Carolyn Dawson: Building Bridges in the World of Tech

As the Chief Executive of Founders Forum Group, a global community and group of businesses that support entrepreneurs at every stage of their journeys, Carolyn Dawson has made it her mission to foster innovation and collaboration among the brightest minds in the industry.

Founders Forum Group is renowned for its pivotal role in the tech innovation landscape. Serving as the epicenter of groundbreaking ideas, this global community offers a platform for entrepreneurs to share, support, and bring their visions to life. Beyond its influential network, Founders Forum has built a family of businesses that provide comprehensive support across various domains, including advisory services, executive search, philanthropy, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and education, among others.

Carolyn's impressive track record spans over two decades, during which she has created, developed, and led digital media, research, events, and training portfolios across multiple technology sectors. Before assuming her role at Founders Forum, she held the position of President at Informa Tech, a distinguished FTSE 100 UK company specializing in championing specialists in their respective markets. Carolyn's tenure at Informa Tech was marked by her instrumental role in establishing a joint venture between Founders Forum and Informa Tech, paving the way for exciting media and event opportunities for the world's most influential entrepreneurs, CEOs, and investors.

Fueling Carolyn's drive is her unwavering dedication and passion to growing the tech community and ensuring its accessibility to all individuals. Recognizing the immense potential of technology to effect positive change, she has played a pivotal role in shaping London Tech Week for the past seven years, raising its global profile and instilling a vision that showcases the very best of technology across the United Kingdom. Moreover, Carolyn's forward-thinking approach led to the expansion of tech festivals to Africa and Asia, bringing the spirit of innovation to new horizons.

“We’re back with a bang after the pandemic,” she says in an interview with me over Zoom regarding the upcoming and highly anticipated 10^th anniversary of London Tech Week, set to launch on the 12th.

“For us, the campus journey and the plans to put everything into one venue - spread across a few days - was a fairly new concept in 2021 and 2022. It’s very exciting. This year for instance, we’re over-subscribed with an expected footfall of over 25,000 people, 350 speakers and 75 hours of different content sessions going on. However, I think one of the real highlights is that the international market is back: there are roughly 35 official trade delegations coming in over the week and over 4,000 international attendees from Asia, the Middle East, Australia and the US. The international component looking at expanding their businesses in the UK is a great signal to the health of the ecosystem.”

Beyond her role at Founders Forum Group, Carolyn serves on the boards of 01 Founders, a free-to-access coding school, and Grip, an AI-powered networking solution. She is also a valued member of the UK Government's Digital Economy Council, where she contributes her insights and expertise to shape policies that drive digital innovation.

“I think we’ve started to see more momentum in the coming years,” Carolyn states when asked about how she sees London Tech Week evolving in the near future. “This year, for instance, with over thirty international trade delegations set to attend London Tech Week, we’re able to build a stronger global footprint that not only showcases the UK to build and scale your business, but also a place where you can forge connections and partner with other like-minded entrepreneurs and businesses.”

In the realm of innovation, London Tech Week has cemented its central position, beating at the very heart of global technological advancement. For this year's event, the organizers have outdone themselves with three distinct zones chock-a-block with sessions and an inspiring roster of speakers.

“I think it was building the right relationships with key stakeholders at the government level that brought us the right partnerships with big technology players to understand the role they played in the ecosystem,” Carolyn states, speaking about London Tech Week’s monumental growth over the past few years.

“A big part of it has been relationship-building and amplifying different voices that allowed us to take London Tech Week to the next level. It’s always important to have the right thought leadership to harness the brand, but ultimately it really is about the valuable connections made that has allowed it to grow to what it is today.”

Spanning five days of captivating anchor and fringe events, London Tech Week brings together the brightest minds from the global tech community, offering a unique opportunity for industry professionals to engage in thought-provoking discussions on the pressing challenges our world faces, while also igniting the passions and aspirations of the world's most visionary founders.

Through Carolyn’s leadership, London Tech Week stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication and boundless potential of the tech community, exemplifying the spirit of innovation that propels the world forward, inspiring generations to come.

 Photos courtesy of: Carolyn Dawson, London Tech Week