Maria Miu, Senior Executive Assistant
- The Jockey Club*: Grace Hockenhull, Group Property Surveyor
- Marshall of Cambridge*: Henry Stark, External Relations Manager
- Mills and Reeve*: Claudia Habergham, Trainee Solicitor
- Mission Street*: Simona Malinova, Associate Director
- Morgan Sindall*: Ella Shuttleworth, Sustainability Manager
- The Perse School: Erin Charles, Head of Development
- RAND Europe*: Ed Bryan, Research Analyst
- Rapleys*: Charles Alexander, Senior Surveyor
- Pigeon Investment Management*: Emma Butler, Graduate Surveyor
- Sanofi Cambridge R&D*: Erin Spearing, Senior Associate Scientist, Infectious Disease and Vaccines
- Savills*: Abigail Jones, Associate, Development
- Socius Development Ltd*: Ashley Broderick, Senior Project Manager
- TTP Group*: Peter Jackson, Consultant
- Trinity College*:Romane Thomas, Investment and Sustainability Officer
- U+I* / TOWN: James Cox, Development Manager
- University of Cambridge*: Alastair Currie, Public Affairs Co-ordinator
- Wellcome Sanger Institute*: David Nicholson, Policy Advisor / Jessica Lloyd, Management Trainee
*Member/Member Organisation
Cambridge Ahead:
- Dan Thorp, CEO
- Alex Rossiter, Policy Manager
- Chilombo Musa, Policy and Research Officer