Published: July 17, 2026 at 8:29 am
When Erin Meryl McGurk was growing up in South Manchester she could not have imagined where she is today.
The pupil at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls is now building an AI startup in Silicon Valley after securing backing from the prestigious Y Combinator accelerator.
“Growing up in South Manchester and going to AGGS, I did not see many people, especially women, taking the route I’m taking now – building a technology company, raising from Y Combinator, and moving to Silicon Valley,” she says.
“I’d love to make that path feel more visible and possible for girls who are where I was a few years ago.”