March 9, 2018, by The Ingenuity Lab

Ingenuity18 Ideas Summit: Discovering, Disrupting, Innovating

“Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world” – Roald Dahl

Friday 23 – Sunday 25 February saw over 300 students, alumni, ECRs and staff take over Jubilee Campus for the Ingenuity18 Ideas Summit, part of the University of Nottingham’s innovation event. The Ingenuity18 Ideas Summit was a great weekend filled with opportunities for teams to learn, develop ideas and hear from keynote speakers of varying career backgrounds. It was a chance for the 300 innovators to explore their potential and be inspired to find ways to #FixTheWorld. We got a chance to speak to Abbie-Gayle Johnson, a current University of Nottingham PhD student, and her experience of the weekend.

“My business idea is Ecopack, a producer and manufacturer of biodegradable food containers and utensils, made from sugarcane bagasse and primarily designed for the Caribbean market.” She continued: “I aim to create products that improve and maintain the well-being of the environment and those that it serves.” 

Across the weekend we had a variety of sessions including ones led by Director of the Haydn Green Institute, Professor Simon Mosey as well as UK Director of Change.org, Kajal Odedra. When asked what session had the most impact on shaping how she thinks and her idea, Johnson responded:

“The presentations and conversations by Ian Filby and Sarah Smith had the most impact on shaping how I think. Too often we neglect ‘self’ in pursuit of our goals. This I am guilty of. Both presentations provided practical suggestions to the path of creating and maintaining ‘self’, the most valuable asset. Your health is your wealth and this brings you value.”

Ian Filby, CEO of DFS gave an opening keynote speech on the importance of physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being in innovation. Touching on making sure that the big stones (time with ourselves, time with family) in our lives are in place so that we can effectively fit the sand (start-up business, meetings) into our lives too.

Sarah Smith of Indigo Leadership gave a session called ‘Into the Great Outdoors’, giving attendees the opportunity to wander outside, see the beauty in nature and reflect on themselves and their ideas.

“If I could give one piece of advice to fellow competitors based on the sessions would be, In order to generate true and meaningful value for others, one must sometimes quiet the mind and look within the depth and breadth of the imaginative soul that deliberately connects us with the answers of the universe.”

Abbie-Gayle Johnson

If your team attended the Ingenuity18 Ideas Summit make sure you keep attending the Ingenuity18 Innovation Diploma, which is a 5-week evening course designed to provide participants with the tools and knowledge needed to create viable, fully-costed business plans and proposals for innovative ideas. Don’t forget, application deadline for the Ingenuity18 Competition must be in before Midnight on 23^rd, March 2018.

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