A snapshot of the networks, platforms and partnerships that shape how I work.

A snapshot of the networks, platforms and partnerships that shape how I work.

These are the ecosystems I operate inside, founder networks, venture circles, design and technology communities, and sector-specific groups where ideas, talent, and opportunity flow.

Alongside the relationships I’ve built over more than 20 years, I’m actively forming new partnerships in this next chapter. One of my strengths is connecting the right people, skills, and perspectives at the right moment, creating small, high-trust teams that move quickly and deliver real outcomes.

My ecosystem spans far beyond any one company. It includes deep links into the West of England innovation landscape, through science parks, national innovation centres, and engineering and aerospace communities across Bristol, Bath, and the wider UK. These spaces bring together sectors like aerospace, energy, defence, legal, and advanced engineering, worlds that rarely collaborate, but should.

I’ve also worked closely with university and research networks, partnering with teams at places like UWE, Brunel and technical colleges on design thinking, IoT, and applied innovation programmes that bridge theory and real-world delivery.

Over the years I’ve stayed close to tech hubs like Bristol & Bath Science Park, Engine Shed and DeskLodge, building relationships with founders, product owners, engineers, investors, and agencies. Alongside that, I’ve spent time supporting founders and scale-ups through innovation clinics and product sessions, helping teams work through everything from early ideas to complex technical and commercial decisions.

Beyond tech, I’m also interested in the crossover into sports, across football, darts, tennis and rugby, where there are some unusually interesting opportunities emerging between performance, data, and fan experience.

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‍Looking ahead

What all of this really means is simple. My network is wide, but it’s also curated. Working with me gives you access to best-in-class specialists, delivery partners, researchers, and operators that I’ve spent two decades getting to know and trust. I only work with good people, the kind you’d happily have a coffee or a pint with, which is often how projects get de-risked and why things actually get done.

Looking ahead, what excites me most isn’t design or technology in isolation, but the cross-pollination between sectors. Bristol is rare in that it has world-class engineering, energy, and aerospace sitting alongside a globally respected creative and digital scene. Too often those worlds run in parallel when they could be solving much bigger problems together.

If you care about building something more open, collaborative, and impact-led, in Bristol or beyond, I’m always up for a conversation.

The Lab is where ideas get tested.

Over the years, dozens of concepts, prototypes, and experiments have passed through it. Some started as rough conversations, others as more developed opportunities, but all of them were explored with the same intent, to see if there was something real underneath.

Some became products. Some gained traction and investment. Others taught us what not to build. All of them sharpened how I think about technology, users, and opportunity.

A big part of the Lab has always been Tech for Good. From healthcare and accessibility to climate and the circular economy, it’s been a space to explore how technology can do something genuinely useful in the world, not just something commercially viable.

Right now, the Lab is home to Luupla, a circular economy project focused on rethinking how products, materials, and data move through modern supply chains. More on that soon.

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A few of the things we explored:

Not everything needs to scale to be valuable. Some of the most useful work comes from testing ideas early, learning quickly, and knowing when to push on or let go.

HotSpot: A web-based clickable prototyping tool, built before tools like Figma existed. It offered a simple, visual way to demonstrate user journeys using image-based interactions. It worked beautifully, but we chose not to take it further.
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MyMaskFit: A Covid-era startup where we developed image recognition technology and took equity. It gained traction, featured on BBC News, and had real potential. When funding slowed and the world moved on, so did the momentum. A good idea, just at the mercy of timing.
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The Hub: An internal platform combining CRM, HR, timesheets, project management, and password management. We used it daily and it worked brilliantly. Clients wanted it too, but like many internal tools, it never quite made the leap into a standalone product.
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Hub Phone System: A bespoke web-based call centre system originally built for a client. It ended up outperforming most off-the-shelf options, but again, we didn’t carve out the time to turn it into a product in its own right.
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Airbus Concepts: A series of proof-of-concept apps exploring image recognition. Technically strong, but commercially difficult to scale, as airlines were already investing heavily in their own internal systems. Valuable learning in where innovation meets reality.

What the Lab really is

The Lab isn’t just a collection of past ideas. It’s where I test thinking, spot patterns, and build conviction around what’s worth pursuing and what isn’t.

It’s also where new ventures begin to take shape, often in collaboration with founders, partners, and specialists from across my network.

Over time, that’s naturally evolving into something more structured, but still grounded in the same principle, test properly, learn quickly, and only build what’s genuinely worth building.

If you’re working on something early, whether that’s an idea, a product, or an R&D project, and want a sounding board or a partner to explore it with, I’m always open to a conversation.