The February Entrepreneurs Monthly Meet Up (EMM) brought together students, educators, entrepreneurs, and partners for an evening of discussion focused on Social Tech.
Hosted at Central Tech in collaboration with Knowledge Quarter Liverpool (KQ Liverpool), the session was led by Richard Leighton, Entrepreneur in Residence for the Brett Centre for Entrepreneurship. This was the third EMM of the academic year, continuing the programme’s approach of hosting events in diverse business and innovation settings across the city.
The event was also recorded for a podcast series to support pupils involved in the Enterprise Education in Secondary School (EEiSS) programme, which brings enterprise education and practical entrepreneurial skills into secondary schools across the Liverpool City Region.
The evening also featured the Enterprise Competition Final, with six pupils from King’s Leadership Academy presenting their start-up ideas. More than 20 applications were received from Years 7–11, with over £1,000 in seed funding available through grants of £100–£250.
Judges were Emily Robson (KQ Liverpool), James Barber (Harker), and Codi Ellis (KQ Liverpool). While scores were finalised, Emily Robson provided an overview of KQ Liverpool’s work and priorities in the regional innovation landscape.
Attendees also heard from James Barber, CEO and Co-Founder of Harker, a Social Tech organisation based in Central Tech and supported by LYVA Labs. James discussed Harker’s work supporting homelessness charities through data analysis, real-time insights, and AI-driven reporting, as well as the development of the platform and its impact-focused approach. The conversation covered his entrepreneurial journey, collaboration with partners, and planned developments for 2026.
Commenting on the event, speaker James Barber said “It was great to have an opportunity to talk to an engaged group of entrepreneurs about the work we’re doing at Harker on our mission to solve homelessness with data, and the support we’ve received from the University along our journey. A particular highlight of the evening was speaking with many aspiring entrepreneurs during the networking portion, who asked insightful, interesting questions and showed abundant enthusiasm and a desire to solve problems using their skills. It was also a privilege to be a judge for the fantastic young people pitching. It was amazing to hear such strong and well-thought-out ideas at such a young age, and I am excited to see how they succeed with the prizes they won.”
The evening concluded with refreshments and informal networking.
About the Entrepreneurs Monthly Meet-up
The Entrepreneurs Monthly Meet-up (EMM) is a University HEIF-funded initiative run by the Brett Centre for Entrepreneurship (BCfE) in collaboration with six colleges and universities across the Liverpool City Region. The EMM provides a forum where entrepreneurs, students and graduates from across the North West can connect for networking opportunities and hear first-hand insights from business leaders on their entrepreneurial journeys.