Wikipedia founder confirmed for Liverpool event

THE founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, is to speak at a three-day business event in Liverpool this summer.

He will be joined by lastminute.com founder Martha Lane Fox and a raft of other speakers at Accelerate 2013, which is being described as a “stepping stone” event linking last year’s Global Entrepreneurship Congress and next year’s International Festival for Business.

Organisers hope to attract 1,000 people to Accelerate from June 24-27 which will focus on high growth business at a number of functions around the city.

Mr Wales said: “Great job Liverpool for hosting a festival with such a clear focus on high growth businesses. These are the businesses that are transforming communities and countries all over the world with their ambition and performance – and it is imperative that we lend them the continued inspiration and support they need.

“We built Wikipedia on the principles of collaboration and the free exchange of knowledge. Accelerate 2013 embodies the best of this collaboration – and the transformative power of the knowledge it can bring. I am thrilled to be a part of it and I can’t wait to meet the stock of talented businesses that will be there.”

Max Steinberg, chief executive of Liverpool Vision which has organised the event, said:  “Last year’s Global Entrepreneurship Congress was an inspiring event, acknowledged by its founders as the best ever, and which underlined the city’s commitment to support business and invigorated the entrepreneurial debate in the UK and across the world.

“I said at the time that we would continue to be ambitious and would host an annual festival of entrepreneurship here in Liverpool and Accelerate 2013 is that legacy. It will be the first ever flagship festival for the UK’s high potential businesses and Liverpool is the ideal host city having again become an internationally renowned hub for trade and industry.”