Connect-Ed Podcast

In this episode Richard Palmer welcomes Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu & CEO of SymphoMe, and a professional classical pianist, who has developed his global music education platform from a research topic at the University of Edinburgh School of Music for a fireside chat about his journey. SymphonMe is described as "the Duolingo for music but even better!". This app leverages technology and artificial...

The UK government's plans to tighten immigration make this discussion on International Founders more critical than ever! Join me, Prof. Ross Tuffee (Entrepreneurial Residence at Stirling University) as I lead a conversation exploring the landscape, policy barriers, and vast economic opportunities presented by international talent. We start by highlighting the fact that international students make...

Building the Next Generation of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems The term “ecosystem” was first coined by botanist Arthur Tansley in 1935 and describes how interconnected functional units work together for the overall benefit of the group. With this in mind, we explore the foundations of regional economic success by diving into how it is supported by entrepreneurial ecosystems. Hosted by Chris Moule, He...

Are you ready to tackle the funding gap for women entrepreneurs? In this in-depth panel discussion hosted by Bonnie Hacking, Programme Manager at St Andrews Entrepreneurship Centre, we confront the unique challenges faced by female founders—where less than 3% of venture capital funding goes to female-founded firms, despite their massive contribution to the economy. Bonnie is joined by: Niki McKenz...

Birthing a business in a safe and supportive way: We are joined by the inspiring Bayile Adeoti, Founder of Dechomai and Co-founder of the tech startup BobbAI. Drawing on her personal journey—including being told as a 16-year-old that she couldn't start a business because she didn't know any entrepreneurs—Bayile’s work is driven by a passion to enable others. Dechomai acts as a "business midwife,"...

Stop solving the wrong problems! Join us as we dive into the power of Design Thinking for entrepreneurs with Fraser Bruce, a Senior Design Academic at the University of Dundee. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience, Fraser shares how design thinking acts as both a mindset and a practical approach for creative problem-solving, helping entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of bringing an idea t...

Are you ready to rethink how we support marginalised talent and build truly equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems? This week, we speak with Viana Maya, Founder of pRESPECT an organisation that helps create inclusive, equitable and empowering spaces for all. Viana shares her personal 'why'—drawing on her own experiences of homelessness and navigating various labels while trying to re-enter the workf...

Welcome to the first podcast episode from The Connect-Ed Network! 👋 In this insightful session on "Coaching Strategies and Feedback Techniques,” I am are joined by Susan McRoberts, founder of The Curated Consultancy Susan works with founders and their leadership teams to build progressive people strategies—moving beyond the basics of HR, creating clarity, connection, and culture across organisati...

Welcome to Connect-Ed! 👋 Join me, Ross Tuffee, Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Stirling and creator of The Connect-Ed Network, as we explore how, by connecting practitioners and expertise across and into our universities and colleges, we can better support students, staff and businesses on their entrepreneurial journeys. Our aim is to invigorate the ecosystem by encouraging and sha...