Big Issue founder John Bird, BT futurologist Dr Nicola Millard and Sky Rainforest Rescue Manager at BSkyB, Sarah Anderson, are among the heavyweights speaking at the event at Elms Cambridge BMW.
Professor Lester Lloyd-Reason from Anglia Ruskin University and Carole Randall from the Low Carbon KEEP programme will be joining representatives from other key local organisations including the Cambridge Building Society, St John’s Innovation Centre, the Wildlife Trust, University Centre Peterborough and Streets Accountants.
UNITE organiser Kirsten Corrigan said: “Never before have so many distinguished companies come together to collaborate for mutual gain and drive sustainability in Cambridgeshire. Local businesses will miss out if they don’t take advantage of the free and extensive expertise on offer at our event, which will focus on a Think Tank ideas exchange. We’ll be discussing key issues for businesses of all sizes, including social media, technology, increasing profitability, social enterprise, and skills & development.
Big Issue Founder John Bird, who is based in Cambridgeshire, is a globally admired social entrepreneur. After transforming himself from being part of the problem of society into being part of the solution, he is invited to speak at major events around the world. The Big Issue or similar magazines are sold in many countries on the same basis of giving the homeless a hand up.
Another UNITE keynote speaker who challenges conventional business thinking is BT customer experience futurologist, Dr Nicola Millard. She combines psychology with futurology to try and anticipate what might be lying around the corner for both customers and organisations. Nicola travels around the world presenting at conferences and running workshops with an assortment of organisations including banks, travel companies and retailers.
A further global player at the Summer Business Forum is Sky Rainforest Rescue Manager at BskyB, Sarah Anderson. Sarah manages a three year partnership between WWF and Sky to help save one billion trees in the Brazilian state of Acre. The project recently won a national Business Charity Award.
Cambridge-based food writer and broadcaster Tim Hayward, who recently saved much-loved Cambridge cake shop Fitzbillies, will also be sharing his experiences on 10 July.
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