Fiona is CEO of Makerversity, Europe’s iconic creative-tech entrepreneurial community, headquartered at Somerset House, one of London’s leading cultural hubs. She is responsible for Makerversity’s growth and its mission to power the best creative, science and technology start-ups.
Previously, Fiona was a board director of Time Inc., the UK’s no.1 cross-platform publisher. As Group Managing Director, she was responsible for the biggest women’s media portfolio in Britain. She has deep experience building media brands across luxury, fashion & beauty, interior design, health & wellbeing, travel, food, property, science and technology. Fiona played a pivotal role developing Time Inc.’s growth strategy in online revenues, events and membership. She is a digital pioneer, launching newscientist.com in 1996 and subsequently helping grow the company’s online audience from thousands to millions.
Fiona is an active angel investor and a member of 24 Haymarket, the UK’s leading angel
investor syndicate. She has invested in diverse sectors, including enterprise software, vegan food, bio-tech, med-tech, fashion couture and e-commerce. Fiona sits on the Board of Trackonomics, the award-winning enterprise platform for marketers. She recently joined the Digital Advisory Group of the British Council and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Speaker sessions
11:00 - 11:45
How Much Does Venture Capital Drive the Global Economy?
John Henry Brookes Lecture Theatre
The panel will look at the industry from the geographical aspect discussing:
- How has VC investing developed since the financial crisis?
- How has the investor base for VC funds changed?
- What level of returns has VCs as an asset class returned?
- Which sectors/technologies have been most favoured by funds
- What geographic trends has VC investing witnessed?
Speakers: Meriwether Beckwith – Oxford Capital Partners, Simon Blakey – Avonmore Developments, Fiona Dent – Makerversity and George Whitehead – Octopus Ventures
Chaired by Jens Tholstrup – OION