Life is a
Learning
Curve
Life is a
Learning
Curve
Empowering Individuals. We believe that the individuals we support are invariably better placed to solve their own problems and help their specific communities than anybody else.
Equalising Opportunity. We believe that learning in its broadest sense empowers people of all ages to improve their lives.
Partnering Thoughtfully. We believe in the transformational power of partnerships to address grassroots needs, as well as effect bolder systemic changes.
Collaborating Empathetically. We believe that all sectors of society must work together to bring about meaningful change and become greater than the sum of their constituent parts.
What we do
The Lightbulb Trust empowers people to change their lives for the better. Through a combination of grant-making and impact investing, Lightbulb supports initiatives that enfranchise society’s less advantaged. We seek to bridge divides and make a difference: specifically, in the fields of literacy and learning, digital inclusion and social infrastructure.
Founded in West London, our drive is to improve the lives of others, both locally and farther afield. To achieve this, we offer funding and support to entrepreneurial organisations with strong social drive. These include grass roots community initiatives – local heroes helping their areas thrive – as well as more systemic, disruptive enterprises – game-changers who have had bold ‘lightbulb moments’, big ideas that challenge the way things traditionally get done.
Along the way, our network of partnerships offers a safety net that enhances the life-chances of thousands of people. From infancy to adulthood, literacy to first tenancy, getting online to navigating a job interview: Lightbulb is inspired by the power of learning in all its various guises.
Our Theory of Change
Our Team
Salome & Ben Holden · Founders
Salome and Ben are married and live in West London with their twin son and daughter. Salome grew up in Kensington, Ben between Islington and Hammersmith. They met while studying English Literature at Oxford University.
Salome went on to work in publishing at Penguin Books and has long been involved with her family’s charitable foundation, The A G Leventis Foundation, as well as being a full-time mum. She is currently also training as a counsellor.
Ben is a film producer – having worked as an executive in Los Angeles – who has also authored several bestselling books, all of which were published by Simon & Schuster with partner charities. His recent projects have included hosting the podcast Ex Libris, which championed libraries and independent bookshops with the help of some of today’s greatest writers. Ben currently serves on the board of trustees for Libraries Connected, the charity representing all the public library services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
They founded The Lightbulb Trust in 2019, intent on providing enhanced life chances to children growing up nearby who are less advantaged than their own.
Luisa Gockel · Director
Luisa is Brazilian and a former journalist with 20 years’ experience in the social innovation field. She spent the past decade working in the education sector in the UK where she was part of the founding team at Apps for Good, one of the country’s fastest growing EdTech charities.
Before becoming an independent consultant, Luisa led Pearson’s social innovation strategy and delivered accelerator programmes for over 40 start-ups working to improve literacy and education globally. Following her passion for education and innovation, Luisa joined the Lightbulb Trust in 2020 as Director. Luisa currently lives in Barcelona with her husband and three children.
Sonia Bouclainville · Advisor
Sonia is French/American with 10 years of experience in the social sector, recently completing her Masters in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship at LSE. She began her career at Reading Partners, where her passion for literacy, education, and mental health continued as she went onto working for foundations – notably the Chapman Perelman Foundation in New York.
With experience managing programmes and growing initiatives to scale, Sonia creates research-driven solutions while continuously innovating to foster a more equitable world. Sonia joined Lightbulb Trust in June 2023 as its Interim Director while Luisa was on maternity leave.
Shuen Chan · Trustee
Shuen worked closely with Salome and Ben to establish the Lightbulb Trust. She shares their belief that everyone deserves the right to an education and that foundations in literacy enable a fundamental shift in how one thinks, acts and behaves towards our fellow human beings.
Shuen brings over 25 years of experience in investment management. She is currently Head of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) at Legal & General Investment Management Real Assets based in London. She also serves on the Development Board of Ashden, a non-profit organisation that aims to bring sustainable energy to all.
Siena Colegrave · Trustee
Siena grew up in Hammersmith and now lives in West London with her husband and two daughters. Siena is committed to The Lightbulb Trust’s mission of social empowerment.
She is a lawyer with more than 15 years of experience in corporate law and is qualified in both the US and England. She has worked at leading global law firms and spent 8 years at a Fortune 100 organisation and serves on the boards of a number of their companies. She currently works at a FTSE 10 global consumer goods company advising on their venture investments and mergers and acquisitions in Europe and Africa. She loves mentoring young people and volunteers at mentoring organisations.
Our Advisors
Colman Chamberlain · Senior Advisor
Colman is a serial entrepreneur, board member, and impact investor with a passion for scaling solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. He has built global companies, raised over $100 million in funds and partnerships, and supported 300+ ventures that have positively impacted 730 million lives across energy, education, healthcare, and other development goals.
Colman is currently the Senior Advisor to Re-Generate and a Board Advisor to Cell-Ed. He also advises CEOs and their teams on how to build and deliver value through innovation and impact. Colman joined Lightbulb Trust in June 2023 as a Senior Advisor and leads all impact investing.
Jami Dixon · Advisor
Although originally from the North East, Jami currently lives in Leeds with her dog, Luna. She started her career working for a small NGO in Uganda and has since completed a PhD exploring the impacts of climate change on agriculture and worked on the evaluation of various UK-aid funded projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. After that, she spent 5 years at UnLtd – The Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs, before becoming a freelance Impact & Evaluation Practitioner over 2 years ago.
Jami’s current work mainly focuses on supporting UK-based charities and social enterprises to use data and evidence as a force for good. Her ADHD and dyslexia bring a unique perspective to her work and she’s always looking for creative ways to evidence impact. She is also the co-chair of the Charity Evaluation Working Group (ChEW), one of the founding organisations of the Equitable Evaluation Collective.
Analysis Group · Advisor
Analysis Group is one of the largest international economics consulting firms, with more than 1,200 professionals across 14 offices in Europe, North America, and Asia. Analysis Group provides economic and financial analysis, litigation support, and consulting services to leading law firms, Fortune Global 500 companies, governments and regulatory agencies worldwide.
Its pro bono practice focuses on leveraging economic, financial, and data analysis skillset and experience to assist the Lightbulb Trust’s partner organizations in solving complex analytical problems and helping expand positive impacts on their clients, constituencies, and communities.
