Meet the experts that make up the Geovation team.

Gareth Sumner
Head of Geovation
Gareth leads the Geovation team, and has a wealth of experience in connecting start-ups and corporate innovators to solve challenges. He is driven by the desire to make things better – whether its cities, products or simply life – and sees immense value in innovators and corporates joining forces to solve genuine challenges – whether they are big or small.
Aba Osunsade
Ecosystem Lead
Aba Osunsade is Ecosystem Lead at Geovation, where she supports founders building with location, land and property data. She brings over a decade of experience as a tech founder, operator and community builder across startups and global technology companies. Aba is also the founder of Hustle Crew, a careers platform dedicated to building more inclusive and equitable tech workplaces. She is a published author and recognised voice on innovation, leadership and inclusion in the UK tech ecosystem.
Wayne Newton
Insights Manager
Wayne is the Insights Manager at Geovation. He is responsible for developing and running Geovation’s Innovation as a Service including Innovation Challenges, Hackthons, Geo Sprints and Ideathons. He has a keen interest in the environment and the impacts of climate change and pollution, a passion for mapping and has achieved a BSC and MSC in Geographical Information Systems. He is currently studying for his MBA.
Emma Sylvester
Partnerships Manager
Emma oversees partnerships at Geovation, working with organisations across the public and private sectors to support startup growth and innovation. She brings experience in communications, community engagement and relationship management, and is passionate about building connections that create lasting value for founders and partners alike.
David Rowe
Full stack Developer
Dave has 20 years industry experience in mobile, database, desktop, and web software. From Microsoft technologies to more recently modern JavaScript web frameworks, and geospatial software. He has a background in community open data and is passionate about working in the open to make things better.
Murray Chapman
Associate Developer
Murray has a particular interest in spatial statistics and intuitive data representation. With a Master of Research in Spatial Data Science and Visualisation, he has acquired a range of experience and technical capability from his two years at OS, covering consultancy and business intelligence.
Adrià Tarrida
Impact Lead
A serial entrepreneur, Adrià’s been involved in companies ranging from beer, tag and trace systems for recycling and, most recently as an accelerator participant, property development viability. He’s gearing up to make sure the insights from the startups in our ecosystem end up informing new products and datasets in the Ordnance Survey.
Arias Jordens
Senior Developer
Arias specialises in geospatial data, large‑scale analytics, and cloud‑based engineering. He brings five years’ experience at Ordnance Survey, beginning as a field surveyor before working across data science, data architecture, data management, and innovation teams applying statistical analysis, machine‑learning techniques, and spatial modelling to national geospatial products and services.
Rishi Chowdhury
Incubator Manager
Hi, I am Rishi. I have a background as a founder and in corporate innovation. I started an accelerator, a corporate innovation agency and a PropTech startup making commercial buildings, healthy, comfortable, energy efficient space. I also led the build and operations of Bosch’s innovation hub. At Geovation, I am combining that experience to help deliver the best programme for founders, Ordnance Survey and HM Land Registry.
Tessa Beishuizen
Ecosystem Manager
Tessa supports early‑stage founders building with location, land and property data. She works closely with startups as they move from idea to product and market. Tessa brings experience in accelerator delivery, startup sourcing and hands‑on founder support. She is especially focused on helping first‑time and underrepresented founders take confident early steps.
Brooke Banks
Brand & Marketing Manager
Brooke leads brand, marketing and communications at Geovation. She is responsible for growing awareness of Geovation’s programmes, community and startup success stories through content, digital marketing and strategic campaigns. With a passion for storytelling and innovation, Brooke works closely with founders, partners and the wider ecosystem to showcase the impact of location, land and property innovation.
Luke Perkins
Operations Manager
Luke oversees the day-to-day operations of Geovation, helping to ensure the smooth running of the Hub, programmes and community activities. He works across systems, processes and facilities to create an environment where founders, partners and members can thrive. With a focus on efficiency and delivering a great member experience, Luke plays a key role in supporting Geovation’s growing ecosystem.

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This page was last updated on August 10th, 2026