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S2: Episode 3 – Alex Zurita, Head of Sport Tech Hub

  • Stephen Carter
  • Feb 03, 2022

In this episode I chat with Alex Zurita, Head of Sport Tech Hub for London Sport about the organisation’s vision to make London the most physically active city in the world and how they act as the gateway between innovative ventures and the public sector, creating partnerships that get more people active.

We discuss the support Alex and his team offer to innovative businesses, from start-ups validating their initial product right through to scale-ups looking to grow in the UK or beyond, and hear about the community of entrepreneurs they are building, the importance of thorough research and evidence to back up a proposition for a new product, and much more!

In his role with London Sport, Alex has responsibility for shaping Sports Tech Hub’s strategic commitments to supporting technology, data and digital initiatives designed to raise levels of participation in physical activity and sport in the capital and beyond.  He has led Sport Tech Hub’s delivery since inception, supporting over 31 tech ventures which, between them, have reached more than 130,000 Londoners and raised £4.2m of investment.

Alex joined London Sport in 2011 with brief stints as Great Britain Women’s Football Team Manager, and a secondment to the London Legacy Development Corporation as Programme Manager for the post-London 2012 legacy and multimillion-pound project – Active People, Active Park.  Having used technology and data while coaching football with grassroots and international players, Alex is a committed technophile, a widely-recognised advocate for the role of technology in boosting participation in physical activity and sport, and a champion of the importance of sport for the future health of London and its residents.

You can reach out to Alex at: alex.zurita@londonsport.org
Or via these other channels …
Twitter: @jalexzurita
Twitter Sport Tech Hub: @SportTechHub
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-zurita/
LinkedIn Sport Tech Hub: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sporttechhub

Your host, Stephen Carter, is Founder of The Intellectual Property Works (theintellectualpropertyworks.co.uk) and a patent attorney by trade.

Over the last 25 years Stephen has worked with some amazing businesses, including writing the patent applications for the Speedo swimsuit that helped Michael Phelps to his record breaking 8 gold medal haul at the Beijing Olympics and Second Sight, a West Coast US startup who make a retinal implant to restore sight to the blind.

Stephen is now recognised by IAM Strategy 300 as one of the world’s leading IP strategists and is on a mission to help innovative businesses succeed by protecting their most valuable asset, their innovation, so they can make a positive impact in the world.

Follow Stephen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenjcarter/

Follow Stephen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theipstrategist

Contact Stephen directly: stephen@theintellectualpropertyworks.co.uk

OTHER PODCASTS

S2: Episode 7 – Charles Clark, IP ARKITEK

In this, the final episode of season 2, I am joined by Charles Clark, founder of IP ARKITEK (https://www.ip-arkitek.com/).

We chat about the roles intellectual property can play in business and its relevance especially to small businesses. We touch on the building blocks of a practical IP strategy and the importance of ensuring that IP is not viewed in the abstract but seen as a key that can unlock aspects of your business plan.

And we hear Charles’ own story, which took him from a young boy watching his dad tinkering with cars, through roles as a research engineer, to the world of patents (and IP more generally) that ultimately led to him founding IP ARKITEK. 

And we discover why Charles might just be the James Bond of the patent attorney world!Charles Clark is an internationally recognised expert in IP strategy, having been included in the IAM300 of the World’s Leading IP Strategists since 2015. He has additional recognitions in the field, including being listed as an IP Star by MIP.

He has a degree in physics and qualified by exam in the UK and Europe as a patent attorney. Initially, after graduating university, Charles followed in his father’s footsteps, joining the UK’s MOD research and development establishment (later becoming QinetiQ), where he worked as a research scientist developing novel laser systems and optics for military applications and vehicle defence systems. This work brought him into contact with the world of IP and he pivoted his career to train as a patent attorney.

Over 20 years of his career were spent in-house where he gained first hand experience of  handling and managing IP in various business processes, such as initial public offerings (at the LSE and NASDAQ), all phases of acquisitions on the buy and sell side (identification, assessment and integration), divestments or exit planning, contracting or partnering with third parties, as well the day to day IP operations needed to build world class IP portfolios. Since 2008 he has been in leadership positions with different organisations in various sectors, including precision engineering, manufacturing, consumer goods and energy.

You can contact Charles via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarkcharles/Your host, Stephen Carter, is Founder of The Intellectual Property Works (theintellectualpropertyworks.co.uk) and a patent attorney by trade.

Over the last 25 years Stephen has worked with some amazing businesses, including writing the patent applications for the Speedo swimsuit that helped Michael Phelps to his record breaking 8 gold medal haul at the Beijing Olympics and Second Sight, a West Coast US startup who make a retinal implant to restore sight to the blind.

Stephen is now recognised by IAM Strategy 300 as one of the world’s leading IP strategists and is on a mission to help innovative businesses succeed by protecting their most valuable asset, their innovation, so they can make a positive impact in the world.

Follow Stephen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenjcarter/

Follow Stephen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theipstrategist

Contact Stephen directly: stephen@theintellectualpropertyworks.co.uk

S2: Episode 6 – Fiona Anderson, Innovate UK EDGE

In this episode I chat with Fiona Anderson of Innovate UK EDGE (Innovate UK EDGE), where she delivers a government funded programme that helps innovation-driven businesses to grow at pace and achieve their industry- and society-transforming ambitions. 

We talk about some of the key issues she sees for the businesses she helps and, along the way, we learn about Fiona’s journey, with multiple stints in both South Africa and the UK, including how whilst at RBS she was involved setting up and managing a free people accelerator hub in Brighton (which was instrumental in assisting businesses raise over £17m of investment, creating over 400 jobs and turnover in excess of £72m), and her involvement back in her native South Africa with several entrepreneur accelerators, working as a mentor and programme manager for The African Women in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) – Fiona is an accredited women in business specialist and has assisted over 100 women owned businesses in the UK and South Africa to grow and scale.

Fiona has worked with over 1,000 early stage and high growth entrepreneurs, helping them to grow and scale through mentoring, coaching and investment readiness programs. She is passionate about entrepreneur development and creating impact and is adept at creating lucrative opportunities for entrepreneurs and startups, through her vast network and ability to connect people and businesses with key stakeholders and individuals.

Away from work, Fiona loves the outdoors, playing golf, walking and hiking around the beautiful Sussex countryside.

You can reach out to Fiona at: Fiona.Anderson@innovateukeddge.ukri.org
Or via these other channels …
Twitter: @FionaAndersonAA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-anderson-uk/

And you can follow Innovate UK EDGE on LinkedIn (Innovate UK EDGE South East: About | LinkedIn ) and Twitter (@IUK_EDGE_SE)

Your host, Stephen Carter, is Founder of The Intellectual Property Works (theintellectualpropertyworks.co.uk) and a patent attorney by trade.

Over the last 25 years Stephen has worked with some amazing businesses, including writing the patent applications for the Speedo swimsuit that helped Michael Phelps to his record breaking 8 gold medal haul at the Beijing Olympics and Second Sight, a West Coast US startup who make a retinal implant to restore sight to the blind.

Stephen is now recognised by IAM Strategy 300 as one of the world’s leading IP strategists and is on a mission to help innovative businesses succeed by protecting their most valuable asset, their innovation, so they can make a positive impact in the world.

Follow Stephen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenjcarter/

Follow Stephen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theipstrategist

Contact Stephen directly: stephen@theintellectualpropertyworks.co.uk

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