Kane Fulton, March 15, 2020 4 min read
Our 11 Entrepreneur Engagement Managers (or EEMs for short) are here to help scaling digital tech founders across the UK for nothing in return – though a smile is always appreciated!
We have 11 EEMs, which each are based in (and represent) a region (or country) of the UK. That’s Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – in addition to England: the North West; Yorkshire; Midlands; East of England; South West; South East; and London. We’re currently recruiting an EEM for the North East – see this page for more details.
You may be wondering if it’s worth your time heading to one of the pages above and booking in a meeting with an EEM. To answer that question, here’s an overview of how our EEMs support digital tech founders.
London EEM Eoin Marsh chats to delegates at an event
Our EEMs are ‘super-connectors’ – they meet new people in their tech ecosystem daily – including (collectively) more than 2,500 early-, mid- and late-stage digital tech founders annually. That’s in addition to many other people – from investors and skills support providers to government officials.
If there’s somebody that you need introducing to, the chances are that your local EEM knows them – and if not, they’ll know somebody who does. Whether you’re seeking somebody who can help you with a particular challenge or are simply looking to grow your network, they’re here to help.
Scotland EEM Hazel Jane compèred Startup Summit festival in 2019
Plus, our EEMs aren’t well-connected in their home region alone – they’re connected with each other, too.
If you’re seeking knowledge on multiple regions – let’s say you’re looking to expand domestically with a new office, for example – our EEMs can put their heads together to provide advice and connect you with the people necessary to make an informed decision.
EEMs attend many events and work with tech communities, sitting on boards and steering committees set up by digital-focused organisations and Local Enterprise Partnerships (or LEPs).
They go to the trouble of making the aforementioned connections for one reason: to meet people who can help founders’ digital tech companies grow. It’s not to get involved in side projects; and although they may be ‘super’ by definition, unfortunately, they can’t help everybody.
East of England EEM Thea Goodluck talks ecosystem stats at a Cambridge event
Tech Nation opens callouts to apply for our growth programmes, including:
While our EEMs can’t write your company’s application for you, and have no influence on which companies are accepted onto our programmes, they can provide advice and guidance on what successful applications typically include. And, if you aren’t sure what benefits our programmes provide (and which is for you), our EEMs can talk you through which would help you achieve your company’s goals.
Our EEMs can also provide general advice around Tech Nation’s initiatives:
It’s true that there are many great resources on the web for events. Our EEMs constantly curate and share on social media the most useful events across the UK for digital tech founders to attend. If you have an event that you would like your region’s EEM to share on Twitter or LinkedIn, let them know.
Northern Ireland EEM Gary Davidson provides pitch training at the Rising Stars semi-final
Additionally, our EEMs are always keeping our ears to the ground to bring you the latest public opportunities that you can apply for. They could be anything from a new accelerator to a new initiative that a corporate is running.
This is another example of how our EEMs ‘connect the dots’ through cross-referrals all across the UK. To provide an example, our Northern Irish EEM once notified a company in the Midlands of a fantastic new accelerator based in Belfast. That company was successful in applying and gained a lot from taking part.
Our EEMs are tightly woven into their local digital tech ecosystems, and as such regularly tweet the latest events and opportunities for founders. Each National Network page features a link to their Twitter accounts – so make sure you give them a follow! You can also find them in our handy Twitter list.
Our EEMs Vicky Hunter, Jem Henderson and Mo Aldalou, with Head of Entrepreneur Engagement Liz Scott
Last but not least, our EEMs can help secure you and your business coverage on our National Network pages. We have the capability to interview digital tech company founders and their teams either in person or online – so if you’re interested in telling your story, contact your local EEM using the form on their page and we’ll get back to you.
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