Tech4Good South West

In this episode, Dama Sathianathan, senior partner at Bethnal Green Ventures, shares insights into how their impact-focused VC supports early-stage tech for good startups. Discover their unique approach to responsible investing, program details, and how founders from diverse backgrounds can get involved. Show Notes Impact-driven venture capital Tech for Good definition and scope BGV's founder supp...

What if your local high street could become a hub for work, community, and social change? That's exactly what Freddie Fforde is building with Patch — and as a workspace partner of Tech4Good South West, they're already making it happen right here in the South West. In this episode, Freddie shares how Patch is revitalising neighbourhoods by creating physical homes for purpose-driven communities — an...

Unlock the transformative potential of AI for social good through a powerful story of innovation, collaboration, and practical impact. In this episode, Annie Legge is joined by tech volunteers Bronwyn Kunhardt from Polecat and Dave Preedy from Microsoft to explore how a community-driven AI Living Lab is helping charities move from curiosity to confident action. Through small, real-world experiment...

Did you know 83,840 children are currently in care and 9,000 additional foster carers are needed in the UK. These are shocking statistics, and highlight the urgent need for innovation and support within the foster care system. In this episode host Annie Legge speaks with Rasheda Fry , founder of Fosterli , a platform aimed at improving the fostering process through technology. They discuss the ala...

Host Arielle Tye in conversation with Mary Stevens , Experiments Program Manager at Friends of the Earth , exploring the intersection of AI and environmental justice. In this chat with Arielle, Mary delves into the potential of AI to drive positive change while addressing its environmental risks. Mary shares insights from her work on creating a balanced narrative between AI's utopian and dystopian...

In this episode of the Tech4Good South West podcast, host Arielle Tye speaks with Matt Bakall, a digital youth work specialist working at Space Youth Services, about digital youth work. They discuss the evolution of youth work in the digital age, the importance of meeting young people where they are, and the challenges and opportunities presented by technology. Matt shares insights on defining dig...

Join us on the Tech for Good Southwest podcast as we delve into the inspiring journey of Luke Ashman, co-founder of Not Impossible. Discover how this innovative platform is revolutionising work experience for young people by connecting them with meaningful placements. From the challenges of building a purpose-driven business to the impact of micro-placements, Luke shares insights on creating oppor...

What happens when your smartphone becomes your biggest enemy in managing ADHD? In this powerful conversation, Annie sits down with Alastair Brayne, founder of Unbreakable (formerly MyCoPilot.ai ), who turned his personal struggle with organisation, planning and digital addiction into a mission to help others. Alastair shares the raw reality of building a startup while neurodivergent, from developi...

In this episode of the Tech4Good South West podcast, host Arielle Tye speaks with Weronika Stelma, co-founder and CEO of Weaving Change , a social enterprise focused on sustainable fashion. They discuss the launch of their app, Swerve, which aims to help users digitise their wardrobes and make sustainable fashion choices. Weronica shares her journey from a chemistry background to creating a tech s...

In this episode, we talk with Neil Morris, co-founder of Kelpi, about his journey from tech entrepreneur to impact leader with a mission to reduce plastic waste through innovative, seaweed-based packaging solutions. Neil discusses the challenges of scaling impact sustainably, including the tough decisions Kelpi has made to avoid partnerships that could compromise their mission. He shares insights...

Promoting STEM education and environmental awareness among children through The Adventures of Scout. In this engaging conversation, co-founders Nick Parker and Matt Baron of The Adventures of Scout discuss their mission to inspire the next generation through children's literature focused on environmental awareness and STEM education. They share insights into their creative process, the impact of t...

In this episode of the Tech4Good South West podcast, our host Alicia discuss the importance of technology in addressing societal challenges with Emily Franklin, Head of People at ⁠Kaluza⁠ . They explore Kaluza's mission to make net zero accessible to everyone, the significance of company culture and values in tech for good organisations, and effective hiring practices that align with these values....

Simon Allen, CEO of Age UK in Bath and North East Somerset, discusses his journey as a CEO of a charity and how AI can enable organisations in the social sector. Simon developed the charity Navigator using OpenAI and chat GPT to support charities in navigating regulation and governance. Simon highlights the complexity of regulation and governance in the charity sector and the need for accessible i...

Bryan Charter is co-founder and CEO of Bristol based SuSy House . In this episode Bryan discusses the mission - to make homes more energy-efficient and sustainable. Susy is a mobile app that helps homeowners assess the energy efficiency of their properties, connect with contractors, and access financing options for upgrades. The app uses data science and smart technology to provide personalised re...

Alicia interviews Paul Forster, the Incubation Manager at SetSquared Bristol. They discuss the enterprise programs at SetSquared Bristol, investing in minorities in the tech industry, purpose-driven technology, and the importance of Tech for Good. Paul shares his passion for amplifying marginalised voices and creating tangible change. He also highlights the need for government investment in Bristo...

Henry Jones, consultant for the Southwest Social Mobility Commission discusses social mobility, the South West, diversity in tech and some ideas on how to close the ever growing digital skills gap in the UK. Read Henry’s report Tech Frontier, Shaping the Future of the Southwest Peninsula "Work experience is one of the big things I’m looking at, specifically year 10 work experience. My report lays...

Jim Cranshaw, founder of Grants AI , which helps charities research and write grants way faster discusses his passion for social change and the challenges faced by the nonprofit sector. "It's not just AI, but there's a number of technological revolutions that we're kind of really in the middle of or at the start of. And I think that's going to transform a lot about society. And I do think the sect...

Episode 6 of our Founding Sponsor Mini Series talking to the founding sponsors of the Tech4Good South West relaunch, to explore their interest in tech for good and their hopes and ambitions for the TechforGood South West network. This episode is in conversation with Emma Millington, co-founder of Modular Digital. "I see Tech for Good as bringing us all together so we can be a choir for change in t...

Episode 5 of our Founding Sponsor Mini Series talking to the founding sponsors of the Tech4Good South West relaunch, to explore their interest in tech for good and their hopes and ambitions for the TechforGood South West network. This episode is in conversation with Natalie Luckham, founder of Naturally Social , and Wiltshire Digital Drive . "People and planet can work alongside profit. It doesn't...

Episode 4 of our Founding Sponsor mini series talking to the founding sponsors of the Tech4Good South West relaunch, to explore their interest in tech for good and their hopes and ambitions for the TechforGood South West network. This episode is in conversation with Ben Heasman, Product Director and Trustee Director at Torchbox . “We're just really excited about the prospect of bringing positive c...

The third of 6 episodes talking to the founding sponsors of the Tech4Good South West relaunch, to explore their interest in tech for good and their hopes and ambitions for the TechforGood South West network. This episode is in conversation with Josh Simpkins , co-founder of Future Talent Group and a bronze sponsor of Tech4Good South West. "I think for us as recruiters, there's an opportunity, you...

The second of 6 episodes talking to the founding sponsors of the Tech4Good South West relaunch, to explore their interest in tech for good and their hopes and ambitions for the TechforGood South West network. This episode is in conversation with Joanna Randall , Founding Director of Purplefish and a bronze sponsor of Tech4Good South West. "I'm really excited about with Tech for Good Southwest is t...

The first of 6 episodes talking to the founding sponsors of the Tech4Good South West relaunch, to explore their interest in tech for good and their hopes and ambitions for the TechforGood South West network. This episode is in conversation with Nathan Baranowski , Managing Director of Digital Wonderlab and our first silver sponsor of Tech4Good South West. "The opportunity for Tech4Good South West...

In this episode we are in conversation with Julia Marshall-Wessendorf, founder of the WaveSix holistic health tracker app. The WaveSix health app tracks all aspects of your lifestyle, health and wellbeing to provide insights on what’s having a positive or negative impact on your health and happiness. The app has recently launched for both Apple and Android. Julia shares her inspiration for WaveSix...

Take a listen to this joint episode as both funder and grantee explore the important of digital funding to strengthen sustainability of community business. Power to Change are funders of a Powering Up programme , a 12-month funding programme to support community businesses in England that need capacity strengthening. In this episode we are joined by Sona Mahtani, Community Connector for Power to C...