How BRILLIANT Helped Tech She Can Reach More Schools Across the North
The Tech She Can team exhibiting at BRILLIANT
When we caught up with Becky Patel, Head of Education at Tech She Can, BRILLIANT's Charity Partner for 2026, one thing became clear very quickly.
For her, BRILLIANT isn't simply another date in the education calendar.
It's where educators, charities, industry and technology organisations come together to share ideas, build relationships and create opportunities that continue long after the festival ends.
Having attended the past two BRILLIANT festivals, Becky has watched both the event and Tech She Can's presence in the north grow significantly. From meeting hundreds of educators to developing new partnerships with schools and introducing industry leaders to the realities of the classroom, she believes BRILLIANT has played an important role in helping the charity expand its impact across the region.
A major education event in the North
One of the first things Becky mentioned when she spoke with BRILLIANT is something that many educators outside London will immediately recognise.
"So many education events happen in the south," she says. "Having something like BRILLIANT in the north is a huge opportunity."
For schools across the North West, North East, Yorkshire and beyond, attending high-quality education events can often mean lengthy journeys, overnight stays and significant costs, BRILLIANT changes that.
Hosted in the heart of the north, the festival brings together thousands of educators, school leaders, employers, charities, universities, policymakers, exhibitors and technology providers in one place, making world-class professional learning and networking far more accessible.
For organisations like Tech She Can, it also means connecting with schools they may never have reached otherwise.
Built around educators, not sales
Education events can sometimes feel like endless exhibition halls filled with companies trying to sell products.
Becky says that's never been her experience at BRILLIANT.
"Of course people are showcasing what they do," she explains, "but it never feels overly sales-driven."
Instead, conversations revolve around solving problems together.
Exhibitors aren't simply demonstrating products; they're helping teachers discover practical ideas, sharing expertise, listening to classroom challenges and finding ways to support schools beyond the event itself.
That collaborative atmosphere is something Becky believes makes BRILLIANT genuinely different.
"It's very obvious the festival has been designed with educators in mind."
Whether someone is exploring AI for the first time, looking to strengthen careers education, developing STEAM provision or searching for practical classroom inspiration, the programme is built around the questions educators are actually asking.
A meeting place for education, technology and industry
As Head of Education at Tech She Can, Becky spends her time helping schools inspire more young people, particularly girls and underrepresented groups, to consider careers in technology.
That mission relies on collaboration because:
Schools can't do it alone
Industry can't do it alone
Charities can't do it alone
BRILLIANT creates the environment where those conversations happen naturally.
"It's a brilliant opportunity to network with like-minded people," Becky says.
"You learn what others are doing, identify opportunities to collaborate and meet organisations that genuinely want to support young people."
Throughout the day, teachers are able to meet organisations delivering innovative classroom resources, discover new technology, hear directly from employers and explore careers programmes that can have a lasting impact on their students.
At the same time, businesses and charities gain invaluable insight into what schools actually need.
It's one of the reasons BRILLIANT has become much more than an education event. It's increasingly becoming a meeting place where education, industry and innovation come together.
Real conversations with real impact
For Tech She Can, exhibiting has always been about much more than having a stand.
The team uses BRILLIANT to demonstrate free classroom resources, showcase live lessons, introduce teachers to professional development opportunities and help schools understand how they can inspire the next generation into technology careers.
Many schools have since signed up as partner schools, particularly those serving areas with higher levels of deprivation and lower social mobility.
By helping those schools access Tech She Can's resources, the charity is able to reach more young people who may never have considered a future in technology.
"It's about making sure schools know these opportunities exist," Becky explains.
Those conversations don't finish when the festival closes, many become long-term partnerships that continue throughout the academic year.
Growing alongside BRILLIANT
Reflecting on the past two years, Becky can clearly see how both Tech She Can and BRILLIANT have evolved.
The charity's presence across the north has grown significantly.
"So much more has happened in the north since BRILLIANT," says Becky.
Schools from across the North West and North East are now approaching the charity directly, creating new partnerships and extending Tech She Can's reach far beyond what they had achieved previously.
Becky's own involvement has grown too, and she now invites her industry and educational partners to experience BRILLIANT: "It allows our partners to hear exactly what teachers need and understand how schools are using the resources we'd developed together."
Teachers, meanwhile, were approaching the Tech She Can exhibitors stand and were able to share first-hand stories of how the charity’s resources were already making a difference in their classrooms. That's feedback you simply can't capture through surveys or emails.
Bringing new colleagues into the community
One story Becky shared perfectly sums up the spirit of BRILLIANT.
Just before the 2025 festival, Tech She Can recruited a new member of staff based on the Wirral.
Her very first day with the charity was spent at BRILLIANT.
Instead of sitting through an induction in an office, she immediately found herself talking to local teachers, making connections with schools in her area and introducing educators to projects happening right on their doorstep.
"It was such a nice way for her to start," Becky says. "She was speaking with teachers from local schools almost immediately."
That's the power of bringing an entire education community together in one place.
Free to attend, and open to everyone
Another reason Becky is so passionate about BRILLIANT is its accessibility.
"The fact it's completely free is amazing."
Removing financial barriers means more classroom teachers, school leaders, early career educators and support staff can attend regardless of their school's budget.
That diversity creates richer conversations and ensures the festival represents the full breadth of education.
It also aligns perfectly with Tech She Can's own mission of creating more equitable opportunities for young people.
So when the charity was announced as BRILLIANT's Charity Partner for 2026, Becky was delighted.
"We're so passionate about the event and can't wait to continue partnering with BRILLIANT."
More than a festival
As BRILLIANT continues to grow, its biggest strength isn't simply the number of attendees, exhibitors or speakers, it's the quality of the conversations taking place throughout the day.
Teachers are discovering practical classroom ideas, school leaders are finding solutions to shared challenges, STEAM organisations are building partnerships and charities are connecting with schools that need their support most.
For Becky, that's what makes BRILLIANT so special.
"It's a place where everyone is working towards the same goal to create better opportunities for young people."
If you're looking for a day filled with practical ideas, inspiring speakers, meaningful networking and the chance to connect with the people shaping the future of education, BRILLIANT is rapidly becoming the place to be.
And as Becky and the team at Tech She Can have discovered over the past two years, one day at BRILLIANT can lead to partnerships, collaborations and opportunities that last all year.