Member Article

TV Dragon To Help North East Entrepreneurs

Venture capitalist and Dragon’s Den judge Doug Richard will be in Newcastle next week to meet the leaders of some of the region’s most ambitious companies.

he 46-year old Californian is founder and Chairman of information services company Library House, as well as co-founder of the Cambridge Angels (supporters of high-quality technology start-ups). In a packed programme put together by the Bridge Club, Doug will be leading an Entrepreneurs Masterclass for fast-growing companies invited by the Alchemists.

Doug is himself an alchemist (one of the team of experts used by that organisation) and will challenge a group of CEOs to identify ways to manage their growth. The Masterclass will be followed by a presentation on ‘Growing your business’ and lunch with some of the region’s significant private sector business leaders. Here, Doug will be sharing pragmatic advice gained from 18 years’ experience in developing technology and software ventures here and in the US. In the afternoon he will turn his attention to the businesses of the future.

He will be ‘in conversation’ with early stage businesses, enterprising undergraduates and managers of spin-out companies from the region’s five universities. Caroline Theobald, Managing Director of the Bridge Club and Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne will be leading the event. She said: “This is a very exciting initiative for a wide range of owner-managers in the region, at many different stages of their business journey. “I am sure that we will all benefit from Doug Richard’s expertise and experience – and - who knows perhaps he will identify some interesting opportunities for investigation as well!”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .