Accelerate, the one-day event for entrepreneurs to fast track businesses, has announced Katie Piper and Kanya King as its headline speakers.
Katie Piper is known for her philanthropy, having established the Katie Piper Foundation after becoming a burns survivor, following an attack that threatened to derail her career in 2008. She has written best-selling books and presented TV documentaries on the theme of recovery and has a reputation for inspirational speaking.
Kanya King is one of the most influential women in the UK music scene, having founded the MOBO Awards in 1996 and overseen its rise to prominence, as well as occupying positions as varied as TV personality and a Government advisor on disadvantaged youth.
The event, hosted at ACC Liverpool on Friday 9th October, is organised by Liverpool Vision and sponsored by Virgin Trains, HSBC and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
They join speakers including Dr. Steve Peters, the acclaimed sports psychologist behind the successes of Britain’s Olympic cyclists Chris Hoy & Victoria Pendleton; queen of coding Kathryn Parsons, CEO & co-founder of Decoded, which has been named one of the UK’s most innovative businesses; Dan Germain, the man who created the tone of voice and the brand culture of drinks company Innocent; and inspirational speaker Jim Lawless who has implemented successful cultural change programmes in companies including Apple, Barclaycard, and BT. More speakers will be announced leading up to the event.
Katie Piper said:
“I’m looking forward to coming to Accelerate to tell my story of bravery and determination, and how you are able to change something negative into a positive. And to tell of the great work that the Katie Piper Foundation does for other burns survivors.”
Richard Bearman, UK Director Small Businesses at HSBC, said:
“Entrepreneurs are the cornerstone of our economy, building new businesses and in doing so creating jobs for others. As such, HSBC is extremely committed to supporting entrepreneurs, whether they are starting out or at the level of Katie and Kanya. We know how difficult those first steps can be, so believe it’s important to invest in those ideas.”
Tickets for Accelerate 2015 are priced at £75 + fees. You can buy from www.accelerate-britain.co.uk and TicketQuarter.