Headshot of Laura May Coope smiling to camera in pink blazer and white tshirt

Doctor of the University

The Emmy Award winning co-founder of creative agency Social Life.

After graduating from the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú with BA (Hons) English Literature and Creative Arts, in 2006, Laura-May Coope began a career in music.

She went on to develop social production at BBC Radio 1 and 1xtra for five years. There, she led a team who took the stations’ online audiences from thousands to millions. 

In 2013, Laura-May created the Social Life agency. Her vision was to create a culture of queer positivity and recognise talent that wasn’t being represented. Clients included Netflix, Apple Music and King Games. In 2019, having grown into a global team with offices in London and Los Angeles, the agency was acquired by Jellyfish. 

The Evening Standard has named Laura-May one of the most influential people in London. She was also chosen by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to represent the city internationally as part of the Female Founder Mission. 

In 2020, Social Life won an Emmy Award for the Big Mouth Guide to Life with Netflix. In 2022, Laura-May was named as a winner of the Advertising Week Future is Female award. 

Laura-May is currently based in Barcelona, where she is pursuing her other passion by training to become a Pastry Chef at The Culinary Institute of Barcelona.