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.
With a wealth of knowledge from years spent in the IT sector, Keith Jones founded Start With 7 (SW7) to fulfill his passion to grow startup technology businesses in Africa. Recognising the dynamic changes facing this industry, Keith rolls up his sleeves to share his considerable experience through mentoring and gives us now an insight […]
After a ‘moment of magic’ when Anna was spotted by a model agency scout while working as a barmaid in London, she was thrust into the world of International modelling when she joined the agency that also managed supermodels Yasmin Le Bon and Linda Evangelista. She went on to model for some of the biggest […]
Rose Caiola could have easily been defined by her success in the highly competitive world of New York City real estate, but she has ventured far beyond the boundaries of the business world. Her yearning for a better understanding of human wellness has taken her down diverse paths and led her to meet many fascinating […]
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. […]
Louis Minnaar forms one half of Albino Creations, with Werner Burger. Their amazing collaboration allows them to tackle animation, illustration and design work, and from what we can see, there is no shortage of magnificence in their work. They see beauty in things that ordinarily seem odd, and this gives them their explicit uniqueness. From […]
Penny Mallory TLP is one of the UK’s top female motivational speakers, drawing her experience from her years in Motorsport as a Rally Driver, and as a Performance Coach within various sectors. Penny is living proof that building Resilience and Mental Toughness are vital if you are to thrive in this world. Penny has worked […]
Empower, impact and independence are three significant words to Tracey Gilmore. Formerly the co-founder of Dress 2 Impress, a non profit organisation that helps low income and unemployed women prepare to enter the workplace, Tracey joined up with Tracey Chambers and together they founded The Clothing Bank. Today, the work of this generous spirit enables […]
Josh was born in England and moved to South Africa when he was just two years old. After graduating from the University of Stellenbosch in 2004 Josh tried to set up his own business in Pretoria. He was driven by entrepreneurial spirit, but sitting with an enormous student loan, with no contacts and no network […]
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2024. Created using VOXEL THEME
1902 Wright Place, Carlsbad, CA, 92008
