I tend to have my finger in quite a few pies but here are the main things I’m working on at the moment and the organisations I’m helping.
Main projects:
School of Everything: School of Everything helps you find things to learn and people to learn with in your local area. I’m CEO of a great little team and we’re backed by some amazing investors.
Bethnal Green Ventures: We’re currently creating a social start-up accelerator programme based in (you guessed it) Bethnal Green. We’ll be intensively supporting start-ups that use technology for social good for three months, giving them a leg up to further funding and world domination.
Social Innovation Camp: I helped start Social Innovation Camp as a weekend event in 2008 to bring together people with deep knowledge of social problems with people who could help solve them using simple technological tools. We ran three competitions in the UK and now we’re helping people around the world run their own Social Innovation Camps.
Just helping out:
Guerilla Science: Guerilla Science introduces people to science in unexpected places. Especially at music festivals and events. I’m a member of their advisory board.
National Youth Orchestra of Iraq: I acted as a mentor to Zuhal as she started the orchestra through Channel 4′s Battlefront scheme. Now I’m just a supporter but a very passionate one – it’s a fantastic project.
Demos: Demos is one of the best known think tanks in the UK. I’m what they call a Demos Associate, helping out occasionally.
Forum for the Future: I’m also an Associate of the sustainability think tank Forum for the Future – working with their futures team to develop scenarios and other futures tools and the innovation team to develop new products and services that tackle climate change.
The Long Now Foundation: The Long Now Foundation is a San Francisco based non-profit aiming to inspire long term thinking. I help out as a volunteer organising events for them in London when I can. They rather grandly call me a Charter Member. If you’d like to help, please get in touch.