This is the first in a series of four striking examples of #TechforGood, and part of our video campaign (watch here) where we called for people to nominate inspiring initiatives of tech being used for wider social impact.
As Jennifer Arcuri (@Jennifer_Arcuri) came towards the end of her MBA programme at Hult International Business School back in 2012 she saw an opportunity to use her passion for the world of tech to make a tangible impact. Her venture, the Innotech event series, sets out to bring together policy makers, corporate investors and entrepreneurs to give British business a real boost and further the UK’s reputation as a global hub for innovation.
Florence Broderick sat down with Jennifer to quiz her on what sparked her zest for tech and where she sees the event heading.
What triggered the Innotech idea?
Back in 2012, there was a real buzz in London off the back of the Tech City UK initiative. As a city London really has it all – it’s a hub for media, politics and fashion and I saw a real opportunity for tech here. I noticed that talent was being brought to London only to later be chased away. I believed that if I could bridge the gap between politicians, investors and entrepreneurs, then this discourse could help to create jobs, raise funds and inject some energy into the city’s tech scene.
How is your mandate of bringing the political and tech world together tied in to the “social impact” agenda?
Entrepreneurs desperately needed a new way to talk to policy makers. 289 people came to the summit last year and the need for these conversations was clear. If we want to establish a talent pipeline for tech in the UK we need to give entrepreneurs what they need to grow – MPs need to know what are the biggest hang ups for start-ups. We knew that if we could make that happen, then we could see the UK using its most innovative technologies to start leading in public sectors such as education, transport and cyber security.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyLKG733sz8[/youtube]
Why the UK? Why London?
Before graduating back in the US we just presumed that once we finished our degrees we would walk into a job. However, with the recession California shut down and I actually ended up running my own sushi bar in Los Angeles. I decided that I had a lot to bring to London from LA. Since arriving here I have learnt that the UK is not just about London, there’s also some incredible stuff going on in Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester and Bristol. They don’t deserve to be treated like the UK’s ugly step-children – the stuff outside of London will wow you!
I really felt that we could create value in the UK and with the general elections fast approaching, there’s going to be a big backlash for the tech community – in light of that, we need to make sure we bring entrepreneurs closer to MPs.
Do you believe tech is a true enabler or catalyst to create wider social good?
Most definitely. If we bring these people with digital skills together, tech can accelerate the creation of white collar jobs. Tech is powerful and it can bring new opportunities for people from all walks of life, but if we want to get kids improving their digital literacies then we have to create a dialogue which entices and engages them. At the summit we want to ask the important questions, for example – how can we engage more women in the tech world? This is a high-profile platform to ensure positive change for society. Only the other day I was chatting to a start-up which had developed an app to help diagnose Parkinson’s. These are the kinds of ideas that we need to be showcasing.
Have you got any future plans for scaling up Innotech?
I feel that there is still a lot more work for me to do and I want to focus on growing what we already have and helping to deal with the problem of entrepreneurship being far too concentrated in London. I’m learning as I go along and having a lot of fun along the way – but who knows what the future holds?
The next Innotech event, “Tech vs Brains”, takes place on 26 June 2014 at the House of Commons ahead of the summit in October. Are you an entrepreneur, policy maker or investor? Check out the Innotech website for more information.
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