The Birmingham Business School Advisory Board Guest Lecture: Nick Jenkins

21st Century Luddites: To what extent do entrepreneurs have a responsibility to think about the impact of their innovations on society?

Speaker: Nick Jenkins, Founder of Moonpig.com and "Dragon" from BBC's Dragon's Den (2015-2017)
Location: Lecture Room G12, Birmingham Business School, University House (PDF - 171KB)

Nick is a serial investor in early stage technology businesses, known for founding Moonpig.com and for his stint as a Dragon on BBC Dragon’s Den. 

Moonpig was the first disruptive technology business in the greeting cards sector, generating sales of £400,000 per employee compared to its High St rival Clinton Cards who managed £30,000 per employee. Clinton Cards went into administration in May 2012 with the loss of several hundred jobs. Moonpig made cards better, funnier and more convenient for 5 million customers a year by 2011 when Nick sold the business. But should he have been concerned about the impact on employment? Nick is now a serial investor in technology business, including autonomous driving technology.

Nick will be asking whether or not entrepreneurs and investors should take into account the impact on society of disruptive technology or whether the state should set the parameters within which we should work.