New Business Thinking.

Christian Owens founded Paddle in 2012 when he was 18. He led Paddle as CEO for 11 years, scaling the business to 4,000 customers, completing a $200M acquisition of US-based ProfitWell, and a $1.4 billion valuation

In addition to Paddle, Christian invests in 5-10 seed-stage startups per year. He's been named in the Forbes 30 Under 30, and is a Thiel Fellow. Since stepping down from Paddle in 2024, Christian has been working on a new company which is currently in stealth

Steve will be talking about the inside story of one of the UK’s most successful-ever start-ups: Gymshark. In nine years as its CEO and Executive Chairman, he oversaw sales growth from £5m to £500m. Powerful entrepreneurial thinking – and learnings – throughout.

Steve is the ex-EMEA Commercial Director of Reebok/Adidas; a Changemaker with BCH / Partner with St. Basils charity; and the Founder of Whanau – an advisory / investment organisation that supports the fast-growing SMEs.

He's also a (very) proud Geordie.

Madelaine Thomas is the founder of Image Angel, a company dedicated to combating non-consensual intimate image (NCII) abuse online. In response to the prevalence of such abuses, Image Angel developed invisible watermarking technology that embeds unique, unremovable fingerprints into images. This innovation allows platforms to trace unauthorised sharing back to the perpetrator, enhancing user safety and platform accountability. This survivor-led deterrent has been recommended as best practice by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Lux Rewards, a UK-based loyalty tech startup founded by University of Bath alumnus and current Executive MBA student James Courtney, has been acquired by global rewards giant Enigmatic Smile in an eight-figure deal. It’s a remarkable turnaround story—just a few years ago, the company was weeks away from shutting down. Now, it reaches over 105 million cardholders worldwide and is a leader in card-linked rewards

This story may be particularly relevant, as James’ journey from growing up in Bristol to becoming a leading entrepreneur is truly inspiring. After excelling academically, he went on to win the University of Bath Business Plan Competition twice and was also recognised by winning the EntreConf Award— for his entrepreneurial achievements. He now leads one of the UK’s fastest-growing loyalty tech startups.

Zara Nanu, MBE is an award-winning entrepreneur reimagining the future of work through innovation and inclusion. As founder of Gapsquare, she built pioneering tech that’s helped global companies close pay gaps and design fairer workplaces. Zara now leads WorkVue, shaping future-of-work strategies with a bold, data-driven lens. A member of the Harvard Kennedy School Women’s Leadership Board and advisor to CEOs, she’s a sought-after voice on equity, AI, and value in a changing world.

Alex is a partner in the firm’s Corporate and M&A team, working in all areas of corporate finance, and is also a member of the firm’s Technology sector group. Alex has a particular focus on technology sector M&A, venture capital and private equity and leads the firm’s Emerging Companies practice at the firm, supporting high-growth businesses and their investors.

Professor Andy Salmon, moved to Bath four years ago from Cambridge, currently focusing on regeneration, social cohesion, place making, and the development of human and social value through the ISTART and other projects. Roles include: pro vice chancellor External Bath Spa University, chair of corporation at Bath College, director of the London Film Academy, tutor for the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education.

Bob co-founded Mytton Williams, a strategic, creative studio, in 1996. Projects have encompassed all aspects of branding, working with global brands to ambitious SMEs. His work has been recognised in national and international design awards and publications. Client experience includes: Clarks, Millfield, National Trust, ReMind UK, Thermae Bath Spa and Waitrose.

He is an Associate Lecturer at Bath Spa University and co-founder of: West of England Design Forum; Werkhouse, an industry-led design education programme; and Bath Unlimited, an initiative to promote Bath businesses. He also wrote and designed a book and exhibition called ‘Made in Bath’, celebrating makers and craftsmanship, which led to the ‘Meet the Maker’ podcast.

Richard founded Link Stone Advisory to deliver integrated corporate development to support growth and value creation. The practice now has a multidisciplinary team of experts who collaborate to deliver more impactful solutions for clients. Richard previously worked for Future Plc, PlaySports Group and PwC.

As Co-CEO of Digital Wonderlab, Nathan is passionate about harnessing technology to fuel creativity, efficiency, and growth. A serial entrepreneur, he thrives on building businesses and helping others leverage tech to do more, faster, and smarter.

With over two decades of experience working with startups, enterprises, and not-for-profits, Nathan specialises in making the complex simple—using AI and digital innovation to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive real impact.

Under his leadership, Digital Wonderlab helps businesses harness the power of AI and digital solutions to work smarter, innovate faster, and achieve more.

Sam Wood qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2017 and has since specialised in providing accounting and tax advice to primarily small and medium sized enterprises (SME’s) and owner managed businesses.

Sam is helping to grow Albert Goodman’s Bristol office since its opening in the summer of 2023, but he also spends his time in Taunton and the other offices in the South-West.