"The New Normal" - an event for Bars, Hotels and Restaurants

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The world's largest taxi company owns no taxis.The world's largest accommodation provider owns no property. The world's most valuable retailer owns no inventory. The world's largest movie house owns no cinemas.

The world is changing fast - don't get left behind.

RSVP NOW BY CLICKING HERE!

We have unprecedented times in the city with a wave of confidence and opportunities: UK City of Culture 2017 coming round very quickly, Rough Guides featured Hull in the top ten global destinations in 2016 our thriving digital sector was highlighted in the top ten in the nation by the Tech Nation report.

This is an unmissable event for anyone in the hospitality sector. If you run a bar, hotel, restaurant or café, then this is for you.

Come along on Thursday 4th February at C4DI to learn to understand how technology is going to impact you (and how you can improve your business opportunities).

• Get tips and tools to ensure you accelerate your business during these very exciting times in Hull
• Learn from relevant case studies demonstrating the "how" and "why" plus the results achieved
• Enjoy complimentary coffee ad breakfast provided by the wonderful new Nibble café which is on site at C4DI

We will be in the new C4DI theatre and there will be an opportunity for a tour too.

Our address is:

C4DI @TheDock 31-38 Queen Street Hull HU1 1UU

Tickets are free but limited.

To RSVP, just click the link below! We look forward to welcoming you!

RSVP NOW BY CLICKING HERE!

Startup Fundraising: do's & don'ts

Ten essential fundraising methods for Startups - when to get investment and when not too!

C4DI "a 'golden beacon' of the digital sector’s strength..." - Yorkshire Post

The Centre for Digital and Innovation (C4DI) opened its doors earlier this week to an array of technology and digital start-ups in Hull

Hackers, Hipsters and Hustlers - key business skills

Three things make up a startup, Hackers, Hipsters & Hustlers. Hustlers are the individuals that make connections and ultimately help grow your business. To help you learn the way of the Hustler we arranged a talk with Bob Spence, who kindly agreed to share some of the secrets of his success with us. Bob is a renowned author of ‘Executive Programme in Professional & Business Networking’ and creator of E-Learning programme ‘Who do I speak to next’. Not only has Bob enjoyed immense success generating revenues & prospects but he also understands the methods of how he achieved it, condensing it all into an easy to understand formula.

 “Succeeding in business is all about making connections” - Richard Branson 

Entrepreneurs, startups, companies looking to export, Management teams looking to source international partners & anyone who has the ideas but not the connections,  this talk is perfect for you.

Hackers, Hipsters & Hustlers was held on Thursday 19th November, but if you missed it (or would like to recap) you can catch it on our YouTube channel. We'll now be recording all of our talks  - now there are more ways to access our fantastic events and learn valuable business skills.

CipherSent launches

C4DI member David Ripper has been working on a very exciting project called "CipherSent". What has been really interesting is that other members have been involved and the project only happened with the help of the C4DI member team! We are seeing this happen more and more with people collaborating on client work and also startup ideas. So, what is Cipher Sent? Have a read below!

"Secure Matters Ltd, a software solutions company based at C4DI in Hull, has just released its first service. CipherSent makes secure file transfer simple. You can transfer sensitive data securely, simply, and quickly. To anyone, anywhere."

David Ripper, the founder of Secure Matters, explained that having worked with a few organisations that were struggling to make sure sensitive data was transferred securely he decided that there was a simpler way. “Existing solutions can be time consuming because there are a lot of manual steps in the process. They can also be insecure because either the manual process leaves room for error at different points, or because they’re relatively complex to use. This can lead to people ignoring the system because it’s too onerous.”

CipherSent makes the process simple by automating it as much as possible. People just login, upload the files to be transferred, and then enter the details of the recipients. Files are always encrypted from the moment they start uploading. Strong one time passwords are automatically generated and sent to the recipients via SMS. A link to the files is sent via email. Files are automatically restricted so only the recipients can access them, and they’re automatically deleted from the service after no more than 30 days.

Secure Matters has used local companies to help with the creation of the service. Fellow C4DI members have been commissioned to develop the service and design the web site. David says “It’s important to us to use local skills where we can. Keeping the supply chain local means we can work closely with our suppliers to deliver high quality services in a short timeframe. C4DI is a great environment to meet other startups and small companies involved in the technology sector. As a member we were able to easily access the right skills and experience to take CipherSent from an idea to a live service.”

If you want to learn more about CipherSent visit the website at www.ciphersent.co.uk, call them on 01482 240770, or drop them an email at hello at ciphersent.co.uk.

The Importance of the Digital Economy for Hull

John, our MD, went to Parliament earlier this week to discuss the importance of the Digital Economy for Hull.  

Man's life transformed after falling into shark infested water

'Days that Made Us’ is a creative project run by C4Di member, My Pockets. The project challenges people to choose and describe the one day of their life that made them who they are. The most recent phase of the project has worked with members of the Merchant Navy in Hull. The stories include a man who fell into shark infested waters and watched his ship sail away over the horizon, a teenage boy who bought a gun to shoot his own father and a seaman who fell in love and never returned to the ocean.

These stories have been supported by Roots and Wings, Hull Libraries, Untold Stories and the James Reckitt Library Trust.

For more incredible stories click here

daysthatmadeus.co.uk

Music Business Association Launches Global Partnership with AFEM

Matt - Label Worx

C4DI member, Label Worx are a member of Association for Electronic Music (AFEM) and Label Worx Director Matt Abbott has recently been appointed to the board for the AFEM. Some exciting news was announced that the Music Business Association (Music Biz) has partnered with the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM) to launch the Electronic Music Workgroup. Organised under Music Biz’s Information Technology Sector, the Workgroup will give representatives from throughout the electronic music sphere a place to gather and discuss ways to streamline commerce for DJs, producers, and rights-holders for DJ mixes, remixes, mashups, and original tracks for both live and online content. The workgroup will also examine the use of digital tools and platforms and, coupled with thought leadership and knowledge from Music Biz and AFEM members, devise forward-thinking strategies to maximise electronic music revenue.

Really exciting to see how this partnership develops.

This article was republished with permission from Label Worx.

You can read the full press releasehere.

Author: Dom Kerley

The collaboration effect - catalysing innovation

To learn about collaboration I left C4DI, Hull, for the day to explore Do it Day - an annual event where hundreds of marketeers and digital experts come together to try and solve huge problems in one day. Here's a review of the event and some useful concepts and ideas that could drawn from the day, which you can apply to your own business. The event was a prime location to see what can be achieved through collaboration and various team dynamics. The tasks varied, greatly, and ranged from IBM's technology challenge which aimed to get children into technology through wearables, to Visa's challenge - aiming to help children understand finance.

C4DI Trees

After an early start and some exercise, battling my way through torrents of Londoners in the underground, I arrived at IBM's head office, where the event was to be held. Drafted into a team of around 15 members, I helped promote our campaign - a product of the former 'Plan It Day' event; "Trees for Trees". The aim of the campaign was to plant 10,000 trees (a whole forest) in just one day.

By taking a picture of a Tree or sending in a drawing to the 'Heart of England Forest team' using the tag #TreesforTrees the project ensured that as many members of the public would get involved in the action as possible. For every picture that was sent in a tree would be planted in the rapidly growing forest.  In addition, any submissions would become part of the virtual forest on the website and displayed on a huge digital billboard in Piccadilly circus during the day. For more information visit the web site www.treesfortrees.co.uk.

As mentioned earlier, many of the projects being run on 'Do it Day' were conceived initially in the Plan it Day' phase. Through brainstorming, collaboration and idea sharing teams of digital professionals created incredible projects from the briefs that were given to teams on the day. Not only were these campaigns created in record time, they probably would have eaten huge amounts of time (and other resources) to make in a more stagnant, traditional environment. The variety of perspectives and fields helped generate a buzz of ideas that led to the rapid concept generation that made the Do It Day campaigns possible. Many of these projects would not have come to fruition without this type of environment. Traditional working environments can often lead to narrow and sluggish idea generation phases since they often do not have the resources or the fresh perspective s that can drive creation through the cross pollination of ideas.

All in all, it was an exhilarating day - by combining the abilities of everyone attending we managed to achieve some truly spectacular things. Seeing the sheer caliber of projects and the varied approaches of each team was fascinating. Trees for trees surpassed over 10,000 tweets and attained the project goal of getting a whole forest of 10,000 trees planted in just one day. The success of Do it Day is a testimony for the effectiveness of collaborative workspaces, as found in C4DI, which foster leaps in innovation. This experience has proved to me that with the right type of culture and people you can create some really amazing things. I can't wait to get involved in all the projects that will arise from our very own digital hub over the next few years.

#TreesforTrees - a wonderful way to save the world.

Dee - Community and Project Support

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Six startups, one winner; Northern Stars - the highlights.

Northern Stars Front

On October 29th Tech North hosted their much anticipated 'Northern Stars' event at the new C4DI building. Six talented startups went head to head in competition to bid for exposure, prizes and ultimately, investment. With over a hundred guests attending as well as notable guest speakers and music - provided by Hull's very own Label Worx the evening was guaranteed to impress.

As recent articles have suggested, the North has an abundance of hidden techy-talent that needs to be celebrated. Somewhat appropriately then, the event was opened with a speech by Matt Jeff-Watts, Tech North programme manager who stated; "we're here to shine a light on amazing tech startups".

During the presentation phase the competition was fierce - with only three minutes on the clock, each startup had to deliver a high quality pitch and attractive propositions to woo their potential investors and judges.  After everyone had presented a nerve-wracking wait for the competitors ensued. Each pitch was rated by the audience and after what seemed like an age, the winner was announced - Mr Lista. Designed to be the "ultimate" (and only) wish list maker you will ever need, the pitch was a clear favourite. The triumphant duo came in front of the audience, once again to receive their prizes; vouchers, an iPad, but most importantly the chance to compete in the Northern Stars final. Due to be held on the 24th November the final will include the best ideas from each of the winners of the six other Northern Stars competitions held this year and yields the best chance yet of gaining investment and exposure for each startup.

To see some of the other startups see below. You can see more great photos of the night here.

A big well done to Mr Lista!

Aida Technology who's main proposition was a gasified platform designed to 

Ark Studios are working on a system designed to rapidly create and deploy customised cloud based database solutions

I'm In - an innovative app allowing users to quickly organise social events

Lifebox proposed a solution to share and store magical photographic moments

Corporate Contacts - aiming to be the dropbox of contact lists

The New C4DI - Member Preview

Last Thursday afternoon we opened the doors to the new building for a special member preview of the ground floor of our new home. Over 100 people attended the event, including a few journalists and over 150 scrumptious C4DI branded cupcakes (thanks to Anna from Nibble - the new @TheDock Café). After donning a pair of 'trendy' blue booties our members were guided through the ultra-modern reception area and unleashed; free to explore the different areas making up the ground floor.

Taking a left at the reception takes you through to the meeting zone, outfitted with comfy sofas and stylish meeting booths this area is the perfect place to have a quick meeting, coffee break or chat.

Straight through the meeting zone is the bored room. Unfortunately Jon, with his army of cupcakes, won't be a permanent fixture however, with a generous seating capacity and a great view of what will be the amphitheatre area the bored-room doesn't fail to impress.

On the other side of the meeting zone is the co-working space. A fantastic open area that is perfect for the type of collaboration that form the building blocks for great startup ideas. There's also a separate quiet zone - for those time you need a bit of space to really focus, as well as a large studio space for events, keynotes and startup - pitches.

Dane Mortimer, Insight Lead at Force-7, a youth marketing and research agency said; "First impressions of the ground floor area is that the design looks to me as if it will lend itself to harnessing the collaborative spirit of working that has been established at C4DI beta.

We're really looking forward to using the studio spaces to supplement the work we do."

During the preview the new building really came into its own, springing into life and warmly accommodating all the guests - it's a great insight into how the building will feel when the doors officially open later in November and we all really look forward to moving in (some members have already made themselves very comfortable!).

If you love the C4DI culture and want to know more about us or are thinking about joining please don't hesitate to get in touch with me on dr@c4di.net

The Digital Awards

The first KC and Hull Daily Mail Digital Awards have been heralded as a real success. You can read about the event and winners here. The evening was spent on the top floor with amazing views, food and people to celebrate the digital talent within the city. We were delighted to welcome the Director General of the BBC, Tony Hall as well as Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC Technology Correspondent, who hosted the event.

A very special mention goes to Dave Keel, the C4DI Chair who you all know has worked tirelessly to promote the C4DI and the digital sector in the city and beyond.

Dave received the very first Digital Ambassador of the Year, sponsored by KC and the Hull Daily Mail. Congratulations!

Novel industry solutions created by Hull’s flourishing digital community

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Hi, I'm Dee - the newest member to join C4DI's talented team. I have had experience working in a variety of industries, ranging from project management to teaching. It's going to be great working with everyone, supporting the community and getting immersed in the innovative projects we run. You can read my full bio here. C4DI is at the heart of Hull's digital economy. With a flourishing community of over 180 members, drawn from a wide array of fields across the digital sector, the synergies arising from our collaborative environment have secured new business opportunities and even, in some cases, solved some industry-wide problems! We've picked out just a few of our favourite member quotes for you below.

Andy Mcmillan, Training and R&D - Escada Systems Europe says;

"At C4DI we brought new products to market in record time to solve an industry-wide problem. Our product will increase the accuracy and reduce maintenance of sensors that are used in the packaging industry. This was made possible because of C4DI's collaborative working space."

Matt Gibson, Accounts Executive - Studio Kiwi says;

"The access to support, advice, and mentoring added to the networking potential, diversity of skills, and knowledge that is available at C4DI helps our business to grow. It is a privilege to be set in such a vibrant and beautiful location within the City of Hull."

C4DI's community  is always growing and we've had some incredible talent join us this month. Read all about our newest members like Hull born and bred trader 'Dean Melton', social media guru 'Joanne Brady' or Francis Osih an entrepreneur and founder of 'Betamenu' (as well as many others) below.

From the end of November 2015 we will be running tours around our new home, every Friday, so if you would like to come and visit, meet any of our fantastic members or simply just try a cup of our famous coffee please do get in touch and email me on dr@c4di.net

Without further adieu please say hi to our brilliant new members:

Joanne2

Joanne Brady - freelance social media manager "I help SMEs set-up and develop a social media presence through a variety of methods from regular weekly consultations to full-on daily management. I also write content for websites and blogs, and have a pretty good knowledge of SEO. I enjoy collaborative working and see C4DI as a way of meeting like-minded professionals. I'm always happy to help with any questions about social media."

Francis

Francis Osih - entrepreneur "I lived in the US and Spain for business school. New to Hull, so my entrepreneurship & VC connections are limited to Barcelona and Berlin.  Starting programming in 2005, I have contributed to startups as diverse as they come along the way.  I am also the founder of Betamenu and Witelist.  Looking forward to assisting and having fun with everyone here!"

Dean

Dean Melton - trader "I was born and brought up in Hull. I worked as an Investment Analyst for a Hedge Fund for many years. I left the trading arena 10 years ago and set up on my own, working part time from a home office trading the Stock Indices, Forex and Commodity Markets, when I wasn’t trading; I was the 'house husband', looking after my two children, who having finally flown the nest, leaving me with time on my hands again."

Richard

Richard Farrer - Co-founder of Fractal Software & graduate "As a software developer I have experience in .net languages and agile software development, also a keen eye for graphics and UI.  I look forward to tackling the challenges of building a software business at C4DI."

Pat

Pat Coyle - director at Rollits "Pat's main role involves leading and managing the marketing function within Rollits. She is the current chair of the East Yorkshire (Humber) IoD branch committee, sits on the Steering Group for Humber Business Week, and is also a member of the committee of Hull Businesswomen's Breakfast Club."

Andrew

Andrew Downie - R&D manager "Andrew has recently joined RB working as Health Transformation R&D Manager - working across the healthcare brands in areas including connected health and innovation beyond the product. Andrew has a background in biological sciences and has experience in FMCG and pharmaceutical businesses, including AstraZeneca and Unilever."

Josh

Josh Cunliffe - Co-founder of Fractal Software & games developer "I’m a recent graduate from the University of Hull, with a first class MEng degree in computer sciences with games development. I am well versed in .NET languages and frameworks, and after a year of working in SEED within the university, can use Scrum to manage and execute projects in an agile manner. I look forward to being able to apply everything I've learned within C4Di!"

Mike

Mike Wasling - Director of I.T. "Since joining Rollits, Mike has developed and enhanced the firm's IT infrastructure to support the needs of both the firm and clients. He is responsible for the IT team and helps deliver high standards of IT support and innovation throughout the practice. Some of Mike's key responsibilities include developing and maintaining relationships with IT suppliers and implementing "best of breed" technologies."

Lewis

Lewis Taylor - Co-founder of Fractal Software "I am a software developer with a BSc and MSc(pending) in computer science from the University of Hull. Proficient in a wide range of programming languages and frameworks ranging from .NET to Python. I enjoy riding bikes and playing bass guitars. Looking forward to building software that matters."

Come along to Northern Stars on the 29th October

Tech North has launched Northern Stars, a competition to showcase the brightest and best startups in the North of England. Taking place over the next three months, Tech North are hosting pitch nights in seven major cities across the North, presenting an opportunity for startups to reach a new audience, receive mentoring, and meet early stage investors and business leaders. We are delighted that we are hosting the Hull event at the new C4DI building on Thursday 29th October and you are invited!

​This is our chance to shine and make it a special event. Not only to showcase our startups but also to have the best crowd of lovely people!

At each city pitch competition there will be a presentation by CrowdCubeabout how to engage with their crowdfunding platform, and the winner on the night will receive an Apple iPad. The city pitches culminate in a regional final on 24th November in Manchester, where the 10 winners will come away with the following prize package:

– A place in the Tech North pavilion at TechCrunch Disrupt (London Dec 7-8) and 2 x tickets to the conference – Meetings with some of Europe’s leading early stage investors & mentors – Pitching at a dedicated investor pitch event at Bloomberg, London – Pitch training and media/PR support – Invites to high profile events in the UK and Europe

Since launching the Northern Stars initiative, Tech North have already generated a good buzz online, with coverage in Tech City Insider, Prolific North, and the Yorkshire Post. Taking part in the Northern Stars competition will raise the profiles of inspiring digital tech startups and strengthen the connections within the tech community within each city and across the region.

We're encouraging startups to apply to pitch, and for people within the community to come along and support the entrants on the night. The date in Hull is Thursday 29th October at 5pm at the new C4DI.

Expect an energetic, fun and exciting evening... and yes there is free pizza and beer!

Please click the relevant link below to register to pitch or attend! (For applying to pitch, once on the website, click the Apply Online Now banner to be taken to the registration page).

Apply now to pitch >> click here.

Attend >> click here.

Tech Nation 2016

Today, Tech City UK is delighted to announce that the research phase for Tech Nation 2016 is now underway. Launched by the Prime Minister and Chancellor in February, Tech Nation 2015 was the first comprehensive, community-driven analysis of tech clusters across the UK.

This year Tech City UK is aiming to gain an even deeper insight into the technology startup landscape to discover what digital companies need in order to grow and scale.

In partnership with Nesta and Growth Intelligence, Tech City UK has launched a short survey as part of Tech Nation 2016.

We have the opportunity to showcase our local tech industry with Tech Nation 2016, and feature a couple of local companies as case studies.

Why complete the survey:

• You can help chart the development of companies powering the UK’s digital economy
• £1000 worth of tickets for this year’s Web Summit are up for grabs
• International exposure with the chance to be featured in the Tech Nation report

Please click here to take part! Thank you.

Getting to know some of our members...

The C4DI community is ever growing and with the completion of the new build, this looks set to increase even further. The wealth of knowledge, skills and expertise is evident and we have people from across the world working on projects and brainstorming over coffee right here in the office. Today we will be hearing from some more of our members...

Catherine Bell: I’ve really valued being the C4DI intern this summer and have learnt so much in the time that I’ve been here. Starting as a not-so tech savvy History graduate, I can now say that I’m well and truly on the path to becoming a fully-fledged “techie”. I’ve been working on several projects including planning the launch day, organising member events as well as thinking of ways to promote and encourage a more diverse community at the C4DI. It's been brilliant to work alongside so many talented people; keeping up to date with all the latest innovations and seeing first-hand what this Hull-based community has contributed to the digital story.

Abi Bell: Force-7 is a fully integrated youth communications agency, which means we work on a variety of projects, from research to design, production to marketing. As Account Executive, it’s my job to make sure our clients are in the loop, and that projects are running smoothly and within budget. As we’re an agency with a varied portfolio of work, there are loads of advantages to Force-7 working in C4Di. We’re surrounded by people who have a multitude of relevant skills, who are always willing to offer their expertise if we need them. We’re also ideally placed to visit clients across the city and beyond - and personally, the views of the Humber from my desk really are amazing!

Sophie Pretorius: I am a Senior Manager with PwC based primarily in the Hull office as part of a 30 strong team providing outsourced accounting services to clients from across the globe. The nature of the services we provide mean a typical client is often a start-up business that outsources the operation of the finance function to PwC therefore the experience lends itself to connecting with the C4DI members and in particular start-up businesses. I first became involved with C4DI late 2013 after Jon and John came over to PwC to introduce us to C4DI Beta. We have since forged a close bond between PwC and C4DI, including the set-up of the monthly drop in sessions. Every time I pop over to C4DI I leave feeling inspired and refreshed by the innovation and creativity of the members and come back to the day job feeling energised if a little digitally challenged, something I am continuing to work on! 

C4DI have just organised the Hull and Beyond: diversity and opportunity in the tech community event on the 17th of September here at the office. We are very lucky to have Rosie Millard, Chair of the UK City of Culture 2017 board; Salma Conway, the co-founder of MrLista and Laura Bennett, the Community Engagement Manager at Tech North speaking at the event. They will be talking about the work that they do and how they got there. The aim of the event is to promote diversity as well as a brilliant opportunity to hear about what’s going on in Hull and the wider tech community. 

The more the merrier so please do come along! RSVP by clicking here now!

Say hello to some of our wonderful members

Say hello to some members! David Ripper

davidjripper

"I’m just starting up a new company and wanted to find a shared space locally with other people involved in digital and technology, to see if I could tap into local resources to help me get my new company up and running.  I knew I’d need to get services from other companies and, like most people, I prefer to work with people I know.  So much the better if they’re local.  I’ve just signed an agreement with another C4DI member to develop some software for the new company which is great as it means it’s being created locally which has all sorts of advantages for me.

While I get the new company off the ground I’ll be continuing to ply my trade as an IT&T consultant.  I’ve been employed by large and small organisations in the private, public, and third sector but am now loving working for myself.  Since setting up on my own a couple of years ago I’ve primarily been involved with helping organisations migrate to the cloud.  Most of these have been national clients such as Cordant Group PLC and the Medical Defence Union but I’ve also been lucky enough to work with a couple of Yorkshire based organisations as well.  I’ve just launched a new website for my consulting business http://ledgetechnology.co.uk which I’ll be starting to market in the next couple of months.

My goal is to build my new company to a point where I can live in (and run the company from) the Mediterranean coming back to the UK as and when I need to!"

James Horspool

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James Horspool, is originally from Willerbyand was educated at Hymers College in Hull. He went on to study electrical engineering in Sheffield but instead found his passion for programme making through student radio and while on a BBC TV Engineering summer scheme.

James has always been a bit of a radio geekand joined radio and magazine publishers EmapPLC for the first decade of his working life. This included a long spell at Viking FM based on the marina in Hull starting as weekend overnight presenter and ending upas the acting Programme Director. Along the way he picked up a few industry awards mainly as the Station Sound Producer.

James subsequently worked in Liverpool for Radio City at a time when the company waslaunching a new talk station and were also preparingto be the official media partner for Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture. Following this he was head hunted to workas a Programme Controller for what is now Global Radio (owner of Capital, Heart, Classic FM and LBC) in the midlands. He went on to work for UKRD in the North East, proud to be a manager in the company which won the ‘UK’s No 1 Company to Work For’ four times in a row and he led the on-air team to grow a record audience for the station.

James has specialised in growing radio and online audiences to increase impact for commercial advertisers,and his work has evolved into delivering behaviour change campaigns as well as development projects. He led a project in Ethiopia for M&C Saatchi building and developing new radio stations and more recentlyhe worked as the military Media Advisor to the UK Ebola Task Force in Sierra Leone.

A concurrent part-time career in the Army Reserve has taken James to serve in Afghanistan as well as to exercise in Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Kenya and Germany. He holds the rank of Major and although proudly wears the cap badge of the Yorkshire Regiment he serves in the newly formed 77th Brigade as the Officer Commanding ‘Media Specialists’. The unit is engaged in using and developingboth traditional and digital media techniques in support of military operations worldwide.

James was made a Fellow at the Institute of Leadership and Management in 2012 inrecognition of his continuous professional development through his mix of civilian and military training.

James enjoys using technology to solve problems creatively and he meddles but freely admits he knows only enough to be dangerous. He can’t code or programme in the modern domain, quickly finding his limits with C++ at University but get him close to a ‘Commodore Pet’ and the start-up sequence may just come flooding back. He is someone who is passionate about high quality mediaoutput (i.e. he watches a lot of Netflix) and is very excited about the growth of future platforms in a rapidly changing environment. That is why he has joined C4DI to take forward a concept in this area.

Mike Anson

mike_anson

I was born in Hull but at 19, I had the opportunity to immigrate to the US with my family. My dad, who is also a software engineer, got a job in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also got me in to the company and this is were I began to learn web development as well as studying music and recording.

I currently work remotely for a large CDN out of Arizona called Limelight Networks who provide digital content for a range of large companies including Apple and Netflix. A lot of our team work in different parts of the world on different time zones. Working from Home can be great sometimes but I’ve definitely seen the benefit of the workspace at C4Di. Separating work from home has definitely been the best part of working here. There is a friendly but driven atmosphere from the other members that inspires me daily.

Are you the next C4DI intern?

We have a superb opportunity! We are looking for someone to join the C4DI team as an intern, starting in September for twelve months. It’s an incredibly exciting period for us and there is no better time to join the amazing community.

The role

The C4DI intern will work as a vital part of our team. This role will include:

• Helping with the day to day running of the new building including, welcoming people tothe building, coordinating events and helping members
• Ensuring we have a fun, organised environment - looking after the building, ensuring it isneat and tidy
• Helping with marketing and communications
• Helping on projects / client work
• Actively promoting and strengthening C4DI culture and growth
• *If you also want to run your own tech start, we are very keen to hear from you!*

The last point is worth highlighting. If you are thinking about running your own startup and want to benefit from experienced mentors, the best possible environment to grow and a wealth of opportunities, then we are especially keen to hear from you.

For more details, please click here to download the role profile and how to apply. The deadline for applications is the end of August.

And it's live! The NFire Labs Kickstarter officially launched

Wednesday night saw C4DI’s very own Alex Youden launch the highly anticipated NFire Labs Kickstarter. At just 19, Alex has a CV to rival all CVs; having won Young Engineer of Britain in 2013 and then going on to build and launch the NFire 1 3D printer this past year.

What makes the NFire 1 printer so unique is the fact it’s the world’s first truly modular 3D printer. It can easily adapt to new developments in technology through the creation of new features and add-ons. Gone are the days where you had to fork out for an entirely new machine every other year.

It was clear with over 60 guests, including members, non-members, business-owners and those with an interest in all things tech, that Alex and his 3D printer have quite the fan-base. With sausage rolls in our bellies and drinks in hand, we gathered round to watch a short film outlining the NFire Labs journey as well as getting to see the machine in action. A big thank you goes to the guys from Labelworx for providing the night's soundtrack and to Matt and his team at Studio Kiwi for arranging the film and all the added details which really brought the launch together.

Alex himself had a few words to say:

"The event was a huge success and we raised over 10% of our total in the first 10 minutes! The attendance for the event was great and I would like to thank everyone who attended and pledged towards the campaign! With the continued support it shouldn't be long before we reach the £30,000 target."

All in all it was a great night, with a lot of support. At the time of writing, the NFire 1 has 40 backers and has raised over £10,000 – more than a third of its total target. Let’s keep the momentum going by tweeting with #NFire1 and if you're interested in backing Alex and want your very own 3D printer – just click here now!

From the rest of the C4DI team, a big well done Alex!