Celebrating Collaboration: xChange South West Innovators’ Dinner Lights Up Bristol

Business leaders, scale-up founders, and entrepreneurs from the South West convened at the recent xChange South West Innovators’ dinner in Bristol to celebrate collaboration and innovation. The event, now in its second year, attracted over 100 guests with a shared passion for pioneering innovation and sought to forge connections between the region’s top entrepreneurs and leading organizations to expedite innovation.

The event showcased ‘Lightning Speakers’ who imparted their individual business journeys to the audience, highlighting the challenges they faced and the opportunities they capitalized on in their pursuit of growth. Notable speakers included Neil Morris from sustainable packaging business Kelpi, Bethan John from The British Blanket Company, Rob Hemsley from microplastics recycling company Matter, Suzanne Mahoney from travel retail specialist LiBi, Helena Hills CEO of Certified B Corp TrueStart Coffee, and Graham Paterson from home-buying app Jitty.

Engaging discussions throughout the event delved into entrepreneurial aspirations, the ups and downs of entrepreneurial life, harnessing creativity, and the growing role of ‘AI for Good’, underscoring the significance of technology in enhancing society.

The event was orchestrated by the award-winning software agency Rocketmakers and sponsored by Capsule, an insurance provider to venture-backed startups, Evelyn Partners, a leading integrated wealth management and professional services group, and independent UK law firm Burges Salmon. Burges Salmon extends BScale, a bespoke service designed to aid high-growth businesses in expanding their operations, offering corporate, regulatory, tax, employment, and commercial guidance.

Briony Phillips of Rocketmakers expressed immense appreciation to all the speakers for candidly sharing their experiences and underscored the event’s mission of fostering connections, promoting cooperation, and expediting innovation. She further expressed gratitude to all attendees, speakers, and sponsors for their noteworthy contribution to the event’s success.

Martin Cuell, from Burges Salmon, also provided his perspective on the event, expressing delight at attending and commending the immense talent showcased at the xChange South West Innovators’ dinner. He emphasized Burges Salmon’s dedication to supporting the entrepreneurial community and its pride in witnessing the growth of the companies they have nurtured into successful businesses.

The xChange South West Innovators’ dinner served as a nexus for networking, idea-sharing, and the celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit in the South West. It is through events of this nature that innovation takes root, collaboration flourishes, and aspiring entrepreneurs find the support and inspiration necessary to elevate their ventures to new heights.