Dame Stephanie Shirley

Dame Stephanie Shirley CH is a British information technology pioneer, businesswoman and philanthropist. Dame Shirley is an ardent venture philanthropist with an unrelenting energy for creating positive change. She is an engaging speaker and talks candidly on personal subjects including her early years as a child refugee, her experiences blazing a trail for women in business and her ongoing commitment to helping autistic people live long, happy and more fulfilling lives. Dame Shirley arrived in England as an unaccompanied child refugee at the start of the Second World War, and in 1962 started a software business from her dining table which grew to employ 8,500 people and was ultimately valued at almost $3 billion. Motivated to share the rewards of her success with a society that had extended such generosity to her as a child, Dame Stephanie decided to give away her wealth. Now in her late 80s she is driven by a lifetime of extraordinary experiences and achievements, and still dedicates every day to making her life one that was worth saving.