Tech entrepreneurs swap notes with seasoned directors

It’s not often you see a 20-something music business influencer swapping notes with a 50-something director of a top FTSE company.  But creative brainstorming between young tech entrepreneurs and older professionals was at the heart of Next-Up’s first conference in Leeds earlier this month.

The conference brought together more than 100 nearly or newly retired professionals with young entrepreneurs, charities, private equity firms and headhunters who are keen to use their considerable talents.

Both generations reported huge benefits after just one day.  Zandra Moore, one of the ten young tech entrepreneurs who took part, said: “The room was full of senior professionals who I don’t think quite realise their value to people like me.  It was incredibly valuable to have such experienced people ask very sensible and challenging questions.” Moore, CEO of data analytics company Panintelligence, added: “When you are dealing with day-to-day business problems, it’s hard to helicopter above that to be more strategic. I now have five or six contacts who want to help us.”

The Next-Up conference was designed to spark new ideas about the different ways seasoned professionals can use their skills when they retire from conventional working life.  Victoria Tomlinson, who founded Next-Up just six months ago, has coined the phrase ‘unretired’ for the growing number of clients who seek Next-Up’s help because they are reluctant to retire in the traditional sense. Instead they are keen to find new outlets for their experience, whether that’s helping entrepreneurs or charities, starting a business or consultancy, mentoring or taking up a non-executive role.

But she believes passionately that they need to be tech aware, and to understand what the future for business looks like.  The Next-Up Conference helped them do just that.

The keynote speaker, award-winning digital marketing entrepreneur Lexi Mills, emphasised how much the generations can learn from each other.  She demystified everything from AI and algorithms to immersive meeting spaces and the latest apps.  Next-Up’s CEO  Tomlinson added, “The audience was transfixed.  Lexi was brilliant at putting fast-moving digital technology into the context and perspective of an older generation – recognising their fear of the new and pointing out why this new world needs the wisdom and experience of seasoned professionals to make it work.”

A big success of the day, according to feedback from delegates, were table discussions where the older professionals gave their input on challenges posed by individual entrepreneurs and charities, including:

•  ‘How do we mitigate against Brexit? ’ Rich Wood, managing director of  growth marketing agency Six & Flow
•  ‘How should we grow – organically or venture?’ Simon Barratt, Director,  Cooperative Innovations & Gamemakers

• ‘How can we start selling our second-hand furniture digitally?’ Cath Follin, Emmaus charity for the homeless.

Tomlinson said: “This new concept absolutely worked – young entrepreneurs loved getting wisdom and experience on the challenges they are facing.  The seasoned generation is keen to help others and loved working with younger people. There was such energy and buzz in the room.

“The conference confirmed my belief that collaboration between the generations is the way forward.  A director of a FTSE told me, “The day genuinely moved me to action to change that which is not making me happy. It’s a big step to understand that I don’t want to do nothing, but I equally don’t want to keep doing what I am doing! There is a next step which does not have to be retirement.” This response is typical. We want to focus the business to meet what is clearly a growing need.”

Next-Up helps individuals moving on from conventional working life to refine their identity, rework skills, build new contacts and find new opportunities – whether helping charities and entrepreneurs; starting a business or consultancy; mentoring others or becoming a speaker. Next-Up offers people looking for a non-executive role the best chance of succeeding in a competitive market, from positioning skills to match board roles, writing CV and LinkedIn profiles, interview skills and introductions where appropriate.