RISE set to be biggest yet

Sir Tim Smit Apex/Eden Project

Press release issued: 11 November 2014

Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the award-winning Eden Project and specialist in sustainable business, will be inspiring Bristol’s social entrepreneurs of the future when he visits the city this month.

He will give a speech at the University of Bristol’s annual RISE event, which is one of the UK’s largest student-led public social enterprise conferences, on Saturday 15 November.

This year the conference will focus on ‘Business Conscience: Innovating for the future’, in connection with Bristol Green Capital 2015.

Some of the UK’s most influential and innovative ethically-minded business people will provide workshops, case studies and skills sessions, all aimed at helping people to develop their own social enterprises in the future.

Alongside Sir Tim, speakers will include the elected Mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, Karen Lynch, CEO of carbon-neutral bottled water company Belu Water, and Rhiannon Colven, founder of AltGen - an organisation who aim to empower young unemployed people by offering them support to set up cooperatives.

Steve Clarke, Director of the Bristol Pound, and representatives from the Big Issue, Lead Now and UnLtd will also deliver sessions and a free lunch will be provided by Bristol FoodCycle.

RISE 2014, which takes place in the University of Bristol’s Chemistry Building, has been organised by the student enterprise networks inc. and Bristol Hub. This year’s conference focuses on reaching new audiences, inspiring students, showcasing social enterprises and engaging people in responsible business.

Claire Fenner, Bristol Hub Student Support Officer, said: "This year we've really made RISE an experience that won't just inspire students about how great social enterprise is, but will also equip them to find their feet in the social enterprise world.

“There are workshops, skills sessions, case studies - all sorts of interactive stuff with really talented and well-connected social entrepreneurs which we hope will produce a new generation of budding social movers and shakers in Bristol and beyond."

Tickets are now on sale, priced at £5 for students, £15 for University staff and £20 for members of the public. You can buy tickets on the RISE 2014 website. Refreshments and a free lunch courtesy of FoodCycle are included.