James Gardner has extensive experience in Business Angel Funding, Business Incubation, Technology Transfer, Corporate spin-outs and Public Funded business support initiatives. james.gardner@connectlondon.org James is well known in the high growth start-up and business angel sectors through his work with early stage ventures, angel investor syndicates, universities, innovation centres and professional service firms.

He started his first business venture many years ago and has experienced the highs and lows of risking his own money in informal equity deals by investing in start-ups and mentoring high-growth businesses. He has also been involved in setting up corporate venturing deals, which he describes as “a long and tortuous process” !   James also set up two business incubators from scratch and believes the key ingredients of business start-up success still remain: vision, management ability, market, business model and money! He is the author of: Business Angels Digest (Croner ICAEW publications 2003) Mitigating Risk in Start-Up Investing (Croner ICAEW publications 2003) Raising Business Angel Finance ( ICAEW CFF Technical Guide 2004) And has been an active board member of several well-known Business Angel Networks: Advantage Business Angels Ltd National Business Angels Network Ltd Business Angel Network Association Ltd University of Surrey Ventures Advisory Board & Seed Fund James is also a member of The UK Research & Development Society (motto ‘from ideas to wealth’), whose role is to help make the UK the best environment for R&D in the World.

Christopher Fogg FCA, BSc, MBA  - Director of UKBI and BBAA christopherfogg@connectlondon.org Christopher Fogg has been involved in supporting entrepreneurs in starting and growing their businesses for over 30 years.  He is a Chartered Accountant, Physicist and took a “Late in Life” MBA in 2000. He opened his first formal incubator in 1998 and has now started a total of 4 business incubators.  He has tried a number of models – for Profit; Hybrid- part For Profit, Part Not for Profit; and fully funded by the LDA – London Innovation Centre.

Recently Christopher has opened Connect London based on the Best Practice model identified by Lord Sainsbury - Connect San Diego.  Christopher regards Connect as an “Incubator without Walls” as it provides everything a Best Practice Incubator should supply- with the exception of physical space.  Christopher believes that Business Angels should be an important component of incubators for their “Knowledge” not only their cash.  Connect offers a number of consultancy services including consultancy to Business Angel Network and Incubators. Christopher is a director of UKBI and British Business Angels Association (BBAA).  He has prepared a preliminary research document on the sustainability of Business Incubation. Christopher is the Visiting Entrepreneur to the seven West Focus universities in London.

Jeff Dean – Marketing Specialist

JEFF DEAN has a long and successful career in business management having started up many companies and taken them from “start up to take off”. Working primarily in the electronics high technology sector, Jeff has been internationally recognised as an authority in the fields that he has worked. Recently, Jeff has focussed on working with small to medium sized enterprises assisting them by offering sensible & creative advice for the development of their businesses. Currently, Jeff is involved in starting up his own company that specialises in offering low cost, affordable services to start up companies by ensuring that the processes used to assist clients are efficient and where possible automated, hence keeping the fees charged to a minimum.

BRUCE GARVEY

Background: Following an earlier career with a major multi-national in a number of staff and operational posts in the UK, Europe and the Middle East, Bruce Garvey’s 25+ years experience of running and advising SMEs positions him to function as a creative senior business executive in the roles of company director (including non-executive), mentor, advisor and consultant. Sector based background is broad ranging and includes news media content, printing and electronic publishing, retail packaging, manufacture and distribution of business equipment.

Skills: He possesses particular skills in business transformation and turnaround through experience of managing organisational and technological change, managing and mentoring SMEs, implementing business planning & performance monitoring systems, business support to start-up and early stage ventures, and company strategic reviews. These skills are reinforced by in-depth knowledge of core business functions, including financial planning and control, operations, and marketing.

Experience: Bruce’s experience of international and organisational environments is across a wide range of organisation types. These include start-up and early stage ventures, family owned SMEs in both manufacturing and service industries, through to a major multi-national corporation in its HQ, regional and overseas operating company units. He has lived and worked extensively abroad in Europe and Middle East (France, Sweden, Iran and Gulf States) and as a linguist has helped deepen his understanding of different business and social cultures.

Current Projects: Current projects and clients include a specialist on-line IT skills training company, a Web 2.0 multi-site shopping community based company, mentor to a social enterprise business with a highly innovative supply chain, advisor to a new web based instant gift messaging service through social networks, advisor to UAE based SME manufacturing bullet resistant glass.

Interests: He has a strong interest in addressing and carrying out research into those issues confronting start-up and early stage companies, recognising that the key to success is a combination of being sufficiently capitalised, having an experienced management team in place and ensuring that the business proposal has been well thought out and researched.

Network & Business Support Activities: Bruce is Co-Chairman of Cass Entrepreneurs Network (CEN): Cass (City) Business School. CEN supports current students, staff and alumni across Cass and City University in launching and developing their business ideas. CEN develops and offers access to an inclusive network of entrepreneurial professionals, organises networking events, workshops and seminars.

He has recently been invited to join the management team of Connect London. Connect London assists technology and high growth potential business by helping them obtain funding and connecting them to Mentors, training, academic support, business service suppliers and professional firms as well as a network of businessmen and women with similar aspirations. Connect London was inspired by Connect San Diego - identified by Lord Sainsbury in his 2007 report “The Race to the Top” as best practice in the World.  Connect has helped thousands of companies and raised over £800 Million so far.

Academic and Professional bodies: Academic qualifications include a MBA from Cass Business School, London (formerly City University Business School), a Post-graduate diploma in Economic Integration from Stockholm University, Sweden and a Bsc (Hons) in Sociology from London University. He is a member of the Institute of Directors (including its City Branch), and a member of the Association of MBAs.

19/10/08

AMI SHPIRO is a seasoned business leader from the fast moving high tech sector and currently CEO of The ZING Group He is an entrepreneur with 20 years experience of software optimisation and integration in corporate logistics environments, and specific knowledge of Mobility, Web and CRM markets.  His expertise covers product conceptualisation, development, commercialisation, operations, human resources, finance, IPO and beyond. He has worked extensively with the large system integrators, in International Telecoms, Utilities, and Computer Services projects. Mr. Shpiro has a track record of rapid business growth through a combination of financial, commercial and technical skills from early stage market penetration to publicly-traded sector leadership, co-founding numerous commercial enterprises in a variety of markets.

The team is being expanded from members of Connect London Champions.