A whirlwind last couple of weeks has seen our WOW-elite crew out and about at a whole bunch of very cool, inspiring and awesome networking events.

MassChallenge2015 @MassChallengeUK launched it’s London programme last week at the impressive Tobacco Dock – where leading start-up entrepreneurs mixed with many of the MassChallenge alumni from their USA accelerator programme. MassChallenge is one of the UK’s largest start-up accelerator competitions with potential for equity-free support of up to £500k. Impressive launch, a video message from Boris Johnson- some great new contacts and some of the most tasty street-food ever made this a very enjoyable and successful evening for the WOW crew.

The previous evening saw us crowded in to a heaving Google campus where a stream of start-ups / developers / entreprenuers and service providers gave their 30 second pitch to the room (threatened by a soaking from a water pistol if you went 1 second over the 30!!). Very entertaining – but more important – it highlighted the sheer energy, innovation, creativity and vision of the London scene. Hipsters-hackers-hustlers who run the monthly meet-up offer a great opportunity for creatives – disruptors and entrepreneurs to speed-meet, get connected and get building. So which one are you?: hipster – hacker-hustler?…@hiphachus

PS – if you are launching a new online site called ‘blogdrop’ – ensure you you say it clearly to to an audience!….eyebrows were raised!!!!

WOW-elite crew were also seen mingling with the good, the creative and the powerful at Fintech2015 at @Level39CW where advocates from TLA networked and discussed with some of London’s most influential Fintech pioneers the new breaking technology happening within London’s Fintech scene. London is now recognised as a world leader in this area and among many of the topics discussed among the very impressive panel – was the absolute requirement for the skills development of the next generation of digital tech rockstars!  Just so happens…that’s what we do!

Runway East hosted a very interesting panel debate on Talent Acquisition with fantastic and enlightening input from Sophie Adelman (@Adelbadge) from Hired.com, serial entreprenuer and successful investor Jonathan McKay, Simon La Fosse (La Fosse Associates) Anne-Marie Huby, co-founder of JustGiving and Alistair Shepherd, founder of Saberr. The discussion highlighted the importance of attracting and retaining the best people for your company – how best this can be done and how technology can play a part in achieving this. WOW-elite asked the question of the panel on their views regarding the current skills shortage – and all were in agreement that something needed to be done to address the issue with Simon La Fosse giving his specific experience of the challenges facing Universities in facing up to this demand from the tech sector.

So another week – another round of events – some fantastic new projects – awesome new Crew on board and some tantalising new ideas as WOW-elite pushes forward in our mission to showcase tomorrow’s brightest talent in today’s world of work!.

Happy Monday y’all!

Alan