People
Be inspired and taught by top university professors, successful entrepreneurs and industry experts​
​At Spark To Connect, our dedicated faculty members are committed to motivating, teaching, and inspiring students. They bring the latest research and expertise to help students build confidence and prepare for their future endeavours. Our educators are accomplished professionals from world’s leading universities and corporations.
We pride ourselves on our lectures and courses, meticulously developed by the esteemed teaching staff from the University of Oxford. These programs emphasise applied and interactive learning methods. Students will engage in immersive lessons, participate in practical workshops, meet our esteemed Alumni and collaborate on team projects with peers from around the world.
Our students will develop business ideas, work in teams and tackle challenges our world is facing today, using real case experience studies and project based learning to understand and develop solutions. They will also participate in volunteering social impact activities throughout our program.
Meet Our Faculty
Dr. Julian Jamison
Professor of Economics, Behavioural Economist, Department of Economics, University of Oxford
Dr. Chris Moos
Lecturer in Organisation Studies at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
Wendy Kidminster
Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Strategy at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
Ahmed Saad
Programmer Manager at Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre, University of Oxford
Gerard Ramalho
Communications Expert, Keynote Presenter and Award-Winning TV Journalist
Luke Graham
Associate Fellow at Oxford Saïd Business School
Callum Usher-Dodd
Head of Programmes at Oxford Saïd Business School
Our Team
Our consultancy stands on the shoulders of decades-worth of collective expertise to serve our valued clients.
Gerard Ramalho
Advisor
Larry Begley
Advisor
Asta Jamison
Chief Executive Officer
Asta Jamison
Chief Executive Officer
Asta is the founder of Spark to Connect, a learning and development consultancy based in Oxford, UK. The consultancy specialises in delivering corporate and individual summer programmes for teenagers.
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Asta's commitment to making a positive impact extends beyond her extensive professional achievements. Passionate about working with teenagers, she finds great fulfilment in helping them unlock their potential and achieve personal growth. Asta firmly believes in the transformative power of education and mentorship, especially during the formative years of adolescence.
With over 20 years of professional cross-functional experience in learning and development, human resources, business development, and digital transformation initiatives, Asta brings a unique set of skills to her current role. Her prior roles include leadership positions at Boston Consulting Group, the US Department of Defense, and various international organisations.
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Asta received a Bachelor of Management from the University of Wisconsin, a Master's in Personnel Management from Valdosta State University, and an MBA from the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Asta is also a certified leadership coach.
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Larry Begley
Advisor
Larry Begley is a seasoned advisor, venture capitalist, chief financial officer, and board member of private and public companies. He has served on the boards of five public and 13 private companies, leading many to successful exits. He is the chairman of the board of The Wonderfund, a non-profit organisation providing children in the care of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families with the opportunities, experiences, and essentials that every child deserves.
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Begley has extensive experience in rapidly growing technology companies, especially software and services businesses. His finance and operational expertise includes scaling finance and IT infrastructure of rapidly growing enterprises, driving successful strategic and IPO exits, managing investor relations, growing human capital, creating high-performing cultures, and designing and executing global expansion.
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Begley most recently served as CFO of Abacus Insights, Inc., and, prior to that, was CFO of CloudHealth Technologies, which was acquired by VMware in 2018 for $609 million. He co-founded .406 Ventures, an early-stage technology venture fund, which raised two funds totalling $342 million during his 10-year tenure at the fund, prior to him joining one of his .406 portfolio companies, CloudHealth, as CFO.
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Begley has a BSBA in Accounting from Boston College (magna cum laude) and an MBA with a concentration in Finance (honours with distinction).
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Gerard Ramalho
Advisor
Gerard Ramalho is a professional storyteller and multi-award-winning television journalist. Throughout his career as a news anchor and reporter, he has generated and produced impactful content for on-air and in-person presentations.
Gerard teaches journalism and storytelling at UNLV and delivers keynote presentations on subjects such as "how to be an influencer" and "how to grow your audience" to corporations. Additionally, he coaches business owners and individuals on effectively crafting and delivering their messages.
Gerard is also a dedicated advocate for various social causes. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his commitment to honouring military veterans, including through the successful television segment he hosted, "Salute The Troops." Serving on the board of directors for Bridge Counselling, Southern Nevada's esteemed non-profit organisation, Gerard contributes to the provision of crucial individual and family counselling services. Beyond his professional endeavours, he actively engages with non-profit organisations dedicated to raising awareness and support for causes such as human trafficking, homeless teen services, and autism support services.
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Aiste Dambrauskaite
Program Coordinator/Summer Counsellor
Daiva Dambrauskiene
Chief Learning Officer
Alexis Sikorsky
Advisor
AistÄ— DambrauskaitÄ—
Programme Co-ordinator
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AistÄ— DambrauskaitÄ— is the programme co-ordinator and summer counsellor at Spark to Connect, where she excels in planning and leading programmes that foster innovation and community engagement. With over five years of experience working with teenagers and organising events through the student council and the Lithuanian Rifleman's Union, AistÄ— has developed her leadership and project management skills, effectively overseeing complex projects and leading diverse teams.
As a participant in the Lithuanian Junior Achievement programme, AistÄ— and her team placed fourth in the Titan Challenge (out of 600 participating teams), a business simulation competition. This achievement led her to Dubai Expo 2020 as a team leader, where she gained valuable international experience and further developed her problem-solving skills.
In addition, AistÄ— has three years of experience working in a climbing park, where she managed and supported both children and adults, demonstrating her resilience and ability to remain composed under pressure. Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in neurobiophysics at Vilnius University, AistÄ— combines her scientific knowledge, entrepreneurial experience, and strong leadership abilities in her role at Spark to Connect.
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/aist%C4%97-dambrauskait%C4%97-47321a224/
Alexis Sikorsky
Advisor
Alexis Sikorsky started a software development company called New Access in Switzerland in 2000. Twenty years later, he sold the company to a private equity firm for a nine-figure sum and established Alex Sikorsky Consulting Ltd, which is based in the UK. Its aim is to enable SMEs to build success, future-proof their businesses, and develop effective growth strategies leading to a private equity exit.
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Daiva Dambrauskiene
Chief Learning Officer
Daiva DambrauskienÄ— is a certified psychotherapist with over 20 years of professional organisational leadership experience for global organisations. Before her current engagement, Daiva played a pivotal role in advancing product development and implementation as head of Risk and Insurance Products for Tele2 Telecommunications and AON Insurance Company for European markets.
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Daiva DambrauskienÄ— consults organisations and their employees on burnout and stress management issues, facilitates group therapy, and supports employees and programme participants with personal and professional challenges, self-awareness, and confidence.
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At Spark to Connect, Daiva's focus is to develop, create, and maintain the culture and ethos of wellbeing, integrating the professional, personal, and physical wellbeing of each employee, as well as embedding this into the larger business strategy.
Daiva holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in law and management from Vilnius University.
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Join Our Team
Join our team
We are a dynamic global team full of energy, a passion for learning, and a commitment to embracing authentic and diverse perspectives. Everyone here has the potential to grow and thrive in an environment where equal opportunity is at the forefront of our culture. We take pride in not only achieving our goals but also in having fun together as a team. If you’re looking for a place where you can make a meaningful impact, we invite you to be part of our journey!
Partner with us
If you are an organisation interested in partnering with us to develop a summer program please get in touch.