Association for Competitive Technology

The longer I work with startup entrepreneurs, the more I notice how much the way someone builds a business is often shaped by the way they move through the world. And I reeeeeally keep thinking about this after spending a lovely few days with Chris Morris BSc, QTS and Rachel Hatfield MSc, MBA, CMgr FCMI. Before our Leeds event, they took Alexandra Cooke and me around Ilkley for a Sunday roast, walks through the gorgeous trails on the edges of the Yorkshire Dales, sightseeing Roman-era architecture, a mini (but impactful) pub crawl, and of course, a visit to the SHOO office. It was thoughtful in a way that felt very specific to them: generous, intentional, and genuinely proud of the place and people around them. That kind of care shows up in their work at SHOO, too. You can clearly see it in how they talk about their clients, their students and mentees, their team, and the community they are helping build in and around Ilkley/Leeds. So this is just a looooong way to say that I am truly so grateful to Chris and Rachel for not only co-hosting an amazing event with us in Leeds, but for sharing their home, their work, and their world (and ofc for letting us meet Cosmo and JJ) 💛

What a night 🎉🎉🎉, very kind of the England team to put on such a performance to top off our lovely event. This year we’ve been busy building V2 of our Ai carbon reporting tool so haven’t made it to many events. Last night was such a reminder of how special they are. The combo of catching up with old friends and meeting new ones is incredible. Such a supportive, inquisitive and thought provoking group of people. Silicon Mingle Newcastle and Association for Competitive Technology you pulled it out the bag, thank you 🙏. Now that our shiny new tool is live, if anyone is struggling with the complexity of carbon reporting/ accessing the data you need, I’d love to speak with you. We’re making carbon reporting: transparent, quick and affordable.

BBQ, football and beers with Silicon Mingle Newcastle, Dylan, and Karl, was the best possible way to end our Association for Competitive Technology UK Developed Tour 2026. 10 events in 8 UK towns and cities across 3 weeks. We’ve met so many exciting startups and tech enthusiasts, while partnering with some incredible organisations. We’ve also had the opportunity to hear from a wide range of businesses about the challenges they face, and take some into parliament to talk about them. More posts to come, but for now Alexandra Cooke , Caitlin Irr, and I are heading home for some much needed rest 😴

Last week was one of a kind. With it being London Tech Week, cities in and around London were buzzing with endless tech events. - Monday - London Tech Week - Wednesday - Drop in session in Parliament demoing Kin. | Time Well Spent. Followed by London Tech Mixer with Association for Competitive Technology. - Thursday - Attended Cranfield VentureDay entrepreneurial conference. Followed by MK Tech Mixer also hosted by Association for Competitive Technology. - Friday - Round table discussion with Emily Darlington MP and some of Milton Keynes’ best and promising tech talent, discussing our vision for Milton Keynes as a tech focussed city the UK can be proud of. What I learned from all this is the UK is overflowing with tech and startups, yet something is lacking. Recognition. The buzz was around London, but there are so many unsung heroes of tech across the UK (Leeds, Scotland, Bristol, Milton Keynes, where everyone thinks is just a city of roundabouts and no culture). This is why I’m so honoured to be working with Kin. | Time Well Spent on the product side. A company that came out of one of these “obscure” locations and is now making waves in the startup ecosystem and soon, the world. Watch this space.

We’ve had an incredible outcome last week for my early stage startup Kin. | Time Well Spent 🎉 We took part in a demo day with Association for Competitive Technology and, then back in again for a 121 meeting with my Chief Data Officer. Especially as the #socialmediaban news erupts - our tech was able to centrepiece conversations around: ethical data practices, second wave media systems; UX and behavioural design for longevity and how to create a more sustainable solution for supporting social interactions online. Feeling really proud of the team, with some good news to announce in July and meeting considerate leaders from different perspectives supporting us. A huge thank you to Pearl Oguchi for working with us and getting our product ready: it enabled conversations on the most pressing issues on digital spaces, anti-generative AI and media to happen. Big girls do cry… and boy did I cry after feeling incredibly lucky for our new next steps at #TeamKin. A huge shout out to my wonderful friend, Moubani Roy Choudhury-Webb who wiped my tears with her hands, and then a nacho platter napkin… and then she cried too! 😎😅 Here’s to doors being open. Because there’s no point building for the well connected. #WomenInTech #Kin #Longevity #SocialMedia