Dr Marilyn Comrie OBE
Director, The Blair ProjectMarilyn Comrie is an award-winning entrepreneur, green tech innovator and social justice campaigner.
She is a director of motorsport STEM education provider The Blair Project, principal founder of the Black United Representation Network which exists to tackle racial inequalities in Greater Manchester through wealth generation, and CEO of the Manchester Innovation Activities Hub (MIAH).
Opening in April 2022 within Manchester Science Park, the MIAH will accelerate clean growth by upskilling and reskilling people to fast-track them into hard-to-fill roles that require specialist technical skills. It will also provide access to industrial-grade equipment and technical expertise to help SMEs repivot, prototype and manufacture clean growth products, and scale up to achieve sustainable growth.
Marilyn is passionate about developing the pipeline of diverse talent needed to fuel the green industrial revolution and save the planet. This includes girls, Black Asian and Minority Ethnic youth, and those from low-income backgrounds. Her determination, persistence and Northern grit, have earned me a growing reputation as a transformational leader, influencer and change agent. Her goal is to inspire other women and people of colour to assume leadership roles.
Marilyn was honoured with an OBE for services to women’s enterprise in 2009 and has received the prestigious Kofi Annan African Leadership Excellence Award as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 2018.

Latest News
£86 Billion Innovation Investment to Power Regional Growth and Future Technologies
The UK government is set to inject a landmark £86 billion into the science, technology, and innovation sectors as part of a comprehensive economic renewal plan. This investment aims to supercharge Britain's leadership in fields such as artificial intelligence, life...
The BRIT Awards Announce Move to Manchester’s Co-Op Live for 2026 and 2027 Ceremonies
In a historic move, The BRIT Awards will take place in Manchester for the first time ever, breaking a 48-year tradition of London-based events. The UK’s most prominent music awards ceremony will be hosted at the state-of-the-art Co-Op Live venue in 2026 and 2027,...
Manchester and Cambridge awarded £4.8 million funding for groundbreaking cross-UK innovation partnership
A groundbreaking partnership between The University of Manchester and The University of Cambridge has been awarded £4.8 million by Research England to accelerate inclusive growth and innovation collaboration. As the UK’s first cross-UK innovation partnership, it will...