DIGITAL WAVE

Speakers

We are gradually announcing our 2017 speakers, take a look at the confirmed speakers we have so far.

• 

  Syd Lawrence

  Co-founder | The Bot Platform

  Syd is one of the co-founders of The Bot Platform and has over 14 years experience working with cutting edge technology.

  He’s worked with global icons including The Rolling Stones, Coca Cola, Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony Music, Universal, Warner Music, and Greenpeace and has won a range of awards.

  Syd has also found time to have some of his personal projects featured in the Tate Modern and the Barbican Museum. It’s for these reasons and many more that in 2014 Syd was inducted into the Hospital Club 100 as one of the most influential technology experts in the world.

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• 

  Amanda Follit

  Head of Digital Operations Services | Amaze

  Amanda at 18 was homeless, living out of a stationary car on a seafront. She trawled the streets to look for her first job and ended up in a retail position.

  With an interest in computers since her teens she taught herself HTML and this led to her moving into IT and then digital roles including being the Project and QA manager on the first ever ‘comparison engine’ to launch whilst working for Moneysupermarket.com.

  Now working for Amaze Ltd, Amanda has developed unique and innovative services and is also Chair of Young Talent for the British Interactive Media Association

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• 

  Matt Hawkins

  Director | MiMiC

  Serial entrepreneur Matt Hawkins has built technology multiple businesses since childhood. Starting from the age of 5 selling sweets out of a plastic till to creating one of the fastest growing ISP’s in the UK which was acquired in 2015. He has won various Entrepreneur and business thinking awards.

  As well helping get better internet connectivity to people and businesses, Matt now enjoys helping people start businesses and guiding/investing in technology start-ups.

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• 

  Mike Hawkyard

  Managing Director | Amuzo

  Mike Hawkyard is an expert on games design, gamification, self-publishing and digital marketing. He has given many presentations for organisations like Adobe, Microsoft, UKTI and TIGA on these subjects.

  As MD of Amuzo, he helps brands harnesses the power of play to engage, educate and inspire mobile audiences around the world. As a Board member of TIGA, a trade association for computer game companies, he helps British studios stay competitive in a global marketplace.

  Outside of work Mike is a Manchester United fan and plays golf.

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• 

  Thor Mitchell

  Founder | Product.Careers

  Thor was born and raised in the Bournemouth area, and studied Physics at the University of Oxford. After 8 years at Sun Microsystems, he joined Google, spending 9 years in London, Sydney, and Silicon Valley as an Engineer and Product Manager.

  Thor returned to the U.K. in 2015 to join Crowdcube, the world's leading investment crowdfunding platform, where he leads a team of Product Managers who are responsible for product strategy, planning, and delivery.

  Thor is also the founder of product.careers, a non-profit initiative to raise awareness of Product Management as a career path amongst undergraduates and graduates.

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• 

  Melanie Mohr

  CEO and Founder | YEAY

  Melanie Mohr is a Berlin-based digital entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience producing and telling stories with video. Combining this with her love of shopping in YEAY, a company she founded to redefine m-commerce for Generation Z, the next generation of consumers.

  Melanie understood the selling power of video as TV shopping isn’t keeping up with the needs of today’s teens. It was this realisation that led to YEAY: a platform that fuels the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of Generation Z, while helping brands build a closer and more collaborative relationship with this younger and harder to reach audience.

  Before launching YEAY, Melanie produced more than 100 TV shows ranging from music videos and documentaries, to kid’s entertainment and prime-time TV.

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• 

  Georgina Hurcombe

  Founder and Managing Director | LoveLove Films

  Georgina is Lovelove Films company's founder and Managing Director. As a producer she has worked on a range of award winning content from TV adverts, music videos to factual entertainment and features seen across the likes of CH4, ITV, SKY and the BBC. Georgina regularly works with large multinational brands, organisations and agencies around the world.

  In 2016 Georgina won the LinkedIn 'Are you ready for tomorrow' competition and was also named the DCCI Businesswomen of the year. Away from running Lovelove Films Georgina is a fan of Spinning and eating cake (often at the same time).

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• 

  Oliver Selby

  Scriptwriter | LoveLove Films

  Since the start of this year, Oliver has worked with LoveLove Films as their in-house Scriptwriter. At the tender age of 22, Oliver has already written a multitude of TV adverts and radio adverts for national clients.

  Oliver has always been a keen storyteller with artistic flair; he graduated from Bournemouth University with a first in BA (Hons) Scriptwriting last year, the first of his welsh family to ever go to university or work in the digital sector.

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• 

  Joanne Salmon

  Animator | LoveLove Films

  Joanne has always had a passion for animation and despite having Treacher Collins Syndrome she has never let this hold her back from her dream of being an animator and has gone on to be an award-winning illustrator and animator.

  Most recent successes include being part of the LoveLove Films team winning a main prize at the Ekotopfilm awards 2017 for an animated project named ‘We Save Land’ about land and wildlife conservation. Joanne works on a range of animated content from TV adverts to Children’s TV content.

• 

  David Burton

  Head of Innovation | Redweb

  David Burton trained as a fine artist then graduated to pixels and screens at the turn of the century. He’s a designer during the day, a painter and printmaker at night, and an avid fly fisher in between. David is happiest with a pen in my hand and starting something new.

  David is Head of Innovation at Redweb, where his team is tasked with exploring ideas, experimenting with new technologies, and sharing what they learn with Redweb’s staff and clients.

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• 

  Tom Davis

  Service Delivery Manager | Cloudserve

  At the age of 22, Tom heads up the Managed Services Team at a successful Cloud Computing business and is an Ambassador for Microsoft. He has consulted for the likes of the American Red Cross, Samsung and Santander, is a former Microsoft Apprentice of the Year and has been recognised in several awards and publications.

  Tom is a big believer in the power of youth and ambition in the workplace. In his talk, he’ll share some top tips and tools for getting ahead in the tech sector, standing out to potential employers and getting qualified for free. He’ll also reflect on the last 6 years of his career from Microsoft Apprentice, to building a Cloud Computing business.

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