BIOGRAPHY
Sir Geoff Mulgan CBE is a world-leading expert on how to create innovative ideas that change lives for the better, and how to turn these ideas into reality.
Until 2019 he was CEO of Nesta, having held the role since 2011. Nesta is the UK’s innovation foundation and runs a wide range of activities in investment, practical innovation and research.
Under his leadership, Nesta moved out of the public sector to become an independent foundation; greatly expanded its work, partly through creating new units, centres and funds in fields ranging from evidence and impact investment to challenge prizes and skills; and complemented its work in the UK with work in dozens of countries around the world.
From1997 to 2004, Sir Geoff had various roles in the UK government including director of the Government’s Strategy Unit and head of policy in the Prime Minister’s office. Between 2004 and 2011, Geoff was the first Chief Executive of The Young Foundation. He was the first director of the think-tank Demos; Chief Adviser to Gordon Brown MP and a reporter on BBC TV and radio. He has been a visiting professor at LSE, UCL and Melbourne University and is currently a senior visiting scholar at Harvard University. He has helped set up many organisations including Demos and the Young Foundation as well as the Social Innovation Exchange (SIX), Uprising, Studio Schools Trust and Action for Happiness.
Sir Geoff co-chaIrs a World Economic Forum group looking at innovation and entrepreneurship in the fourth industrial revolution. He has advised many governments around the world and is currently chair of an international advisory committee for the Mayor of Seoul and a member of advisory committees for the Prime Minister’s office in the UAE, the Scottish Government and SITRA, the Finnish Innovation agency.
Sir Geoff’s most recent book is Big Mind: how collective intelligence can change our world (2017). His other publications include The Art of Public Strategy, Good and Bad Power and The Locust and the Bee. His books have been translated into many languages.
GEOFF MULGAN: SPEAKER
Sir Geoff delivers brilliantly inspiring talks on how technology and innovation can be harnessed to enhance people’s lives and improve the state of the world.
From the future economy and impact investing to happiness and education, he not only delivers inspirational visions of the future, but also shows how we can turn these visions into reality.