Matthew Elliott, co-founder of Nivo, on spinning out his instant messaging network from Barclays, raising money from friends, family and angels, and why he doesn’t regret leaving a well paid job in banking to help people, through technology, to better access professional services.

Naomi Timperley, co-founder of Tech North Advocates, describes her experience of being a woman in the tech industry, why we could all develop our listening skills and how telling stories will help engage children in the fourth industrial revolution.

Stuart Carter, the former chief executive of Pioneer Productions, explains the complexities of selling his business, how digital technology has transformed TV, and why, when the barriers to entry are lower than ever, he’s urging production companies to ‘think American’.

Dr Steve McConchie, chief executive of Aptus Clinical, left pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca after 25 years to set up a clinical trials business focussed on harnessing big data to improve patients’ lives.

Dawn Anderson, founder and chief executive of Move It Marketing, on her journey to becoming a specialist in search engine optimisation. She explains how search has changed, the mistakes people make, how bias impacts our experience on the web, and what we can do about it.

John Whittle, chief executive and co-founder of mobile phone platform Unshackled.com, explains why giving people equity is vital for growth in a market where speed and agility counts; his challenges in recruiting the right tech talent, and why you should always trust your gut instincts.

On his journey with two businesses, Jeremy Gidlow, co-founder of Intechnica and Netacea, explains how companies can transform themselves through technology – to a place where they can truly differentiate themselves against competitors – and how we can really manage and understand website traffic.

Gavin Wheeldon, chief executive of Purple, shares his journey from hacking computer games at the age of seven, to commercialising analytics for public places all over the world. Along the way, he compares businesses to children, and explains how meeting Sir Terry Leahy in a London hotel is helping amplify his global ambitions.

Howard Jackson, chief executive at Hub4Leaders, on his mission to bring schools into the 21st Century and help raise the ‘tech savvy’ children of tomorrow. He explains what happened when a corporate tried to buy him out (why the relationship between buyer and seller is key), and why he’d rather recruit ‘a diamond with flaws, rather than a smooth pebble’.

Michelle Vint, director at Regital, shares her story of starting a company in programmatic advertising, explains why fast growth isn’t always the answer and why we’ve all got to be willing to fail.