BelCham’s Post

In a rather eventful week (last week - Easter week 2024) that would be difficult to summarize in one post, I thought that this particular interaction and series of coincidental meetings - deserves a post of its own :) In a series of chain-reactions (also called as multiplier events) triggered at the #RENTConference2023 where I met up with Dr. Skylor Zhitian Zhang and her project called #EUFairPlay Network. This led to a meeting invite at the #EUFairPlay Network meeting chaired by Markus Suren & Richard Joos in Valencia in March 2024 which was held just at the conclusion of the #INTED24 conference where I was presenting a paper anyway. At this meeting, I met up with Yvonne F. & Helge Fischer (part of the G4C) Network. I told them that I was on my way to Rotterdam for the #Innovation4Health conference on the 28th of March (an event that I take part almost annually in) and it just so happened that the G4C:NGE project was also being held in Rotterdam Business School a couple of days earlier and thus I got an invite to this meeting. I also met up with Macarena Lara here in Valencia, who told me that I should meetup with Pablo Andrés Ortiz de Zaldumbide (one of the keynote speakers) of the G4C conference and I connected quite well with Pablo and his colleagues Macarena and Daria Ilishkina and we were even in a workshop together where Pablo took us through his Business Case study game - DEAL-HERO. I had already set up a meeting with Farshida Zafar prior to coming to Rotterdam but then found out that both Pablo and Macarena were her Proteges and even if I hadnt known about Farshida by then they would have asked me to meet up with her anyway. And this is how the world comes around in a full circle! Thanks to all to make all these interactions come alive as well as to the power of #networking and why attending multiple events can act as multiplier events of their own triggering a cascade of reactions that you dont know where it might lead to. #serendepity #entrepreneurship #innovation #changemakers #communitybuilders #boundaryspanners Photo by Mohamed Hassan form PxHere

As I sit in this charming Brussels café, surrounded by the vibrant energy of innovation, I'm reminded that the spark of creativity can strike anywhere. 𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒓... Meet Adebayo, a bright-eyed entrepreneur from London. He dreamed of creating a sustainable fashion line that celebrated African heritage. Great concept, right? But for months, it remained just that - "a concept". Then, Adebayo took a page from the book of great European innovators. Like Leonardo da Vinci sketching his flying machines, Adebayo started putting pen to paper. He reached out to his network, much like how the EU encourages collaboration across borders. He sought mentorship from seasoned professionals, reminiscent of the apprenticeship traditions still strong in countries like Germany. Step by step, sketch by sketch, meeting by meeting, Adebayo's idea began to take shape. Today, his eco-friendly, Afro-inspired fashion line is turning heads from Paris to Prague! So, how can you turn your own café daydream into a successful project? Here's a roadmap: 👉𝐒𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭: Like the great Renaissance masters, start by giving form to your ideas. 👉𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦: Embrace the European spirit of collaboration. 👉𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦: Find mentors who've walked the path before you. 👉𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐢𝐠: Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day! 👉𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 Be flexible, like a Swiss Army knife. At Black Professionals Europe, we believe in harnessing the power of ideas. And we're here to support you every step of the way. Let's turn those concepts into reality, together. 💡➡️🏆 Register as a Black Professionals Europe member today: 👉 https://lnkd.in/d5hQR5CT #BlackProfessionalsEurope #FromConceptToReality #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #EuropeanSuccess #DiversityInBusiness

Get to know your FHundED Live hosts ahead of the main event in May... First up, we've got Alice Ashcroft, PhD., FHundED Live host and the founder of Digital Heard We put Alice in the hotseat to ask all about her thoughts and expectations for this year's event. Here's what she had to say 👇 🎤 Why are you excited to be a FHundED Live host this year? 👉 "The event last year was just amazing, and was such a great opportunity to network and learn more. So combining with FHundED this year is just going to make it even better. There's so many opportunities in Lancashire, especially when it comes to funding, and I can't wait to help that happen at Highest Point!" What aspect of FHundED Live are you most interested in? 👉 "For me, it's all about opportunity and community. The way that people try to forge collaborations instead of competing tells you everything you need to know about Lancashire and the ecosystem we've built here." In your words, why should people attend FHundED Live this year? 👉 "Just pure vibes. I jest. They should attend if they want to hear more about the funding landscape, about the support that's available and learn from people who are currently growing their businesses in Lancashire. Lancashire Digital Hub already run a series of great events that help people start and grow businesses - this is just taking it to the next level!" 🎟️ Join us on 10th May for a tech, investment, and innovation event unlike any other (link in comments) FHundED Northern Reach #FHundEDLive #LancashireEvents #Tech

It’s a fika time: the foundation of Sweden's innovation ecosystem! Last week, I spoke to Andreas Fogelqvist, Director of Business Development of Stockholm Business Region, and we have mined a lot. “It did not happen by itself,” Andreas said, and I had a hard degree. Key takeaways to make your innovation ecosystem work: - It takes time. Nobel prize homeland, freedom of speech, access to the fibre. Environment matters. - Think globally from the start. Sweden is a relatively small country but is a 2d in the world after Silicon Valley with unicorns per capita. - The mission of any institution that works in innovations is to create soil so the best of the best business can be born. - “Helping 1 billion people is more important than earning 1 billion $.” The sustainable approach has become the DNA of Sweden and is a foundation for innovation prompts. - Stockholm's innovation ecosystem is very extensive: Universities, R&D, accelerators, networking events, NGOs and governmental institutions. Swedish business culture is a mix of determination and commitment with human relations and fika (coffee & cinnamon roll) in between. Here, you won't receive a promise without commitment to keep it. The networking is done in a loose style and demands preparation in advance: what you offer, how this will resolve the problem and what kind of impact could be expected. Shaping a better tomorrow is a hard job. It takes time to get there.  #innovation #strategy

Hey everyone Some of you have let us know that you may not have seen the blogs that outline heaps of face to face (in South Australia) and online events (nation wide) so sharing across all the social channels. Please feel free to repost and share this link, showing who is the most collaborative place + community, and see you at an event soon. Fuelling Innovation: Upcoming Business and Entrepreneurial Events: https://ow.ly/ANgq50SLJS6

Hey everyone Some of you have let us know that you may not have seen the blogs that outline heaps of face to face (in South Australia) and online events (nation wide) so sharing across all the social channels. Please feel free to repost and share this link, showing who is the most collaborative place + community, and see you at an event soon. Fuelling Innovation: Upcoming Business and Entrepreneurial Events: https://ow.ly/ANgq50SLJS6

Hey everyone Some of you have let us know that you may not have seen the blogs that outline heaps of face to face (in South Australia) and online events (nation wide) so sharing across all the social channels. Please feel free to repost and share this link, showing who is the most collaborative place + community, and see you at an event soon. Fuelling Innovation: Upcoming Business and Entrepreneurial Events: https://ow.ly/ANgq50SLJS6

In #WindsorEssex, the streets are buzzing with bold ideas and big ambitions. What’s yours? Explore new opportunities during #GlobalEntrepreneurshipWeek, where #EntrepreneurshipisforEveryone. ➡️ Learn more: https://hubs.ly/Q02YNQZz0 and discover local events: https://hubs.ly/Q02YNhy20 #GEW2024

Come see us at #INNOVATEwest at the Launch Academy HQ expo booth and learn more about #Defang, the easiest way to create and deploy your cloud apps.