UK Startup Community Influencers 2017 Edition
by Startacus Admin
Ever since we launched Startacus and developed our very own startup community, we’ve been very aware that making strong and valuable connections with other UK Startup Influencers can be key to building both our own network, sharing word on Startacus and creating valuable business opportunities along the way.
So to pass this knowledge on and also to give credit where credit is due, we’ve compiled our own list of, we think, current UK Startup Community champions and influencers. Some are established names and others, very much still up and coming. We’ve also focused on Startup Community Influencers who we know, know of, and also many whom have a grassroots approach and experience to the startup influence they now have.
Of course this list is by no means complete, and for every name added, there is one just as valuable missing. With this in mind, and like our recent article on key startup UK events and conferences for 2017, we will update this list weekly / monthly. So feel free to email us over to iam@startacus.net with any additional suggestions and we can at least consider them (no promises that they will be included however).
Over to the list - and to give you a little flavour of their background, we’ve included their (at time of publication) Twitter bio too. So, in no particular order...
Rishi Chowdhury - Founder of IncuBus Ventures (@IncuBusLondon). Connecting later stage startups w/ enterprise pilot opportunities via @momentum_london. Owns a double decker bus
Russ Shaw - Founder @TechLondonAdv & @GlobalTechAdv, Dialog Semi, L1 Technology Fund, Unwire, Skype, O2/Telefonica, Amex HBS, WashU, Founders4Schools, E2Exchange
Naomi Timperley - #Digital#StartUp Consultant, @coodigital, #TEDx Speaker, @bbcdragonsden Survivor, #Maserati100@fearless_events@TechNorthAdv Huge fan of @Wakelet#Tentoring
Eileen Burbidge - Early-stage tech VC and recovering work- and tech- aholic. Online identity full circle: Eileen Tso, Eileen Broch, Eileen Burbidge
Bruce Walker - 22 year old socially conscious entrepreneur, advisor and speaker. Founder of @WATF_ Partner at @FutureXGlobal & Blogger with @HuffingtonPost
Kate Jackson - Ex lawyer now entrepreneur. Co-founder of tech startups @TableCrowd@Silkfred@ClickTonight. Love triathlons, EIS SEIS chat, playing cupid, dining #techbikers
James Layfield - @CentralWorking , @thinkriseglobal & @mayoroflondon Tech Ambassador
Omar Hassan - CEO @inevert_global connecting startups & corporates to #InnovateTogether globally, Founder @UKMENAHUB Member of @IoD_99 chair @TLA_MENA Mentor all over.
Brent Hoberman - cofounder Founders Factory, http://lastminute.com, http://made.com, founders forum,Founders intelligence,smartup: non exec:The Economist
Kallum Russell - Chief Enterprise Officer @AcornEnterprise. Sunday Times #Maserati100. @StartupBritain Enterprise Champion. Likes live music, real beer and table football!
Kirsty Ranger - I help brands create successful equity funding campaigns via @IdeaSquares and @crowd_10. Tweet at me if you'd like a chat.
Dirk Bischof - #startupninja, mission driven entrepreneur, founder @hatchenterprise, @StartUpGoodBiz. Passion for #startups, #csr, #socent. always cycling & exploring. #FRSA
Jess Williamson - Upbeat Californian in London. Director @ Techstars working across our new accelerators in EMEA + APAC. Fan of comedy, fintech, dim sum, and of course blue!
Diane Roberts - Start up junkie, funder, Newry born, Warrenpoint is home.Delivering startup programmes across Ireland, connector. This is just me not my company or clients.
Mark McDonagh - Co Founder of The Startup Van @Startup_Van
Graham Hussey - Co-Founder of The Startup Van @Startup_Van
Hermione Way - Head Of European Communications For Tinder.
Emma Jones - Small business expert, author, and founder of small business network Enterprise Nation @e_nation SME Rep for Crown Commercial Service
Jim Duffy - My vision is to enable and inspire positive social change through the action of Entrepreneuring® @TheScotsman Columnist
Ken Valledy - Former Brand Director AB-InBev. Now CEO & Co-founder of 't2b' (tech2brand). A company focussing solely on connecting new start-up tech innovation to brands.
Peter Edgar - Living in Belfast - Passionate about building community, invention, hiking, photography @ShapersBelfast @bankofinvention@ YInfluencers #growgoodbuildnew
Benjamin Southworth - Singing Weirdo. Co-founder:@3_beards@unicornhuntio. Judge for @lovieawards. Mentor @rockstart.
Lucy Rose Walker - Chief Entrepreneuring Officer (CEO) @ESparkGlobal who loves executing, eating amazing food and drinking prosecco!! ISFJ also know as C3P0.
Martin Bryant - Telling the story of the North at @TechNorthHQ, also on Manchester Digital council. Snapchat: martinsfp. Making music as @TheStarFighterP. I say 'Yes' a lot.
Mary McKenna - Irish entrepreneur, storyteller, collector of people. My projects @TechforGoodCAST
@SCIE_socialcare @vinspired @IIBN
@MillenniumForum @RunAClub #maserati100
Ash Phillips - Social entrepreneur. I connect people. CEO @YoungNetworking. #Maserati100. Comic nerd. Film buff. Space geek. Gin lover. GIF connoisseur.
Timothy Campbell - Founder of @Bright_Ideas & Co-Owner of @M_Runners, @MayorofLondon Ambassador for @Apprenticeships, and #winner of #TheApprentice hosted by @Lord_Sugar
Dominic Jackman - Co-Founder of Escape the City. On a mission to help people find work they love. htescapethecity.org
Tony Robinson - The Micro Business Champion; Co-Founder #MicroBizMattersDay; Author of 5* satire 'Freedom from Bosses Forever'; SFEDI Group Founder.
Dan Sodergren - Dad. Husband. Lover of #technology. Digital marketing consultant / trainer / speaker. @FFFlipout Founder. Want marketing help follow me over at @ukmarketinghelp
Paul Lancaster - 'SuperConnector', founder of @PlanDigitalUK & @nclstartupweek, co-author of 'Small Business Marketing @ForDummies' & creator of #ThisIsMINE (Made In North East) 
Melody Hossaini - Award-winning Social Entrepreneur | Speaker | Skills Trainer | Founder @InspirEngage | ex-@BBCApprentice | Featured on Sky, BBC, CNBC. melody@inspirEngage.com
Matteo Scarabelli - Head of Startups @lmarks, #entrepreneurship and #technology passionate. Proud @inter FC fan and food lover. #europe#growth#startup
Alexandra Gilbert - Mosquito killer & brunch lover, running corporate innovation w/ @lmarks. Views my own.
Dan Rice - Developing great ideas through market research, community development and engaging in real person to person relationships. (Tag links DGR as the author)
Gemma Cameron - Developer: @coopdigital Queen Bee: technw.uk | @technwuk Organiser @hackmanchester rubygem.me
Lulia Tudor - Head of #Community@TechHub. @StartupInst Ambassador. Previously @clarifyio (@techstars#London company). Hectic about #gigs and an epic dancer. #startups
Priya Guha - Ecosystem GM for RocketSpace's new UK campus in London. Diplomat. British-Indian (& Italian by marriage). Professional multi-tasker. Mum of 2 wonderful boys. 
Sarah Drinkwater - Head @GoogleUK's @campuslondon, cofounder @thekilnco, board @CodeFirstGirls & @BlackhorseWS. I love London, looks and books.
Clare Cockerton - CEO of Plexal, Founder of ENTIQ & Innovate Finance, Co-Creator of Level39, Techbiker - Loves IoT, FinTech, Smart Cities, Design & Boldness in humans
Nafisa Bakkar - Alumni @ucl@founderscoders@igniteaccel • Startup @amaliah_tweets • Ranting @ http://medium.com/@Nafisa_B • Sometimes Mrs M •saynizzy
Russell Dalgleish - Tall Scottish guy | @ExoltaUK@SBNscot@startedin@watf_ | Serial Entrepreneur |Investor | focus on Strategy, Leadership and Value Creation | russell@exolta.com
Oli Barrett - Connecting the dots to grow big ideas. Event MC and moderator. Co-founder of @StartUpBritain@TennerFiverYE@TeamCospa Connector Unit & Speednetwork the Globe
Elizabeth Varley - Co-founder & CEO @TechHub, we work globally with 750 tech startups to help them scale. 7 locations: London HQ, Europe, India & more soon
Josephine Goube - Cheerful French Londoner. CEO at @Techfugees, tweeting abt #tech#maps#immigration & #StartupVisa
Holly Tucker MBE- Founder & Chief Inspirator NOTHS, Founder of Holly & Co. UK Ambassador for Creative Small Businesses. Championing & supporting small businesses
Jonny Cadden - Connecting tech founders to smart money @businessrocksuk#BR2017 Festival - Empowering the future of technology 
Paul Dowling - Founder of dreamstake on-line accelerator, investor, passionate about #startups, #disruption, the internet, tennis and running.
Nektarios Liolios - Co-founder and CEO Startupbootcamp FinTech & InsurTech, Co-founder Rainmaking Innovation
Steve Bartlett - 24 | CEO @TheSocialChain. The worlds No.1 Social Marketing agency. Helping brands go deeper than engagement. London, Manchester, Berlin, New York.
Eze Vidra - Chief Innovation Officer at Antidote, disrupting clinical trials with technology. Founded @Techbikers and @campuslondon, blog at http://vccafe.com
Gareth Quinn - Father to 3, Husband to 1 and part of a great team delivering @DigitalDNAHQ
Debbie Wosskow OBE - Entrepreneur. Investor in female founders. Sharing economy expert. OBE. CEO of @lovehomeswap. Chairman of @weareallbright Chairman of @sharEconUK.
Diane Perlman - Passionate about startups, MassChallenge, branding & marketing that cuts through, Bikram Yoga, cooking & eating, traveling. #BIMA100 2016
Mike Butcher - (MBE) Editor-At-Large @TechCrunch | @TechHub @Coadec
@TheEuropas @Techfugees Snap: themikebutcher
Tara Mei - Loves milky coffee and bacon sandwiches. Preferably one after the other. Previously @the90daycafe and now @kitchtablepro and @breadbutterfest
Joel Blake - I help organisations benefit from #diversity, using #entrepreneurship and #technology.
#Speaker #Facilitator. OBE for Services to Business Support & Enterprise. 
Laurence Sangarde-Brown - Head of Partnerships and Growth @Jobbio || Talk: #Startup#Tech
Vicky Hunter - @3_Beards community gal, #travel#vlogger, #digitalnomad
Tina Boden - Co-Founder: @MicroBizMatters - giving MicroBiz a voice|| Founder: The Tiny Troubleshooter - solving business problems|| Chair: #AndrewMcGeownLegacyFund (@RNLI)
Nick Brisbourne - Managing Partner at Forward Partners - on a mission to invest in the UK's best eCommerce companies
Gary Lennon - Realistic cynic. Optimistic fool. Made sense of small business finance with @bizbritain now to speed it up #FinTech.
Tom Salmon - Founder & CEO of @TrafficDigital and @TheBakeryLdn: Connecting Brands and Startups, Open Innovation, New Product + Customer Developmnt, Growth Hacker & Investor
Gabriel Pizzolante - Founder - Tech Startup Connector - Event Organiser/Consultant - International entrepreneurship
Nikki Cochrane - CoFo/CEO Red Woman Of The Year 2016 @DigitalMumsHQ
A new staffing solution to #startups #sme for flexible #digital #socialmedia experts #WorkThatWorks #hackney
Kathryn Tyler - Changing the flexible working landscape as co-founder of @digitalmumsHQ. Hackney resident. Bull Terrier owner. Red Woman of the Year. Marie Claire #futureshaper
**Again, just to repeat the point, this is a personal list and of course is by no means fully complete.**
Email us over to iam@startacus.net with any additional suggestions and we can at least consider them (no promises that they will be included however).
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