The first of our planned events for the Dynamo cyber work stream was the Think Tank held earlier this week at Accenture’s offices in Cobalt. We had been planning it for several months and then suddenly it was upon us. The idea was to relaunch the work we had undertaken while raising our profile by … Continue reading #CyberNorth Think Tank
Marshmallow challenge
One of the ways we got the delegates to engage with each other at the Rural Cultural Business Innovation Programme, was through the Marshmallow Challenge. I love it. It makes me laugh every time I see it run. It is quite simple. Each group, it is essential that there several people in the group, has … Continue reading Marshmallow challenge
I didn’t get the job
One of the things that I have struggled most with when working for myself is saying no to new work. When I set the company up I thought about a reasonable sales objective for the year and I am happy to say that I passed it quite comfortably at the half year point. Perhaps my … Continue reading I didn’t get the job
My ethical dilemma with Oxfam
The recent events at Oxfam have highlighted, once again, the role that ethics has to play in modern organisations. It is impossible and indeed not right, to separate purpose and the ethical stance of those businesses and charities that we deal with. The scandal that has rocked Oxfam over the last few weeks has made … Continue reading My ethical dilemma with Oxfam
Leading ladies
I’ve talked about my involvement in Lyndsey’s Leading Ladies before yet this time my role in the programme was something special, to me at least. I was asked if I would hold a session as part of this year’s programme, to talk about why getting more women into tech is important and my perceptions of … Continue reading Leading ladies
Rural Cultural Business Innovation Programme day 1
The Olympic room in The White Swan in Alnwick was a magnificent location to get our Rural Cultural Business Innovation Programme underway. Justin and I have seem to have been planning this for ages and now the day had finally arrived. We had been working with the Creative Fuse Partnership and other creative, digital and … Continue reading Rural Cultural Business Innovation Programme day 1
Democratic free press
In a recent blog I put forward the idea that, in this country, we pride ourselves that we have a free press and that it fulfills the important role of holding governments and other institutions to account. We convince ourselves that our free press is the cornerstone of our political system. In the mother of … Continue reading Democratic free press
Selling Levi Roots
The highlight of the North East Growth Hub’s Scaleup North East Launch , apart from the exciting programme itself had to be the keynote from Levi Roots. Yes I had heard of him, his appearance on Dragon’s Den and his hot Reggae Reggae Sauce. Other than that though our paths had never crossed. Why would … Continue reading Selling Levi Roots
Go when the light turns green
I've finally worked out why there is a delay between a traffic light going green and the traffic starting to move. I don't mean when you are at the front of the line but rather when you are a dozen cars behind. Sometimes the light can change back to red again before you even move. … Continue reading Go when the light turns green
Convenience sells, convenience costs
In an earlier blog I said that subject of ethics in business had been occupying my mind, especially the failure of Carillion and the noise around the use of single use plastics. I wrote about Carillion in the earlier piece and so I am coming back to plastics. Pollution caused by waste plastics has been … Continue reading Convenience sells, convenience costs
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 