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21.
January
2019.
Social Innovation is put on trial at Impact Hub King's Cross 10 Year Anniversary

Social Innovation is put on trial at Impact Hub King's Cross 10 Year Anniversary debate

Press release

18 January 2019

Has social innovation lived up to its' promises? Or has the social enterprise sector been damaged by the constant search for the ‘next big thing' over scaling tried-and-tested solutions?

Starring some big names in the social enterprise sector, Impact Hub King's Cross will spark discussion on the pressing issues facing the social enterprise sector as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, discussing what innovation really means, how we fund effective solutions and how we avoid the excesses of the tech unicorns of the mainstream entrepreneurship sector.

The interactive debate will take the form of a modern-day trial, presided over by judge, counsels and witnesses for prosecution and defence. The audience is the jury, and will deliver the ultimate verdict. The event is aimed at anyone interested in the policy or practice of social enterprise and the audience will contain social entrepreneurs and policy-makers.

Devi Clark, Programmes Director at Impact Hub King's Cross, said: "Social innovation can be a bit of a buzz-word. As a convener and supporter of entrepreneurial changemakers, we at Impact Hub King's Cross wanted to explore whether social innovation really has changed the world, or whether it is a distraction from a focus on scaling proven interventions. What better opportunity than our tenth anniversary to provoke a juicy debate amongst some of the social sectors most influential players."

Impact Hub King's Cross is delighted to welcome as Judge, Rowan Conway, Director of Innovation and Development at the RSA. The role of Lead Prosecutor is Impact Hub Kings Cross' own Programmes Director, Devi Clark, while the Lead Defender for social innovation is Kate Sutton, Head of Corporate Social Innovation at Nesta.

Kate Sutton said, "I am really excited to be involved in this event to celebrate 10 years of Impact Hub King's Cross. Without innovation we don't move forward - I am thrilled to be leading the defence at this fun and hopefully insightful event".

Representing the Prosecution as witnesses is Joe Kallarackal, the UK Director of Spring Impact, and Servane Mouazan, the Founder/ Director of Ogunte CIC. The two witnesses for the Defence are Dan Sutch, Co-founder and Director of CAST and social entrepreneur, Kim Rihal from Equal Education.

Servane, an experienced social change entrepreneur, helping small and large businesses understand people's needs in a changing economy, commented: "Although social innovation has produced fantastic change for some, it cannot be led in isolation, nor designed by a happy few. Putting it on trial will show how we need to reflect and act to make it genuinely for the 99%... at least".

We expect informed and provocative arguments on both of the argument. Which makes the biggest social impact, innovation or growing proven solutions? Have an opinion? Come and put it on trial, Judge Judy style.

This free event takes place at Impact Hub King's Cross (34B York Way, London, N1 9AB) on Thursday 31 January from 18.00 to 21.00pm. Register for your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/social-innovation-on-trial-tickets-48448866865

ENDS

 

Editors Notes

For further information about the event, or if you are a journalist that would like to confirm attendance, please contact Darren Laws on 01634 671167 or 07958 304375

Darren.laws@zesttheagency.com

 

About Impact Hub Kings Cross

Impact Hub King's Cross is a community of entrepreneurs, creatives and professionals who are transforming business with responsibility at the forefront. As a member of a growing global network of over 100 Impact Hubs' on five continents we provide shared workspace, enterprise support, a strong and diverse network, and daily activities in our dynamic space near King's Cross station in London. Our community is 350+ people strong, and over 16,000 globally. Read about our members at our website.

At the Impact Hub King's Cross, we create spaces that inspire, connect and empower people to realize enterprising ideas for sustainable impact. We are curators of the physical, virtual and social spaces where the change we want to see in the world is happening. Our spaces help materialize this change by offering a unique mix of infrastructure, connections and inspiration.

 

Bios of Trial speakers:

Rowan Conway, Director of Innovation and Development atRSAInsurance Group

Rowan has over 15 years' experience in research and engagement with communities, businesses and government bodies. She has led a wide range of research and engagement programmes that include: enquiry by design processes for urban place-making, asset-based community development, social enterprise development and impact planning, cross sector partnership working, mental health service design, and environmental sustainability research. Collaborative and cross-disciplinary by nature, she specialises in participatory action research and has worked with local authorities, NGOs, academic partners, NHS Trusts, corporate businesses and social enterprises, as well as a wide range of central government departments.

 

Devi Clark, Programmes Director atImpact Hub King's Cross

Devi Clark is Programmes Manager at Impact Hub King's Cross, developing a range of programmes to  support social entrepreneurs start up or grow their businesses, including the UK arm of the Impact Hub Scaling programme, which helped 110 social enterprises scale up their businesses across 8 European countries, Feeding the City, an ethical food start up programme, a plastic reduction competition for students and a mentoring programme on entrepreneurship for migrants and refugees.

 

Joe Kallarackal, the UK Director ofSpring Impact

Spring Impact is a non-profit focused on scaling effective social innovations, born out of a frustration of seeing scarce resources being used to reinvent the wheel. As Director of Spring Impact, Joe is responsible for developing and leading the UK office's strategy and operations, as well as overseeing a portfolio of domestic and international projects. Domestically, Joe currently leads the Spring Impact Scale Accelerator, an initiative bringing together the UK's largest Trusts and Foundations to support their most promising grantees and new prospects to scale.

 

Servane Mouazan, the Founder/ Director of Ogunte CIC

Servane is an experienced social change entrepreneur, helping small and large businesses understand people's needs in a changing economy. As the founder/director of Ogunte CIC, she developed the first incubator for women in social enterprises in the UK and built the Impact Women network to equip and rally women in social businesses and their intermediaries in their scaling efforts. She is also Equalities lead at Cadence Innova, a company that helps the public sector increase its social impact, through business and digital transformation.

 

Kate Sutton, Head of Corporate Social Innovation at Nesta

Kate has spent most of her career at the intersection of business and civil society including working to support Pacific entrepreneurs grow their businesses and managing a large-scale renewable energy programme across the Pacific. As Head of Corporate Social Innovation at Nesta, Kate is responsible for engaging the private sector in social innovation and managing the team that run the Inclusive Economy Partnership which was an innovative partnership between government, civil society, the private sector and innovators to tackle some of society's biggest challenges. Prior to joining Nesta, Kate founded Thrive, a business and development consultancy which specialised in impact investment and building social enterprise in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Dan Sutch, Co-founder and Director of CAST

Dan leads CAST's business development and support programmes for funders and non-profits. He ensures CAST is continually living by its own mantra - to understand the changing needs of those they seek to help and adapt our programmes and approach accordingly. He also crafts all CAST's work and workshops to be fun, as well as focused.