Theme: The Determined Heart

To us, ‘The Determined Heart’ recognises not only the pursuit of individual endeavour, but our community’s persistence in innovation. It exists on multiple plains, be it pushing the boundaries of personal limits or persuading a closed world of new ideas. Determination is the energy from which we strive to form our ideas and the strength to fulfil their ends – a concept which exists innately in us all.
So come and listen to ideas worth sharing. What’s your passion?

Tolbooth
Jail Wynd
Stirling, Stirling, FK8 1DE
United Kingdom

Abdul Aziz Rasool

Putting the fun back into our education system

Aziz is a creative visionary who helps stakeholders turn dreams, ideas and needs into implemented solutions. A commercially astute individual with a genuine passion and focus for brand driven innovation at governmental, corporate, local business and community enterprise levels. A partnership formulating strategist and implementation manager involved in multi-disciplinary project delivery, bringing entrepreneurial business and customer focused brand development experience through application of creative design led thinking at senior management levels in UK, Middle East and Asian markets.

Alison North

The Irrelevance of Information

40 years plus in the information world from filing clerk to information manager to business owner and international consultant. Developer of many records management principles that are now common practice. International trainer in Information Governance and Records Management. Innovator and developer of first online records retention legislation database REGAL. Knowledge and understanding of many different cultures across the world. Breaker of glass ceilings and other invisible boundaries. Writer,Expert Witness, aspiring ultra marathon runner.

Frank Lennon

The State of Scottish School Education "It's the Culture Stupid"

Jennifer Jin

Piano Recital

Jennifer is 11 years old and lives in Glasgow. She has been playing the piano for 7 years, beginning when she was less than four years of age, and she is just about to sit her final Grade 8 piano exams. Her favourite pieces to play are Mozart's Fantasia in D Minor, and Tarantella by Albert Pieczonka. She has just won first place at the prestigious Glasgow Music Festival in the Baroque Piano Solos category against a strong field of other musicians. Although Jennifer clearly has a great musical talent, she doesn’t have firm plans at this stage for a musical career, she is just focusing on her school work currently. Jennifer’s parents and her music teacher are very proud of her hard work and the great progress she has made with her piano, and when you hear her playing, you will understand why.

Kenny Wallace

6 Steps to Greatness

Kenny’s talk may have a bold title, but it has a humble story, succinctly told and concludes a demonstration of how anyone can achieve Greatness in anything they choose in 6 simple steps. With a conscious interest in human behaviour from the age of 8 Kenny grew up as the annoying child who relentlessly asked: Why? After being told at high school he wouldn’t amount to much and be lucky to achieve an O’ Grade in Arithmetic he quickly developed a healthy disregard for authority and conventional thinking. The search to find his place in the world and live life on his terms began. Kenny has since clocked up life experiences that include time as Civil Engineer, a Paratrooper, SAS selection, a Trapper in NZ, a world traveller and Executive Coach. Today, he can be found challenging conventional thinking in the field of organisational development. He also sits on a research trial steering committee for Glasgow University. P.S. Now at age 43 he is still the annoying child asking: Why?

Laurie Russell

The Prison Trap

Laurie Russell has been Chief Executive of the Wise Group since 2006. The Wise Group is a Glasgow based social enterprise established in 1983. It makes a positive difference to people’s lives through accessing new skills and employment, reducing re-offending, regenerating communities and tackling fuel poverty in Scotland and NE England. Laurie was Chief Executive of Strathclyde European Partnership Ltd from 1989 to 2006. It managed European funding programmes for the economic and social regeneration of western Scotland. He was previously employed by Strathclyde Regional Council and led a community regeneration initiative in Clydebank in the early 1980s. Laurie chaired the board of Social Enterprise Scotland from 2007 to 2013.

Scott Gemmell

A Redefinition of Drinking

Founding Director behind the LA Group and the Liquid Academy School of Hospitality in Glasgow. For over 20 years Scott has been working in the thick of the hospitality industry running some of the most prestige events and drinks stages and theatres across the UK. Starting out many moons ago at his fathers bar/restaurant from the early age of 14. 10 years ago Scott and his team opened the first professional drinks focussed hospitality school in Scotland. The Liquid Academy is a dedicated training centre/venue housed in the heart of the city of Glasgow in a converted Savings Bank built in the 1800s. It is from here Scott and his team coordinate events, design drinks in their laboratory and deliver courses/bespoke modules to a broad variety of clients, from young adults looking to increase their employability; to kids with challenging upbringings and mental health issues; to 5 star hotel bars, restaurants, club pubs and hotels looking to reposition their drinks offer.