Theme: A Disruptive World

Disruption happens every day in societies and industries across the world. Not all innovations are disruptive though. ‘Disruptive innovation’ creates a new value chain, market or process for delivery. When it comes to service/product innovations, these tend to be high risk and not profitable enough at first for big corporates to sensibly invest in.

Plastic, for example, was an unexpected disruptive innovation within manufacturing, leading to a lesser reliance on traditional materials like wood and metals. Downloadable media has completely altered the way we consume and purchase music worldwide, whilst digital photography has put the power of pictures into the everyday consumer’s hands. And in the field of medicine, ultrasound revolutionised processes previously attempted only by radiography.

Nowadays we seem to be witnessing more and more entrepreneurial thinkers and start-ups who are keen to establish new ways of doing things and to take risks in order to break down that status quo. With them come new models for working. Crowdfunding, for example, provides a funding platform for ideas that may otherwise have never come to fruition. But this is just one of a million possible examples.

So join us to challenge traditional thinking, open up minds and discover the potential behind ‘A Disruptive World’. What could you learn and share?

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Anne Ellis

Anne Ellis is writer, journalist and broadcaster who works on such publications as the Herald, Homes and Interiors and BBC Radio Scotland. During her working career Anne was a lecturer at the University of Glasgow and the Property Manager and Curator at The Hill House, National Trust for Scotland.

Brianna Robertson-Kirkland

Brianna Elyse Robertson-Kirkland graduated with 1st class honours from The University of Glasgow, Bachelor of Music degree. She was granted the Edward Caird Award to allow her to continue her studies in a joint degree course between the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of Glasgow studying for a Masters of Historically Informed Performance. She is currently undergoing PhD research on the 18th century castrato singer Venanzio Rauzzzini and his students funded by the University of Glasgow College of Arts Internship scholarship.

Craig Robertson

Dr. Craig Robertson is the founder of Epipole Ltd, a company which develops intellectual property in the domain of image, data and signal processing. His current project is a medical device which is particularly tuned to the detection of retinopathy. Craig’s background is in invention, mathematical problem solving and algorithm development. He invented 3D data acquisition systems, holds patents in the fields of optics, software and medical devices and has been a programmer for over 30 years. Craig has produced over thirty peer-reviewed papers, co-authored three books and produced many technical reports on subjects ranging from automated diagnosis to evolutionary optimisation and Open Source business integration.

Ellis Watson

Ellis Watson is the CEO of DC Thomson, one of world’s largest family-owned media companies, and previously ran big media owners in newspapers and TV; News International, Mirror Group, Celador TV Simon Cowell’s Syco TV. Appointed a Global Scot in 2013 by Alex Salmond Ellis lives in Scotland, using his business acumen to turn his hand to anything from fixing broken companies to accelerating global expansion.

Graham Hogg

Graham Hogg is a director at Lateral North, an architecture, research and design collective based in Glasgow, Scotland. He studied architecture at Roma Tre University and University of Strathclyde, with the latter being where himself and Tom Smith began Lateral North. Working on community projects through to national strategies, the collective focuses on investigating Scotland’s new place and identity within an economically emerging northern region; exploring the relationship between people, culture, places, industries and economies.

James Lyne

James Lyne is global head of security research at the security firm Sophos. A self-professed ‘massive geek’, his technical expertise spans a variety of the security domains. He is a certified instructor at the SANS institute and often a headline presenter at industry conferences. Believing that one of the biggest problems of security is making it accessible, James takes every opportunity to educate the public on security threats. James has given multiple TED talks, even speaking at the flagship TED event. He has also appeared on a long list of national TV programs to educate the public including CNN, NBC, BBC News and Bill Maher.

James Watt

Prior to founding BrewDog, James Watt was a fully qualified deep sea Captain, having earlier completed an honours degree in Law & Economics. He traded in being a salty sea dog to pursue his passion for great craft beer by setting up BrewDog in 2007 with Martin Dickie. A multiple award-winner James received the title of Great British Entrepreneur of the Year for 2014/15 and was Europe’s first Master Cicerone.

Jason Leitch

Jason Leitch is the National Clinical Director at the Scottish Government and an Honorary Professor at the University of Dundee. Chosen as the HFMA 2011 UK Clinician of the Year, he was previously a Quality Improvement Fellow sponsored by the Health Foundation at IHI, in Boston from 2005-06. Jason is now a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and a trustee of the Indian Rural Evangelical Fellowship which runs orphanages in south-east India. He has a doctorate from the University of Glasgow, an MPH from Harvard and is a fellow of the three Royal Colleges.

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Laura Beveridge

Laura Beveridge is a Development Officer at Who Cares? Scotland helping young people in Scotland. Having grown up in care herself, Laura’s life was disruptive in a different way, moving around a lot and having everything she did, from jumping on a trampoline to a sleepover with friends, recorded and risk assessed. Prior to this strict and nervous system Laura’s life was a collection of trauma, rejection and physical pain.

Luke Robertson

Luke Robertson is no stranger to overcoming challenges. After recovering from having an artificial pacemaker fitted and more recently from undergoing extensive brain surgery, he became the youngest Brit, the 2nd youngest in history and the first Scot to complete a solo, unsupported and unassisted expedition to the South Pole, Antarctica. Luke is an ambassador for both Marie Curie and for the Polar Academy, has been on expeditions to Norway and Greenland and competes in a variety of long distance, extreme, endurance events.

Marco Plas

Marco Plas has a triple Master’s degree in Economics, Informatics and Applied Mathematics. He is the Head of Research at I.R.I.S. (Int. Research Institute of Infant Studies), the course director of the Wonder Weeks Academy and the head of production at Kiddy World Publishing. With his team, he conducts research into the mental development of infants in the age-range of 0 to 5 years (with a particular focus of the range between 20 and 60 months). He continues the work of researching the theory of infant development started by the founders of the Wonder Weeks, Dr. Frans Plooij and Dr Hetty van de Rijt.

Mark Muller Stuart

Mark Muller Stuart QC is the founder of Beyond Borders Scotland, an Edinburgh based organisation dedicated to facilitating cultural dialogue and exchange between nations. He has been a UN Standby Mediation Expert since 2015, in support of the Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and Georgia peace processes. He is a senior British barrister (Queen’s Counsel) and international lawyer specialising in public international law and human rights and was the Chair of the Bar Human Rights Committee between 2005-12. He has first-hand experience of negotiations between governments and armed groups and has worked in a number of conflict zones including Afghanistan, Georgia, Iraq, Palestine Libya and Syria. Mark is a founding director of the Delfina Foundation and fellow of Harvard Law School.

Mark Payton

A Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis is perhaps an unusual start to a career in tech. But for 15 year old Mark Payton, as he lay in a hospital bed with his grandparents arguing over the genetic heritage of his newly detected disease, a potential career in the military fell swiftly by the wayside and research into the science of “why me” took centre stage. After a degree in Biochemistry, a PhD in the molecular Immunology of Type 1 Diabetes and working with some of Oxford University’s most acclaimed researchers, Mark was fortunate enough to be part of a team that developed a predictive test for diabetes with his research leading to a start-up business that subsequently listed on the London Stock Exchange. More recently, Mark led a management buyout to form what is now Mercia Technologies PLC to invest in and support start-up businesses.

Pam Hogg

Pam Hogg is a legendary fashion designer, rockstar and artist who appeared on the cover of the raw issue of i-D in 1989. Pam has supported Debbie Harry and the Pogues, is friends with Siouxie Sioux and Bobby Gillespie, and has had her fabulous fashions worn by everyone from Kylie to Rihanna. Scottish born and bred, and holding the Newbury Medal of Distinction from the Glasgow School of Art, Pam cuts a striking dash wherever she treads, is a fabulous raconteur, great fun and an incredible talent.

Ravinder Dahiya

Dr. Ravinder Dahiya is Reader and EPSRC Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow’s School of Engineering. He is the leader of Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies (BEST) group. His multidisciplinary research interests include Flexible and Printable Electronics, Electronic Skin, and System Integration. He has published more than 120 articles, 4 patents, 4 books and many book chapters. He has worked on a variety of EU projects (ROBOSKIN, RobotCub, and FLEXSENSOTRONICS) and is currently leading the EU funded Marie Curie ITN – CONTEST (www.contest-itn.eu), and EPSRC Fellowship for Growth: Printable Tactile Skin.

Ruairidh Wynne-McHardy

Ruairidh Wynne-McHardy is a trained lawyer, legal technologist and startup founder. He has lived in three countries, speaks two languages and has one goal – to change the face of the legal profession by encouraging the use of legal technology.

Steve McCreadie

Steve McCreadie has 20 years operational and business development experience, a Masters in Leadership and was a finalist in the IoD Director of Year Awards 2015. He has previously led award-winning services and inspired by the Scottish entrepreneurial ecosystem, subsequently created The Lens: a unique programme which develops intrapreneurship, creating innovation capability and ideas from front line staff. A Fellow of RSA and Leader in Entrepreneurial Scotland Steve works with charities across Scotland and is committed to improving people’s lives. The success of The Lens recently saw Steve being invited to meet the Deputy First Minister of Scotland.