Ideas Fest

💖 She’s Inspiring 💖 Post #5: personal branding by Amelia Sordell Last September I had the privilege of a front row seat at Amelia Sordell 🔥 and Hannah Williams FCCA’s session at Ideas Fest (where I took this photo). I found Amelia’s no nonsense approach and honest, fun, dynamic, personable style really inspiring. She shared so many tips but here are my favourite 3: ✨People buy from people so prioritise being human on social ✨Be Yourself. YOU are your competitive advantage so stop trying to be like everyone else or do what everyone else does! ✨Action is more important than perfection – just get going and course correct along the way I’d love to know if any of these points stand out for you. Personally, I love the reminder of the second – how brilliant that being yourself is your superpower 💪💕. Also, as this post is about Amelia, I should mention that she has just released her first book “The Personal Branding Playbook” which I am currently reading. It’s brilliant! It’s also a very timely read for me given I am about to embark on my 5th (!!) Personal Branding challenge through Female Founders Rise💥. For anyone joining the challenge or interested in the topic of personal branding I’d recommend checking out Amelia’s book… ----- A bit of background about this post – it is post #5 of a “She’s Inspiring” series that I felt compelled to start. You can read a bit more about my reason for launching this series here: https://lnkd.in/ezYtDwFk

Happy New Year All! 🎉 With so many new faces here, I thought I’d take a moment to reintroduce myself and share what I’m all about. I’m Francesca, co-founder of Ideas Forums with Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE , where we create spaces to celebrate, support, and connect entrepreneurs and ambitious businesses. Here’s what keeps us busy: ✨ The Great British Entrepreneur Awards & Community – often called “the Grammys of entrepreneurship”. More than just an awards programme, it’s a platform to champion and connect entrepreneurs. Over the past 13 years, we’ve celebrated thousands of entrepreneurs making an incredible impact in their industries and communities. ✨ The UK StartUp Awards – Recognising businesses in their first three years, we spotlight many businesses that we're sure will become tomorrows household names. ✨ The UK Fast Growth Index Established in Wales in 1999 and now a UK wide programme, The UK Fast Growth Index highlights the fastest-growing businesses across seven regions, showcasing the incredible contributions of scale-ups to the UK economy. ✨ The Great British Industry Awards (new!) – Celebrating mid sized businesses with £10 million to £200 million turnover - often the unsung heroes! ✨ Ideas Fest – Born out of Covid when indoor events seemed unlikely to return as we once knew them, we imagined what a community focused outdoor event might look like. Think talks in tents, food stalls and festival fun. Luckily our community loved it and "Glastonbury for Business" is swiftly turning into a must attend event for entrepreneurs. 🪩 🎪 💃 On a personal note, I’ll also be kicking off 2025 with a 🛺 rickshaw race across India in March (yes, really!) alongside a group of extraordinary women, because why not start the year with a challenge? 💪 What’s next? In 2025, we’re doubling down on building our community. More on that soon! If you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or someone dreaming big, I'm thrilled to be connected and look forward to following your journey on here!

“Where did this year go?!” As December comes to a close, I find myself looking back on what felt like the fastest year ever! Anyone else feel like that? It’s been a whirlwind: events, new ideas, unexpected wins, amazing connections and a fair few moments to look back on that make it all worthwhile. One lesson I’ve learned this year: growth and success isn’t linear. Whether you’re starting out or scaling up, there are dips, detours, and even a few dead ends. So, as we wrap up 2024, here’s my question to you: what’s one thing, big or small, that you’re most proud of this year? Let’s celebrate those wins together. Here are some of mine 👇

2024 has been a milestone year for me with a diary packed with speaking engagements and panels ✨ After years of being racked with nerves and a touch of imposter syndrome, I am reflecting on the fact that I feel like I finally hit my stride - phew! I realised I do actually enjoy them - especially if there’s a Britney mic and a comfy chair (bar stools are not my friend) 🎤 It’s funny how pushing yourself out of your comfort zone becomes not comfortable exactly, but less terrifying. This year, I embraced the ‘being comfortable with being uncomfortable’ mantra, and it’s paid off in ways I never expected 💥 If you’re hesitating to put yourself out there, consider this your nudge. Lean in; you might just surprise yourself 👊 #leadership #speaking #entrepreneurship #femaleinvestor #femalefounder

We’re thrilled to welcome Jo Tutchener Sharp, founder and CEO of SCAMP & DUDE, to Ideas Fest 2025! 🌟 After a life-changing experience in 2016, Jo turned her mission into action, creating Scamp & Dude—a B-Corp certified fashion brand that’s reshaping the industry for good. With bold designs stocked in Liberty and stores in Battersea Power Station, Edinburgh, and Marlow, Scamp & Dude champions purpose and impact at its core. ⚡ Alongside her fashion success, Jo’s background includes founding Beauty Seen, a leading beauty PR agency, and working backstage at The BRIT Awards for 15 years. Jo’s story is one of resilience, purpose, and building a business that truly makes a difference. Don’t miss her session at Ideas Fest 2025. 🙌 🎟️ 2nd release tickets available now!

Big news for Ideas Fest 2025! 📢 We’re excited to announce that Deepak Ravindran, an inspiring entrepreneur and co-founder of Oddbox, will be joining us on stage. 🍇 Deepak has revolutionised the food industry with Oddbox, a purpose-driven business tackling food waste by rescuing surplus and imperfect produce directly from farms. Under his leadership, Oddbox has grown into a £20m company, championing sustainability and conscious consumerism while supporting farmers and reducing environmental impact. Deepak’s journey is one of vision, determination, and leadership. He’s excited to share his story into scaling a purpose-led business, driving sustainability, and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. 💡 Grab your 2nd release tickets today! 🎟️

Ideas Fest is one of those rare events that feels effortless yet deeply impactful. As Oli Barrett says: "It’s not the sort of place where you need to say what you do, and that is very refreshing. You can come and be whoever you want to be." Whether you’re looking to grow your business or simply connect with like-minded people, Ideas Fest is the place to be. It’s where connections, ideas, and a bit of adventure happen in the most unexpected ways! 💡 🎪

WOO! Excited to see you there James! 🔥

We’re thrilled to announce that Ideas Fest Encore will be taking place at the brilliant Babel Beerhouse in King’s Cross on 25th March 2025! Securing this venue means we can now accommodate more of you than we originally planned. 🥳 Here’s the exciting part: the first 100 people to grab a second release ticket for Ideas Fest 2025 will now get access to Encore at no extra cost. This event is packed with opportunities: By day: A co-working space perfect for those traveling into London. By night: Live music, talks, and plenty of networking with entrepreneurs, investors, potential clients and other Ideas Fest attendees. You’ll also get a sneak peek at what’s in store for the main event in September. ⭐ Remember, Ideas Fest encore is exclusively for those with an early bird ticket or the first 100 second release ticket holders. If you’re serious about growing your business, this is your chance to connect with like-minded founders and make 2025 your biggest year yet. Tickets are limited, so don’t wait! 🎟️

🚀 Calling all investors! 🚀 At Ideas Fest, we’re all about connecting brilliant minds. Next year, we’re looking to add more brilliant angels, VCs, and PE firms to our community. With 8,000+ applications across our programmes, we spot the next big things before they’re household names. Many applicants tell us if they’re raising and what they’re looking for, and with their opt-in permissions, we’re accelerating our matchmaking. Interested? Email us at awards@ideasforums.com with: • Your sector interests • Typical investment size • Sweet-spot criteria We’ll be in touch when we find great matches! 💡