Are you an aspiring entrepreneur? Are you interested in technology, or VC investing? Or are you passionate about Diversity & Inclusion? If the answer to any or all of these is ‘yes’ then don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to join us for an evening with Eric Collins, serial entrepreneur, investor, technology executive and host of Channel 4 business show, ‘The Money Maker’.
Hosted by the Imperial College Black Alumni Network, the conversation will be led by Dr Michelle Palmer, CEO and Founder of TheDifferenceEngine, and will include a Q&A followed by networking with food and drinks provided.
The first 50 alumni (and guests) to register will receive a copy of Eric’s book: ‘We Don’t Need Permission: How Black Business Can Change Our World’ (Penguin) which will be available to pick up on the day. Please note you must attend in order to receive your copy. We cannot post your copy to you.
Eric Collins is CEO and Co-Founder of Impact X Capital Partners, host of Channel 4’s ‘The Money Maker’ and author of ‘We Don’t Need Permission: How Black Business Can Change Our World’. Eric has spent much of his career building the value of digital companies through innovative strategies at public and private companies including AOL, TimeWarner, Tegic/Nuance Communications, MobilePosse, SwiftKey/Microsoft and most recently, Touch Surgery, where he was COO.
He sits on the boards of companies in San Francisco and London, including Tech Nation. In 2011, President Obama appointed him to the Small Business Administration’s Council on Underserved Communities. Eric has been featured in Bloomberg, CNN, Dow Jones, The Times, The Guardian, BBC Radio, ITV News, Sky News, and several other media outlets and podcasts. Eric is also a brand ambassador for Audi, and the youth charity The Prince’s Trust.
In 2018, The Financial Times named him among the UK’s top 100 BAME leaders in technology. Since 2019, he has been voted one of the most influential Black people in Britain on The Powerlist. In his award-winning book, ‘We Don’t Need Permission: How Black Business Can Change Our World’ (Penguin), Eric argues investing in Black and underrepresented entrepreneurs is the surest, fastest socio-economic game changer there is.
Dr Michelle Palmer is CEO & Founder of TheDifferenceEngine, an international award-winning recruitment business specialising in IT hires. The first leg of her career has been as a practising technologist, working in software engineering and IT management. The second leg is now in business, founding TheDifferenceEngine which partners with corporations and fast-growth scale-out businesses to produce outstanding results.
Michelle is a start-up mentor at Imperial College, London, in support of students and academics launching entrepreneurial ventures. She is also linked to affinity networks MSDUK, WEConnect and WPO which shine a spotlight on BAME and Woman-owned businesses.
Michelle is often asked to input into diversity thought leadership and has been asked to speak at events in support of her clients, and the wider community, both in London and NY.
Spaces are limited for what promises to be an exclusive event, so book early to avoid disappointment, and to get a copy of the book.
We welcome all Imperial alumni and students to join this event.
You are welcome to share the details of this event with other Imperial alumni you may be in contact with. A waitlist will be in operation. Should your plans change, and you are no longer able to attend, please cancel your ticket via Eventbrite or email us at alumni@imperial.ac.uk.
If you’re an Imperial staff member and would like to attend, please email Kellianne in the Alumni Relations team (k.bartley@imperial.ac.uk).
Refunds
We can offer refunds on cancelled tickets up to 7 days before the event.