Dragon to be the keynote speaker
NORTH East businesswoman and TV personality Sara Davies MBE has been unveiled as the keynote speaker for a major UK construction event.
Ms Davies, a Dragons’ Den panellist and founder of County Durham based retail firm Crafter’s Companion, will appear on day two of the UK Construction Week London, taking place next month.
The entrepreneur will make her construction show debut at the three day event, the UK’s biggest event for the built environment, to reveal her lessons learnt as a successful entrepreneur, drawing upon her expertise in product innovation, design, and manufacturing.
Her business was developed on the back of one product – the Enveloper – a machine that allowed hobbyists to make envelopes to match the size of their paper creations. Her father made the prototype and a local joiner in Coundon made it in MDF, ahead of an appearance on a TV shopping channel back in 2005, and it went on to sell thousands.
At UK Construction Week, taking place from May 7 to 9, she will also join a discussion panel including heads of innovation funds and incubators from industry, academia and venture capitalist funding, including Hannah Haeffner, national recovery and recycling manager at Tarmac, and Scott Marshall of Property Elevator and Roma Finance.
Other speakers include former England international footballer Trevor Steven; Andrew Lewer MP; architect and TV presenter George Clarke; Ron Lang, regional director Atkins Réalis, and Michaela Wain, ambassador for women in construction and owner of Design and Build UK.
Sam Patel, divisional director – construction, said: “To secure Sara as a speaker at UKCW is a major coup - her business nous and words of wisdom will be invaluable for so many business leaders, young talent and emerging innovators who will be visiting UK Construction Week from across the built environment sector - I can’t wait to hear what she has to say.”