UMicast

The latest episode of the podcast is the second in a new series UMi is producing in collaboration with Innovation SuperNetwork to discuss the landscape for innovation in the North East. Sarah Cox is the Innovation Challenge Programme Director at Innovation SuperNetwork and in this conversation, she introduces the concept of 'mission-led innovation' and the Challenge North Tyne project, which has l...

The latest episode of the podcast is the first in a new five-part series UMi is producing in collaboration with Innovation SuperNetwork . Jordan Dargue is Head of Access to Finance at Innovation SuperNetwork and Shaun Fooy is a Senior Manager at the British Business Bank. In this conversation, Jordan and Shaun discuss the innovation funding gap and what needs to be done to improve the investment l...

Washington Vieira is the founder and driving force behind independent coffee business, Santu Coffee . Based in Edinburgh, Santu roasts high quality coffee beans sourced ethically and directly from farmers in Brazil and operates a café in the heart of the city. In this conversation, Washington shares his journey from growing up on his grandparent's coffee farm in Brazil, to working in the US and re...

Daniel Harrison is a deputy director in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy working at the heart of government to support business innovation and growth. A senior civil servant with 17 years' experience working in a range of ministerial departments, Daniel is passionate about solving the UK's productivity puzzle and making it easier for SMEs to thrive. In this conversation,...

Lisa Hart Shepherd is a market researcher and serial entrepreneur who expanded her market research business all over the world before selling it to Thomson Reuters in 2019. Acritas is well known by global top 100 law firms for developing the Sharplegal programme, which has become the world’s most comprehensive annual study of the legal market. Passionate about building relationships and making con...

James de le Vingne is the CEO of the Employee Ownership Association (EOA) and in this episode of podcast, we speak to him about how businesses can unleash the potential of their people by becoming employee-owned. Given his extensive prior experience of working for NGOs in different parts of the world, we also discuss what James has learned about leveraging the power of business to tackle local and...

Heidi Fisher is an award-winning social enterprise consultant, public speaker, author and change advocate who wants to build a world run by social entrepreneurs. She began her career in accounting and finance working at multinational professional services firm, PwC, but soon realised that she wanted to strike out on her own and set up a purpose-led business. Over the last 20 years, Heidi has helpe...

This special episode of the podcast was recorded for the Innovation SuperNetwork as part of VentureFest North East . It features Graeme Miller, Head of Innovation at Innovation SuperNetwork, Gordon Dodd, Chief Strategy Officer of augmented reality marketing specialist Aircards , and Andrew Jenkins, CEO of renewable energy optimisation specialist, Kinewell Energy . The panellists discuss what it me...

In the 10th episode of the podcast, we speak to UMi chief executive, Nicki Clark to find out more about her life and career and learn about the journey she’s been on with UMi since starting the business as one of the founding directors in 2007. Over the years, Nicki has worked in a variety of sectors and believes that the best way to be successful in the world of business is to plan for the long-t...

In our latest podcast, we speak to Dan Martin, the Founder and CEO of electric vehicle charging business, Elmtronics . Dan's journey in business has been full of many twists and turns, but his perseverance has seen him build one of the UK's most exciting EV start-ups. Elmtronics has just been acquired by Mer , which is owned by renewable energy giant Statkraft . The company is also working with Oc...

In our latest podcast, we speak to Raman Sehgal, the Founder and Global President of international marketing agency, ramarketing . When he's not running his life sciences-focused company, Raman is the Host of the Molecule to Market podcast, an experienced keynote speaker, a regular contributor to Forbes and most recently, the author of The Floundering Founder: 24 Lessons to Refocus Your Business a...

In our latest podcast, we speak to someone who is at the forefront of efforts to make the beauty industry more sustainable. Jo-Anne Chidley is the Co-Founder and CEO of Beauty Kitchen . You might have seen Beauty Kitchen's natural beauty products in Boots or Holland and Barrett, but the company was really set up to address the fact that 95% of beauty packaging is thrown away after just one use. Wh...

In our latest podcast, we speak to recruitment expert and Chief Vision Officer, John Blackburn. John is the boss of video-first recruitment agency Vocacio and has spent the last ten years helping businesses in a variety of sectors access the best talent. He is also a sustainable business advocate and believes in putting people and planet above profit. Founded in 2017, Vocacio uses video throughout...

In our fifth podcast, we speak to serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, keynote speaker, sales consultant and university lecturer, Mike Southon. Co-author of business management book, The Beermat Entrepreneur, Mike started his career building his own IT training company in the 1980s before going on to advise a number of start-ups on how to build stronger teams and get better at selling their p...

In our fourth podcast, we speak to finance expert Shaun Fooy. Shaun is a Network Manager at the British Business Bank and has 30 years’ experience in business banking, having worked at major high street banks including Barclays, RBS and NatWest. The British Business Bank is best known for delivering government-backed COVID-19 loans such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, Bounce...

In our third podcast, we speak to public speaker, entrepreneur and wellbeing consultant, Lizzy Hodcroft. A disruptive force in the UK start-up community, Lizzy has founded and raised investment for multiple businesses and is a firm believer in the power of entrepreneurship as self-discovery. After suffering from severe mental ill health and addiction since the age of 14, it was only when Lizzy ent...

In our second podcast, we speak to the Founder and CEO of one UK’s most exciting technology companies. Jonny Grubin is the entrepreneur behind SoPost, an online product sampling platform helping brands get their sample products to engaged customers. The 30-year-old has been interested in business his entire adult life, setting up his first venture when he was aged just 14. He has weathered his fai...

In our first podcast, we speak to the man widely considered one of the Founding Fathers of British Gaming. Ian Livingstone began his career writing interactive fantasy books before co-founding Games Workshop in 1975. In the 1980s, he recognised the potential of the emerging video games industry and began working with Domark, later acquired by Eidos Interactive, producing some of the industry’s mos...