In this episode of Ideas to Impact, Charlotte sits down with Craig and Geoff, the co-founders of WITR (WITR – “Who’s In The Room”), a simple but powerful networking tool designed to make in-person events less awkward and more intentional. They talk about how an introvert’s frustration at traditional networking sparked the idea, how WITR helps attendees see who’s in the room and why they’re there, and how the product has evolved with live events, GDPR and AI in mind. The conversation also dives into the realities of being a founder, the importance of community and encouragement, and how a trip to Silicon Valley reshaped their mindset around scale, failure, and ambition.

• (00:00:00) - Welcome to Ideas to Impact & guest introductions
• (00:01:50) - Origin story – networking pain points and the first Witter prototype
• (00:04:02) - How WITR works for attendees and event organisers
• (00:10:12) - Building a SaaS: focus, pricing and partnerships
• (00:15:11) - The founder journey – resilience, community and encouragement
• (00:23:22) - Silicon Valley mindset – risk, failure and thinking bigger
• (00:34:45) - Tech trends, AI matchmaking and the future of WITR
• (00:41:43) - User-led growth, affiliates and privacy-first networking
• (00:48:00) - Advice for founders and how to get started with WITR

In this episode of Ideas to Impact, host Hannah speaks with Olivia Parkes, founder and CEO of Persi, a B2B personalisation tool for e-commerce retailers. Olivia shares how Persi is redefining the online shopping experience by recommending products based on what customers already own — not just what they’ve clicked. Together, they discuss the journey of turning an idea into a funded business, tackling imposter syndrome in tech, and the future of personalised and sustainable fashion.

• (00:00:00) - What Persi is and how it works
• (00:05:00) - The problem with current e-commerce personalisation
• (00:07:00) - Building trust and protecting customer data
• (00:08:30) - How Persi’s recommendations stand apart from typical “you may also like” systems
• (00:10:00) - The challenges of scaling and maintaining trend accuracy
• (00:17:00) - Transitioning from marketing to tech founder
• (00:20:00) - Finding a CTO and overcoming imposter syndrome
• (00:28:00) - Mentorship and resilience through failure
• (00:37:00) - The story behind raising £665,000 and using LinkedIn for fundraising
• (00:44:00) - Encouraging female angel investors and building community
• (00:47:00) - Lessons for founders: transparency, persistence, and community

In this episode of Ideas to Impact, Ruth speaks with Maxwell Scott-Slade, founder of GLITCHERS, a games studio building health-focused games in partnership with scientists. Maxwell shares how his journey from entertainment games to neuroscience collaborations shaped Glitchers’ mission to become the “Fitbit for your brain.” He discusses projects on Alzheimer’s, mental health, and environmental issues, alongside the challenges of scaling, securing funding, and growing internationally.

• (00:00:00) - The vision: “Fitbit for your brain”
• (00:01:02) - From indie games to science collaborations
• (00:02:11) - Making The Great Sperm Race for Channel 4
• (00:05:48) - Brother’s diagnosis reshapes mission and purpose
• (00:09:46) - Expanding beyond Alzheimer’s to wider brain health
• (00:13:11) - Collaborations with UCL, CNRS, and other researchers
• (00:14:03) - Environmental simulation games with real ecological data
• (00:16:27) - Techscaler support and lessons from Japan trip
• (00:21:59) - Winning £75,000 through Scottish Edge
• (00:23:34) - Preparing for TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco
• (00:27:16) - Relaunching Sea Hero Quest with new features
• (00:31:12) - Reflections on global growth and future ambitions