Board Members

Jodie Cook

Board Member

Jodie Cook founded JC Social Media, a social media marketing company, in 2011. Since then it has grown to a team of 15, running the social media for local and international clients. Jodie has also written five books on digital marketing. Whilst running JC Social Media, Jodie started exploring the reasons why some people find it easy to set up their own business. The conclusion was: role models. Jodie and her co-founder decided to create some positive, entrepreneurial role models in the form of children's storybooks - Clever Tykes. The series of three storybooks includes Code-it Cody, a boy who learns how to programme his own computer game, and has inspired children to take up coding. In January 2017 Clever Tykes books, resources and digital enterprise portal were delivered to all 23,500 primary schools in the UK, thanks to sponsorship from Lloyds Banking Group. Jodie was included in Forbes 30 under 30 social entrepreneurs in Europe 2017, Computer Weekly's Rising Stars list and the Drum's 50 women in tech under 30 list, both in 2016. She also recorded a TEDx talk at Aston University, called creating useful people.

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Nick Holzherr

Board Member

Nick is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO of HR software company Air (www.joinair.com) and food tech company Whisk.com. He raised over $2m in funding from technology investors and pitched Whisk.com to Lord Sugar after getting to the final of the BBC Apprentice 2012, where he achieved the series' best task-win record.   Nick was recently awarded an honorary doctorate in enterprise from Aston University.  Nick and his businesses have been featured in leading publications including Newsweek, The Guardian, The Telegraph, bbc.co.uk and The Next Web and have won multiple awards including a Cisco BIG award, The Drum’s "One to Watch" honours and The Grocer’s "Top New Talent" award. Nick also blogs at nickholzherr.com and is available on twitter under @nickholzherr.

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Leigh Purnell

Board Member

I founded and run Petalite, a startup that has developed the World's Fastest Charging Battery System, 100% recharge in under 15 minutes, I also have been on other ludicrous expeditions which has led me to write a book, blogs and magazine articles about them, do public speaking at various events and consult on Expedition Logistics and acquiring Sponsorship for Expeditions.I am a seasoned project manager, innovator and have a keen interest in energy technologies and implementations; both throughout my working and academic life. Petalite Limited was founded in 2014 to expand on these ideas and interests.I co-founded and project managed a Guinness World Record breaking global expedition; raising £20,000 in donations and awareness for the British Red Cross and generating over £80,000 in advertising revenue to support the expedition.Became a Double Guinness World Record Holder:-World’s Longest Journey by Taxi-World’s Highest Journey by Taxi

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Simon Jenner

Board Member

Aged 26, Simon started Trinity Security Services, a Cyber Security services company. A successful exit of Trinity via trade sale took place in 2008. Simon is now involved in multiple businesses including Urban an independent retail Cafe chain. Simon has a passion for supporting other entrepreneurs and for the last 10 years Simon has been working with entrepreneurs from across the world firstly through running Birmingham’s only technology incubator and then moving to become the CEO of a leading technology accelerator. The technology accelerator was voted a European top 10 accelerator by the Guardian newspaper. Simon has helped over 50 startups go from idea to investment, raising in excess of £10 million equity investment. Simon’s passion for entrepreneurs and particularly technology entrepreneurs goes beyond the day job and has seen him found Birmingham Entrepreneurs (the largest entrepreneurs group outside of London) and Co-Found Silicon Canal, Birmingham’s answer to London’s tech city. In 2016 Simon was listed in the Maserati 100 for his work with entrepreneurs and listed as a Power 250: The West Midlands’ most influential people in creative and digital.

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