About ROWENA
SPEAKER | ENTREPRENEUR | EQUALITY ADVOCATE
Rowena is redefining how we understand human behaviour and the psychology of motivation. Born from the dunnhumby heritage, she has built a career turning complex behavioural data into powerful human insights—shifting the focus from what people do to why they do it.
In a world overflowing with data signals, Rowena’s approach uncovers what truly matters to people—not just for business, but for society. Her mission is simple: to ensure everyone’s experiences are understood, valued, and reflected in the systems that serve them.
Rowena is best known for humanising data. While traditional data focuses on transactions, she digs deeper—revealing the emotions, values, and motivations that drive people. This emotional intelligence opens up new ways to solve real-world problems, from improving public health to building more meaningful customer experiences.
Her vision is especially critical as we move into an AI-driven future—where systems will only be as ethical and effective as the data that trains them.
'For too long, data has been focused on transactions and profit metrics but fails to reveal what truly matters to people.'
INNOVATIVE
entrepreneur
Co-founder of Starcount.
Rowena co-founded Starcount to give brands something they’ve long been missing: a way to understand why people buy—not just what they buy. She’s helped shift the marketing world beyond demographics and surveys toward behavioural science, uncovering the emotional drivers behind decision-making.
Her innovative work earned recognition such as Deloitte’s Top 50 Fastest Growing Consultancies, AdWeek’s Female Frontier Award for Transforming Technology and more recently, DataIQ Innovation Award.
advocate of womens rights
Trustee at The Female Lead
Alongside her business ventures, Rowena is a leading voice for gender equality.
As a trustee of The Female Lead, she helps drive a global movement empowering millions of women—spotlighting diverse, data-driven stories that challenge outdated narratives.
She believes there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to equality. From health, work to financial freedom, she uses data and storytelling to show what fulfilment looks like for women at every age and stage—and to build a better future for the next generation of female leaders.
DATA ADVISOR
Data for Good & The Government Advisory
Rowena plays a strategic role in Data for Good, a forward-thinking initiative focused on consent, data ownership, and behavioural science for public health. She’s helping lead a shift where people can “donate” data to drive better life outcomes—using knowledge not just for commerce, but for collective well-being.
As a trusted advisor to the UK Government, she’s helped shape how data is used to measure the effectiveness of public communications and to improve societal health.
“You can’t solve a problem until you understand it—and understanding begins with listening to what the data is really saying.”
