Designer and Technologist Jessi Baker (b.1984) creates user-centered experiences. She is particularly interested in the relationship between individual and collective decision making and emerging technologies. Jessi studied Engineering at Cambridge University (2003-2007) receiving sponsorship from Arup Consulting engineers throughout her degree. During her time at Cambridge, she won numerous awards for entrepreneurship and design, notably winning the top prize at the Varsity Entrepreneurs competition and the NGEF international competition in Monaco (2006).
Since graduating from Cambridge she has worked in Business Strategy for both global brands and start-ups in London, UK and the USA (2007-2008) and was a Strategy Consultant for a top French firm in Paris, France (2008-2009). She joined the Royal College of Art Innovation Design Engineering course in 2009 with the ambition of designing more socially and environmentally empathic systems and experiences for consumers, sponsored by the Royal Exhibition for the Commission of 1851.
Graduating with Distinction from the Royal College of Art in July 2011. She is now embarking on a career as an Experience Designer. Her main interests lie in emerging and future technologies (particularly the ‘Internet of Things’) for creating intelligent systems and interfaces; new dimensions of experience, particularly to foster participation, transparency of information and sustainability.
Jessi Baker Is Driven By | Solving a problem. I worked for quite a few years working for large brands and I realised working to strengthen their bottom line wasn’t helping anyone, apart from a few people somewhere get very rich. I quit my job and founded social enterprise Provenance in order to contribute to solving a problem I care deeply about: Making supply chains more transparent so us shoppers can make choices that are better for the environment and society.
The Difference Between Good And Great | Commitment to being great. For a long time I worked across a lot of different fields, testing the waters in different areas I found interesting. It’s made my good a few things, and realise what I am rubbish at too. One thing I have seen when visiting and chatting to the hundreds of makers of products I have encountered through Provenance is the greatness achieved through dedication and commitment. Whether it’s mastering a craft skill or perfecting a brand message – committing to doing one worthwhile thing well is very powerful. But remember, there’s no greatness without goodness.
A Key Talent | The strength that’s helped me most, is one I have had to learn: The strength of focus. You can do anything, but not everything. Pick your problem to solve or fight to fight and follow it through, because most of the time a project or startup fails when the founder decides to give up. If you exist to solve a problem – and one problem only, you’re more likely to find a way because you’ll see it everywhere. If you change focus a lot, it’s hard to do anything meaningful, I think.
The Meaning Of Life | I guess I am still figuring this out. But I do believe it’s important to be in the service of something greater than ourselves: To progress humanity, even just a tiny bit. I think inspiring empathy and understanding so we might enable fairness for everyone brings meaning to my life.
Alison Killing | The Legacy Project became an architect because she likes making things. She read architecture at King’s College, Cambridge and Oxford Brookes and on graduating was shortlisted for the RIBA Silver Medal. She then went to work for a number of international design offices, including Buro Happold and Kees Christiaanse, on architecture, public […]
Runa Khan is the founder and Executive Director of Friendship, a value-based organization in Bangladesh. Additionally, she is a Founder and Chairman of Friendship International based out of Luxembourg. Although currently her work is firmly rooted in the development sector, her interests and experiences are varied, resulting in an organization which approaches development innovatively for […]
Dee Poon is the creative force behind the bespoke men’s shirt brand PYE, creating the men’s equivalent to the little black dress: the perfectly tailored crisp white dress shirt. A frequent presence on best-dressed lists in Asia and around the world, Poon is Hong Kong fashion royalty, the daughter of Dickson Poon, the owner of […]
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Shaun Harris is most well-known for his recent role as MD for Futurelife, which he helped become the fastest growing cereal brand in SA as well as market leader in its own new segment, increasing it’s revenue tenfold and in the process leading the brand to win numerous national and international awards along the way. […]
Attie van Wyk is the CEO of Big Concerts, South Africa’s largest premier live entertainment company. The company has promoted more than 1600 shows with an excess of 300 international artists to an audience of more than 10 million people. In 2013, Attie was named as the Business Leader of the Year. Music Has Always […]
Stephen Koch is a professional speaker, climber, snowboarder and mountain guide. His list of alpine ascents and descents include some of the most notable firsts anywhere in the world, most of which have never been repeated. He is best known as the first and only person to snowboard on all Seven Summits, the highest peak […]
Douglas Rogers is a Zimbabwe-born journalist and travel writer based in New York City. His book, The Last Resort: A Memoir of Zimbabwe, was published in 2009. The Last Resort is a remarkable true story about one family in a country under siege, and a testament to the love, perseverance, and resilience of the human […]
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