biz4Biz ConneXions
Meet the Experts
Where to find Finance and Support for your Business
Thursday 28 September 2023 at Knebworth House Barns
Network with like-minded business leaders, enjoy a delicious lunch and listen to experts discussing a range of Finance and Business support options.
This FREE event starts at 11:30 with tea, coffee and networking.
The main presentation will be at 12:00, followed by lunch at 13:30.
Directions to the venue
Knebworth House Barns are accessed directly from the Junction 7 roundabout of the A1(M) motorway at Stevenage South. Drive along the access road past the Novotel until you reach the entrance to the Knebworth Estate. If you use a sat nav please use the following postcode SG1 2AX. The Gate Code for this event is 9786.
On 28th September 2023, we will be hosting an event focusing on a range of Finance and Business support options with experts on hand to answer all your questions.
We expect demand for this FREE event to be high – so please register now using the form below. Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided.
Featured companies
Innovate UK
DASA
Biz4Biz Angels
Catapult
Herts Growth Hub
Crowdfunding – Little Birdie Holdings
Department for Business and Trade
Sponsored by
Our speakers
Arun Muthirulan, Innovation & Growth Team Manager. National Investment Readiness Group Member, Innovate UK EDGE
Arun is a Senior Innovation, Growth and Investment specialist delivering Innovate UK EDGE’s tailored support for SMEs to help them raise funding, innovate, grow and scale. He is a member of Innovate UK EDGE’s National Investment Readiness Group and specialises in funding sources for innovation, business models and financial modelling.
Stephanie Aldridge, Senior Innovation & Growth Specialist. Investment Readiness Champion – East of England, Innovate UK EDGE
Stephanie is an experienced business adviser and has a proven track record of supporting ambitious businesses to develop winning commercial strategies, become investment ready, and secure funding and finance. Stephanie has held several Directorships and has a background in strategy consulting, supporting FTSE 250 and SMEs alike to accelerate growth and realise their ambitions. As a Regional Champion for Investment Readiness, Stephanie manages investment readiness programmes in the East of England.
Sarah White, DTEP (Defence Technology Exploitation Programme) Business Relationship Manager, DASA
Sarah supports suppliers with the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) whereby SME’s can apply for funding to work with companies already in the defence supply chain to get their innovations to market. Sarah has spent most of her career working in SME’s, large international organisations and universities in business analytical and development roles and prior to joining DASA last October Sarah worked at Cranfield University as a business development manager supporting academics with industry engagement – particularly in the defence and security sector.
Dr Clare Green, Innovation Partner (Yorkshire and the Humber), DASA
Clare joined the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) in Aug 2021 and was the Innovation Partner for the East of England before moving to cover Yorkshire and the Humber in 2023. She is working to build networks across the region to identify technologies and innovations that could offer benefit to UK Defence and Security. Clare’s career has had a medtech focus and spanned both large industry and SMEs, as well as the HEI sector – with a network that has been built across academia, industry, the clinic, regional development initiatives and a broad range of funders. She has held multiple innovation roles within universities and was most recently a Technology Innovation Manager for a multi-university Research England-funded Connecting Capability Fund.
Kieran Thorpe, Growth Account Manager, Hertfordshire Growth Hub
Hertfordshire Growth Hub is Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s flagship business support provider. Powered by Hertfordshire LEP, it is delivered by a consortium of partners, led by business support specialists Exemplas, with the University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and Visit Herts.
Martin Bould, CEO/ Founder, Little Birdie
Martin is a co-founder and CEO of Little Birdie, the UKs first personal subscription and recurring payment management app – helping consumers save time and money on unwanted and unused subscriptions. Innovate UK EDGE client, Little Birdie recently closed an oversubscribed round on CrowdCube for £210k, bringing total funding to date to over £700k.
John Brook, International Trade Adviser, Department for Business and Trade
John’s main employment history has been with major multinationals (IBM and Xerox) in the office products, IT and telecommunications businesses. This was followed by a period as International Sales Director for a pharmaceutical manufacturer in Ireland and more recently as an Interim Managing Director for a local engineering company. With that background he is able to offer advice and guidance to both small and large organisations across a wide field of industry sectors and across a wide range of issues and opportunities in the international business arena.
Craig Green, Export Finance Manager, UK Export Finance
Craig Green engages with start-up to blue chip companies across Herts and Bucks to support them in achieving their international export requirements. Working under the mandate, to advance prosperity by ensuring no viable UK export fails for lack of finance and insurance, doing that sustainably and at no net cost to the taxpayer. Craig joined UK Export Finance in September 2017. Prior to this, he was employed in the banking sector for 21 years. In this time, job roles included core banking roles, personal account management, branch management, portfolio management to high value clients. Moving on from retail banking roles, Craig then moved into the Corporate and SME Banking arena where he carried out client centric focussed roles to ensure businesses were maximising the relationship that banks could provide. The final banking years saw Craig collating all his banking skills by managing the personal financial affairs of SME business owners enabling owners to create a healthy financial position to the individual and to the business. He has a can-do attitude to exceed service expectations whilst maximising outcomes for all parties involved in transactions.
Dr Peter Gooden, Head Of Innovation, University Of Hertfordshire
Pete spent almost 10 years in the chemical industry working for a university spinout company. Subsequently, Pete moved into the Higher Education sector and now holds the position of Head of Innovation at Herts. Pete’s team manage Herts’ KTP portfolio and is enabling industry to gain funding to access the expertise and facilities within the University. Pete also manages the intellectual property pipeline at Herts.
Dr Helen Podmore, Senior Business Development Manager (Innovation), University of Hertfordshire
Helen spent almost 12 years working for a major supplier to the life sciences industry. Helen joined the University of Hertfordshire in 2018 and now holds the position of Senior Business Development Manager (Innovation). Helen’s team manage the University’s contract research, consultancy and KTP portfolio, enabling industry to gain funding to access the expertise and facilities within the University.
ConneXions event registration
Complete the form below to register for this FREE event.
The information will be used in confidence, so Innovate UK EDGE can understand the profile of businesses attending the event.
biz4Biz Secretariat: 0330 9002 777
About biz4Biz ConneXions
Adrian Hawkins OBE speaking at a ConneXions meeting at the Knebworth Barns in January 2023
biz4Biz Connexions is a business network for senior managers, directors and CEOs of Hertfordshire-based businesses. At each meeting you will be able to:
- network and make new business contacts
- discuss issues of interest with like-minded business people
- listen to informative speakers on topics of interest to Hertfordshire-based business leaders
- get advice from a variety of experts to help you grow your business.
To join our mailing list, please complete the form below. We are always interested to hear from people willing to give a talk at one of our events.
