Berne Omolafe

Absolutely 💯 what organisations should be doing in every sector. 

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Great opening by Russ Shaw CBE to the TLA Future Frontiers event at HereEast launching Londons Tech Manifesto covers skills, talent, sustainability and much more. #FutureFrontiers #LDNTechManifesto Be Safe Pay it Forward Shakeeb #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #funding #startup #scaleups #grants #innovation #internationalisation #business #businessgrowth #businessgrowthstrategy ##investmentopportunity #investmentstrategy #investments

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Great work, as always, from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT in this year's Diversity Report. Compiled from the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey, this is the most accurate look into the IT profession in the UK, and what it shows is sobering. With only 21% of the IT specialists in the UK being women, and only 1% Black women, action is needed across government, education, and industry to create more opportunities for women to enter tech, and to thrive and progress in their tech careers.

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🤖 AI and machine learning in the charity sector 📊 Alex Holt, Strategic Consulting Director and Marc Dallimore, Practice Director at Salocin Group will be talking about their experiences working with AI and machine learning in the charity sector at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Insight in Fundraising Conference next Monday (14 October 2024). They’re increasingly finding that organisations feel like they want to begin using AI but don’t know where to start. Despite the excitement around the opportunities AI and machine learning can bring, most people have concerns and not only struggle to mitigate these, but also to even vocalise them in the first place. Alex and Marc will discuss how AI and machine learning can be used in a charity setting, and the practical things you need to consider before embarking on implementation. 💡 Read more in this Wood for Trees blog https://lnkd.in/exJf_wSN 🎟️ Book your last minute tickets to the conference https://lnkd.in/ekZ9n6gd Pop your questions to Alex and Marc in the comments below 👇

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🔹 Harnessing the Power of AI: A New Frontier for Innovation in Rochdale 🔹 Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising industries and redefining how businesses operate. As we continue to push the boundaries of innovation, it's crucial for companies in Rochdale to understand and leverage AI's potential. Here's what AI is and how your business can get involved: Understanding AI: What is AI?: AI involves the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, particularly computer systems. These processes include learning, reasoning, and self-correction. Applications of AI: From chatbots and virtual assistants to predictive analytics and automated decision-making, AI is transforming customer service, operations, and strategic planning. Identify AI Opportunities in Your Business: Customer Service: Implement AI-powered chatbots to provide 24/7 customer support and enhance customer experience. Data Analysis: Utilise AI to analyze large datasets, uncover insights, and make data-driven decisions. Automation: Automate repetitive tasks and processes to increase efficiency and reduce human error. Invest in AI Tools and Training: AI Software: Invest in AI tools and software tailored to your industry and business needs. Employee Training: Provide training programs to upskill employees in AI technologies and applications. Collaborate with AI Experts and Institutions: Partnerships: Partner with AI specialists, tech companies, and research institutions to gain access to the latest AI advancements. Innovation Hubs: Engage with local innovation hubs and technology centers to stay updated on AI trends and opportunities. Adopt a Culture of Innovation: Encourage Experimentation: Foster an environment where employees feel encouraged to experiment with AI solutions and ideas. Continuous Learning: Promote a culture of continuous learning and curiosity about AI and its potential impacts. Monitor and Measure AI Impact: KPIs: Set clear key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the impact of AI implementations on your business. Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback loop to continuously improve AI applications and strategies based on performance data. By embracing AI, companies in Rochdale can enhance efficiency, drive innovation, and gain a competitive edge. Let's explore the possibilities of AI together and lead the way in technological advancement. #AI #Innovation #Rochdale #ArtificialIntelligence #BusinessGrowth #Technology #FutureOfWork 🌟 Exciting news! Hopwood Hall College is offering free account giveaways for the Supply Chain Sustainability School. If you're interested in learning more about AI and sustainable practices, please contact me for more details. Let's make Rochdale a hub of innovative and sustainable business practices! 🌟

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Help bridging the funding gap for under-represented founders is massively needed. I thought Innovate UK had started this last year with a tender released to support 300 under-represented founders in a year (with the aim of getting 100 funded). The tender deadlines came and went, and then a bunch of us got invited to a 2 day workshop in London to help narrow the specification (September 23). More tender deadlines subsequently moved. No explanations given, no further info. "The money has been earmarked and has to be spent". Lots of good people dedicated time, effort and good will into the process without even a message to tell us what's happening for nearly a year. Our own consortium (involving Diversity-X and Magic Sauce Online but looking to spread the tender money around other communities and providers) spent weeks preparing an innovative solution. I'd like Clive Lewis as my local MP and Peter Kyle and Rt Hon Rachel Reeves to hopefully shed light on what happened to this program as part of a new government that has said it's prioritising innovation and helping under-represented people in the startup ecosystem.

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Great article highlighting the growing importance of upskilling in response to the increasing demand for AI talent. Lauren Birch Talent and Skills Lead at Turing Innovation Catalyst Manchester, emphasises that as AI becomes crucial to business success—expected to rise from (63% to 81% in the next two years ) companies should focus on upskilling their existing workforce rather than relying solely on external hires. Investing in upskilling your current team is key to thriving in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

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Is your workforce ready? 🇬🇧 The digital skills gap persists in the UK public sector, yet upskilling budgets may be tightening. Our latest article dives into: 💭 The digital skills imperative: Why data analysis, AI, and cloud skills are crucial. 💭 Macro factors shaping UK skills: Geopolitics, economic trends, and critical technologies impacting training needs. 💭 Predictions for future learning investment: Upskilling strategies for navigating uncertainty. Want to learn how to build a resilient upskilling strategy for your public sector workforce? Head to the full article ➡️ https://ow.ly/rYqy30sCGen #digitalskills #ukgovernment #upskilling #futureofwork #learninganddevelopment

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Great learning opportunity this week at the London Tech Week: ..Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on the policies and future plans to make London even more attractive for tech businesses ..Alex Mahon - CEO at Channel 4 - on how Channel 4 is dealing with viewers always changing habits ..Jimmy Wales - founder of Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - on how to spend wisely our time instead of scrolling down addictive social media: remove the app from the phone: period! Staggering stat: 2billion devices every month connect to Wikipedia …for free ! ..Jody Ford - CEO at Trainline - on their starting point out of VirginTrains and then how to scale the business both in the UK and internationally - with a couple of tough Covid years in between - leveraging talents and tech ..Vishal Marria - Founder and CEO at Quantexa - the data analytics firm specialised in context-based data intelligence  …and many more interesting speakers Additionally, it was insightful to visit some stands and learn how companies like Barclays, GSK, Tesco, Unilever and many more are leveraging Tech. Finally, it was great meet, both planned and by chance, old and new friends: Vineet Augustine, Jonathan Kriegel, Oliver Nichol, Andy Parker…and many more

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“I don’t work in tech, can I come to WILD?” We set up the WILD (Women in Lancaster Digital) Network to make a space for women and non binary folk who work in digital and tech roles, and we deliberately never define “digital”. Because I’m done with gatekeeping communities. It’s why we never turn anyone away! It’s why allies are invited. It’s why we run a mixture of subject and personal development talks. It’s why we called it “digital” and not “tech”. That, and WILD is better than WILT… 🌿🌱🍃 #WomenInDigital #WomenInTech #WomenInSTEM #WomenInLancasterDigital #LancashireMeetUp

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Exciting things happen when you collaborate. It was great to welcome Baroness Jones, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Future Digital Economy to the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter which will become the heart of the City's tech and innovation ecosystem. It will combine cutting edge research, technological innovation, digital startups and world-class facilities to create a global tech sector with human soul. The visit started at Enterprise Wharf, Bruntwood SciTech's state of the art new smart-enabled building which is set to become the home of our region's brightest entrepreneurs and most ambitious scale ups. Rob Valentine, Joanna Birch, Steve Bowyer, Sharon Thompson, JP and Luke Southan expertly brought to life the Knowledge Quarter (Investment Zone) plans which are set to further transform the region. We then went over to the amazing STEAMhouse and saw how it's being used to harness the next generation of startups and scale ups. The most exciting thing is what will be added to the Knowledge Quarter over the coming years... new labs, accelerators, incubators, offices and facilities to unlock growth. #knowledgequarter #transformation #investmentzone

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Sharing my 4th storyboarding attempt as part of the 8 week Innovate UK @scalingtheedge #Intrapreneurs #BusinessDevelopment Programme, that I joined in Sep24. It’s been a busy 4 weeks so far, with the running of several #digitaltests and #personalresearch using #salesnavigator, of firms and people that I’ve been exploring to understand the things in their workplace that they’re dealing with. Key to this process: one which struck me right at the start, and has become very clearly outlined in the findings, is that this is a process of #marketexploration and not #sales. And it’s because of this, that at the halfway point, it’s becoming much clearer about who’s who, what’s what and what’s really needed! Importantly, it was one of the key things that we were told on the 2 day bootcamp that #kickstarted this whole process off. That, much like the agile, #digitalinnovationprojects that I teach others about in my other role (helping senior leader apprentices learn): these investigations are 8 week ‘Sprints’ where we are all in listening mode. Much like the Business Model Canvas (which I also teach others how to use) and which we used initially, to map the foundations of who and what we are, it’s these #assumptions that the digital tests are designed to #verify, through what I know (from my research supervision) to be the scientific process. Today I #analysed the findings from a survey of #firms’ needs and I found myself immersed in all of their needs, wants and desires. Deeply tied to the #CustomerSegments which I know something of already, but as my coach reminded me, benefit most from me remaining objective and keeping an open mind. And so, much like the dissertation research projects that I’m currently in the process of marking for my contract work this week, I have the most amazing, rich and generative #datasource of my own now, pertaining to the work that Leadership Learning is currently doing and could be doing in other markets. I’m tired but excited to talk with key contacts in the fields of #law, #finance and #healthcare, who’ve kindly offered to speak with me in the coming 4 weeks as we prepare to #makesense of what this is telling us about where support and assistance is required most. All in readiness for making our pitch of what we’ve found during this exploratory phase, to a panel of interested parties. #NewMarkets #MarketExploration Joanne McStay Declan Murtagh Karl Devlin

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🚀 Why Wales Needs More Tech Entrepreneurs to Prosper in the Age of AI This post was inspired by the recent Welsh tech event organised by Technology Connected and hosted by Ogi, which highlighted critical issues and brought together venture creators Ben Allwright, Mark Sweeny, Sophie Mason (thediffabledceo), VCs, Daniel Sawko, and others to discuss the future of tech in Wales. I often ponder: why does Wales underperform in most economic indicators in the UK? Where are the jobs of the future going to come from? As a founder of Presto Dental, a pioneering dental software startup, I reflect on these questions while we build our tech company from Cardiff to export worldwide. 📊 Let's look at the facts: 👉 The tech sector in Wales contributes only 6% to the economy, compared to 10% in London. 👉 Only Admiral has IPOed among Welsh companies. Why does Wales struggle to create global tech companies? What needs to change? Here is my take on creating a blueprint for a thriving tech ecosystem in Wales: 1. Embrace Entrepreneurial Spirit: Wales needs to unleash its entrepreneurial spirit. We need more courageous tech entrepreneurs to build future companies. 2. Foster a Risk-Taking Culture: Support those willing to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. 3. Increase Investment: In 2022, only 1.5% of UK venture capital was invested in Wales. We need policies and incentives to attract VCs to early-stage startups. 4. Attract Talent: Position Wales as a top destination for global talent, leveraging our high density of knowledge and skills. 5. Diversify the Economy: Move away from relying heavily on government jobs. A varied economic base will drive innovation and growth. Welsh founders often sell more equity when raising funds compared to their counterparts in England, hindering future growth. There's also a lack of competition among VCs investing in Welsh tech startups. What is stopping us from building a tech hub like Estonia, Israel, or the Silicon Valley model? Here’s what we need more of: 👉 Leverage Our Talent: A high density of talent and knowledge is our advantage. 👉 Encourage Bold Risk-Takers: Support and celebrate risk-taking entrepreneurs. 👉 Attract Venture Capitalists: Incentivize VCs to invest in Welsh tech startups. Remember, Michael Moritz, the chairman Sequoia Capital one of the world’s most successful VCs, is Cardiff-born and has strong ties to Wales. 👉 Foster a Culture of Paying It Forward: Encourage successful businesspeople to invest in the next wave of tech companies. 👉 Government Support: The Welsh government must incentivise tech companies that are founded and HQ in Wales to flourish and compete globally. At Presto Dental, we aim to push boundaries and reverse the trend, proving that Wales can be a hub for groundbreaking tech companies. As founders, what actions do you think we need to take to create a thriving tech ecosystem in Wales? #Wales #TechEntrepreneurs #Innovation #AI #Startups #DentalTech #FutureJobs

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If you are interested in the development of data and IT strategy, we have just written a case study about how we helped the University of Manchester.

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*****New #Viz Alert***** Hello #datafam, My submission for this week's #MakeoverMonday 2024 Week 41: "UK Average Ratings of Personal Well-Being" The dashboard is #interactive and comparative in design. Using custom filters user can select TOPN and Year to see the comparative view of Metrics. #Hovering over cities gives you #vizintooltip feature and #Click on cities will zoom the select City on the #map on top right corner of the #dashboard. Dashboard is designed using #figma using #glassmorphism feature!! Click the link below to #interact with the dashboard. You can download the #viz as well to follow along and recreate the same. Link to #viz: https://lnkd.in/gsps4bUt S/O to Irene Diomi, Chimdi Nwosu and Harry Beardon for this week's challenge \m/ #tableau #tableaupublic #tableaudesktop Tableau Salesforce #salesforce Data Visualization Society Information is Beautiful Figma #storytelling #datavisualization #unitedkingdom #wellbeing #mom2024

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Businesses have four days to apply for AI skills training grants. Businesses offering services and professional advice have just five days left to apply for grants of up to £5,000 to fund AI skills training for their staff. The UK government, through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is offering £6.4 million under the Flexible AI Upskilling Fund to accelerate AI adoption and boost productivity. These grants are available to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 250 employees, requiring them to match the funds they request. The application deadline is August 18, 2024. Call to Action: If you're an SME looking to enhance your workforce's AI skills, act now—apply for the AI training grant by August 18 to secure up to £5,000 in funding. Don't miss this opportunity to boost your productivity and future-proof your business. Link in the comments.

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Because my friend here often buries the lead 😉, check out Dr. Flick's TedX talk on how "disruptive technologies often are rushed to market without concern for the societal cost, and that this has been happening for a long time!" She also identifies "some of the ways that we as a society, and as individuals, can push back against these technologies that attempt to steamroll over existing societal norms and values to provide returns not for society, but for shareholders and investors."

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