Change Makers for industry experts

Harnessing the collective knowledge to help the next generation of deep tech chemistry entrepreneurs and scale-up leaders

About

We don’t need to tell you about being a Change Maker. You know only too well how critical it is to learn from both success and failure if we are to improve the route to impact for a new generation of ventures.

Venture communities require many types of expertise to realise their potential from mentors, advisors, coaches, experts, investors to facilities, universities, corporates and Government. You can be one of them.

Through Change Makers we:

Focus and support visionary deep tech chemistry ventures, whose goal is to find solutions for challenges highlighted in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Seek to catalyse solutions to systemic issues that are hampering deep tech chemistry ventures. That may be by improving access to investment, improving access to chemistry facilities, diversity in chemistry entrepreneurship or tackling scaling-up challenges due to availability of large-scale manufacturing facilities, etc.
Provide real-world experience and expertise to fuel success. We believe in the ethos of ‘pay it forward’. Through Change Makers, you can pay-back the support that you received, and realise the value of your experience, to benefit the next generation of deep tech chemistry entrepreneurs.
Tell powerful stories of emerging ideas, with potential to change the world.

How to get involved

By joining Change Makers, industry experts have a number of opportunities to get involved and be part of an ecosystem of other like-minded experts, entrepreneurs and investors.

As an industry expert you can become a mentor through our Venture Mentoring programme, supporting our entrepreneurs as they develop their ventures, helping them build the capabilities and skills to tackle both the opportunities and challenges they face.

Through our Masterclasses you can share your knowledge, insights and learnings with the next generation deep-tech chemistry entrepreneurs or with business leaders who are on a trajectory to success.

Many industry experts contribute to our research and action around systemic issues holding back the progress of deep tech ventures. Check out the Deep tech in action page for more information on the current areas we're looking to change.

Does this sound like you?

Our industry experts are experienced deep tech entrepreneurs, industry leaders or senior R&D professionals with significant industry experience in a commercially relevant field of the chemical sciences, based in the UK.

Some may be members of the Royal Society of Chemistry but this is not a pre-requisite for joining Change Makers.

Interested in joining Change Makers for industry experts?

Opportunities to get involved

Masterclasses

Find out more about our expert-led masterclasses

Find out more about our mentoring scheme for ventures

FAQs

Find out more about joining Change Makers for industry experts.

Are there particular skills or experiences that you're looking for?

A diverse range of individuals can become industry experts, although we are certainly seeking individuals that can bring a strong understanding of the technical and commercial challenges faced in bringing a new technology or innovation to market, as well as an understanding of the likely market barriers and opportunities.

Can senior academic researchers become industry experts?

We are looking for individuals with a strong understanding of the technical and commercial challenges faced in bringing a new technology or innovation to market. If an academic researcher has previously been an entrepreneur, gaining substantial experience in a senior executive role within a University spinout, then they may be eligible.

Are industry experts compensated?

We are deliberate in creating a virtuous cycle in Change Makers. We benefit from help and give back to others in our community with no specific expectations of return.

Is there a minimum time commitment?

This depends on the type of involvement you choose. If you become a venture mentor, it is unlikely to derive a meaningful engagement with the Change Make initiative in less than 6-months. We would hope that most Industry experts will join our ecosystem and stay within it for many years.