2018 (Personal Update)
In the blink of an eye, the first month of 2018 is behind us.
A quick update on what I’m up to this year. As ever, your ideas, connections, feedback and support are hugely appreciated.
1) The Lens is a podcast which I have created with Business in the Community (The Prince of Wales’s responsible business network). It is powered by Fujitsu in partnership with McCann and we’re six episodes into the first series of twelve. It’s all about the future of work, seen from different perspectives, and in each episode I interview a CEO and someone in their early twenties. So far my guests have included the heads of Barclays, Tech UK, Anglian Water and McKinsey. Have a listen here. I’d love your feedback and ideas.
2) The Great British Entrepreneur Awards have expanded to cover London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff, supported by Natwest. I’m looking forward to hosting for the sixth year running. Last year I met the most amazing people across those five cities and every event gives me a fresh sense of the positivity and energy of people who start things.
3) From the DigitalAgenda Impact Awards to the Tech London Advocates, The Mayor’s International Business Programme and HM Treasury’s International FinTech Conference, I am hosting a number of events over the coming months which give me the opportunity to work alongside some phenomenal people. Most of these are paid, however I’m always open to supporting pro-bono if there is a cause which I can help.
4) My main company is The Connector Unit and I continue to be fascinated by how to map and make valuable introductions between businesses and ideas. Every week I make what I hope are interesting, valuable and creative connections and I am always interested in the answer to the question “Who would you most like to meet?”.
5) Zinc is an impact business builder which brings together a cohort of founders to start businesses which make a difference. The theme of its first Mission is women’s and girls’ mental health, and I am enjoying being a Fellow, helping the founding team and emerging companies to fulfil the potential of this extraordinary venture.
6) The Marketing Academy is a brilliant organisation with global ambitions. Turning the marketing talent of today into the leaders of tomorrow, the team are already in London and Sydney, with an eye on New York and Dubai. I would welcome international connections, especially in the US, as we expand over the coming year.
7) Last, and by no means least, I’m returning to startup land with my latest new venture. More on this soon, however it will involve working with some of my favourite people across live entertainment, technology, brands and the creative industries. The next few months are all about exploring potential partnerships, so watch this space. If nothing else, it will be varietous.