Chris is an investment manager who has worked in a number of different fields of finance within the last 15 years. During this time he has operated within Fund Management, Private Equity, Business Advisory and Audit.

Chris started his career within Fund Management, managing two funds along with a significant portfolio of legacy investee companies. He then spent some time in accountancy before returning to the faster pace of Investment Management and, notably, working with early-stage companies to secure investment for the last 10 years.

Now as the Investment Principal at Oxford Innovation Finance, he covers the Investment Network, EIS Fund and Beacon Fund, utilising his experience to identify tomorrow’s breakthrough businesses and support them in raising the investment they need to fuel the next stage of their journey. Chris has a degree in Business Economics from the University of Leicester and holds a certificate in Corporate Finance via the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investment.’

Richard has been working with early stage companies for the past twenty years, both in the UK and Australia in both a funding and business advisory capacity.

Having developed two early stage software companies himself, he has advised on hundreds of early stage companies to develop their growth strategies and raise them funding as a result. This allows Richard to be able to identify companies with strong growth potential and advise them if needed.

Richard has an MSc in Marketing from the University of Leicester and post graduate qualifications in applied finance and project management. Richard also has a CFA Certificate in Investment Management and the foundation course in Private Equity from the Australian Venture Capital Association. 

Andrew joined Oxford Innovation in 2010 and is a qualified business coach. Since then, he has worked with a wide variety of scale ups from pre-start to established businesses. He has a wealth of experience in £multi-million programme management, design and delivery innovation.

With a background in media, he held management positions in the national press and International Thomson Business Press before being appointed Publishing Director at Portsmouth & Sunderland Newspapers where he re-launched the flagship title, growing it into the largest selling regional weekly newspaper in the UK. He launched and grew his own contract publishing company with clients including Marks and Spencer, the YHA and P&O Ferries. Following this, he raised Angel and VC investment to lead a pioneering start-up developing innovative new web technologies that transformed the business of event marketing.

Emily Kent is the Head of Economy at Cornwall Council, where she leads strategic initiatives to drive sustainable economic growth and investment across the region. With over two decades of experience in local government and growth policy development, Emily has played a pivotal role in shaping Cornwall’s economic landscape through innovative programmes and inclusive growth strategies. Her expertise spans economic and growth programme development, investment funds, regeneration, sector development, project management, employment and skills, and community engagement. Emily has spearheaded major projects under the £184m Good Growth Programme, securing significant investments to capitalise on Cornwall’s distinctive growth opportunities, regenerate and revitalise town centres and create opportunities for businesses and communities. She is passionate about fostering better pay and job quality in Cornwall, underpinning local growth with principles that support fairness and prosperity.

Having started in corporate communications and advertising, Laura studied for an MBA and worked as a management consultant, making short films on the side, before moving to the British Film Institute in 2011. After moving to Cornwall in 2014 she has run projects for the British Film Commission, Raising Films, the UK Film Centre in Cannes and taken a delegation to the GREAT Festival of Creativity in Shanghai, as well as working for an app company and as a creative business adviser for an European funded programme supporting the creative sector.

Laura set up Screen Cornwall in 2019 and also continues to work as a producer of short and long form content through her company Storm Force Films. She is creative industries representative on Cornwall Council’s Economic Forum. Laura is passionate about sustainable growth and one of the founders of Goodfest Cornwall CIC.

Laura’s enthusiasm lies in all thing’s strategy & finance. She is the founder of Accountancy firm Whyfield which she has grown over the last decade with her best friend of 27 years and employs a team of over 20 finance professionals. Her achievements & awards include, Business Leader of the Year, SME Mentor of the year and Whyfield was named Best Place to Work in Cornwall.

Alongside supporting her SME clients and recently completing a Post Graduate Degree in Leadership & MBA, she holds the position of Chair of the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce & various NED roles, allowing her to be an active ambassador for innovative & sustainable growth within businesses.

Lucy co-founded Frugi, with her husband Kurt, back in 2004. Cornwall’s own organic childrenswear brand, the original vision was to fill a gap in the market manufacturing clothing that fitted over environmentally friendly (but bulky) washable nappies. Realising quite quickly that the market for ethical childrenswear in general was even bigger, the business grew from their little cottage in Constantine, to a turnover of £10M+ in 2018, based in Helston, that employed 100+ people. The business won 3 Queens Awards, was a “The Times” Fast Track “One to Watch” in 2016 (amongst other accolades) and gave over £1M to charity.  Lucy was awarded an MBE for services to Ethical Fashion in 2020.  Lucy and Kurt successfully exited Frugi in 2018 to Private Equity, after Kurt had a period of pro-longed ill health.

Lucy’s background was not in fashion, she has a BSc in Marine Biology and started her career in this area. This was followed by several years in Sales and Marketing in the pharmaceutical industry both in the UK and Australia.  Since exiting Frugi, Lucy has been a Trustee of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Chairperson of Cornwall Environmental Consulting and has mentored various fast growth businesses.

Having spent the early years of his accountancy career in the world of audit with PwC in the UK and overseas, Dave has spent the last 25 years involved with a wide range of corporate finance transactions with Ernst & Young and, more recently, PKF Francis Clark.

During this time Dave has advised on or carried out independent reviews of business plans, investment proposals and grant, debt or equity funding applications across a wide range of sectors. 

His particular interest is working with family-owned or unquoted businesses, helping them develop and achieve their strategic goals; whether this is raising finance to implement growth plans, undertaking acquisitions, assisting with succession planning or achieving a sale/exit.