In this episode Richard Palmer welcomes Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu & CEO of SymphoMe, and a professional classical pianist, who has developed his global music education platform from a research topic at the University of Edinburgh School of Music for a fireside chat about his journey.

SymphonMe is described as "the Duolingo for music but even better!". This app leverages technology and artificial intelligence in music education to help users learn instruments and prepare for exams from day one. Ifeanyichukwu explains that the app augments the learning experience by addressing the fact that 80% of learning happens independently. It also provides a quality-assured tool for those who cannot afford high instrumental tuition costs (which can be as much as £40 to £80 per hour).

Today, SymphonMe has secured partnerships with major bodies like ABRSM, the largest music examination body worldwide, allowing them to offer their product in over 90 countries.

Ifeanyichukwu shares essential advice for founders, including the critical lesson of raising enough money—as his first £100k check felt like a fortune but was quickly depleted, leading to constant fundraising. He also discusses the charade of distributing team titles (like CTO/COO) just to tick boxes for a pitch deck, emphasising the importance of securing the right fit of team members rather than titles.

Finally, Ifeanyichukwu reveals how a spontaneous five-week trip to San Francisco provided him with a strong sense of validation and taught him the power of genuine collaboration and "paying it forward" within an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Thank you to Ifeanyichukwu for joining us and to Edinburgh University for hosting the event.

Search for "The Connect-Ed Network" on LinkedIn to join our community and access this episode when it drops!

The Connected Network Podcast is made possible through funding and support from the Scottish Funding Council, The Challenges Group, The Community Lab and Podplistic.

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The UK government's plans to tighten immigration make this discussion on International Founders more critical than ever!

Join me, Prof. Ross Tuffee (Entrepreneurial Residence at Stirling University) as I lead a conversation exploring the landscape, policy barriers, and vast economic opportunities presented by international talent. We start by highlighting the fact that international students make a net positive contribution to the Scottish economy of £4.7 billion pounds a year…

I’m joined by a panel of experts:

• Dr. David Donaldson (Senior Policy Officer, Universities Scotland)

• Bonnie Hacking (Program Manager at St. Andrews Innovations)

• Dr. Salisu Uba (Founder and CEO of NatQuest, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Strathclyde University)

• Fash Fasoro (Founder of DataKirk and SyncPlex Lab, and a highly regarded immigration advisor)

The panel breaks down complex issues associated with immigration, including the recent changes to the Graduate Route visa, the financial barriers presented by immigration fees, the strategic advantages of the Global Talent Visa, and the inherent drive and "can do attitude" that international founders bring to the ecosystem.

Tune in to understand the crucial role international founders play and what must change to help attract and retain this vital talent in Scotland.

Note - all comments made on this podcast are made in a personal capacity and should NOT be taken as legal advice in any way.

Thank you to the panel for joining me and to Strathclyde University for hosting the event.

Search for "The Connect-Ed Network" on LinkedIn to join our community and access this episode when it drops!

The Connected Network Podcast is made possible through funding and support from the Scottish Funding Council, The Challenges Group, The Community Lab and Podplistic.

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Building the Next Generation of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

The term “ecosystem” was first coined by botanist Arthur Tansley in 1935 and describes how interconnected functional units work together for the overall benefit of the group.

With this in mind, we explore the foundations of regional economic success by diving into how it is supported by entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Hosted by Chris Moule, Head of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Robert Gordon University, we are joined by three experts sharing lessons and insights from diverse geographic areas:

Jen Scott - Director of Entrepreneurship at Opportunity North East (sharing insights on Northeast Scotland), Ross Tuffee - Co-author of the Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint and Entrepreneur in Residence at University of Stirling (discussing the Estonian ecosystem following a learning journey), and Ian Browne - CEO at Founder Labs (joining via Zoom to discuss his experiences in Northern Ireland).

Join the debate as we discuss important topics such as:

What can emerging entrepreneurial ecosystems learn from more mature ones Why is it important to adapt those insights to fit our unique regional context rather than simply copying models?

We cover the powerful impact of international diaspora networks, the critical role of alumni engagement, and the need to raise ambition within local startup communities.

Discover how universities, founders, and investors can better connect to build a system that is truly greater than the sum of its parts.

Are you ready to tackle the funding gap for women entrepreneurs?

In this in-depth panel discussion hosted by Bonnie Hacking, Programme Manager at St Andrews Entrepreneurship Centre, we confront the unique challenges faced by female founders—where less than 3% of venture capital funding goes to female-founded firms, despite their massive contribution to the economy.

Bonnie is joined by:

Niki McKenzie, Joint Managing Director of Archangels; Kat Pohorecka, Co-Founder of Mude and Student Enterprise Associate at Edinburgh Innovations; and Simone Korsgaard Jensen, Founder and CEO of an AI company (about to come out of Stealth mode), joining us from Silicon Valley.

Simone shares her experience of running a "hyper-competitive process" to raise a $5 million pre-seed round in Silicon Valley, emphasizing the need for ambition and conviction in pitching. Niki provides the investor perspective, noting that “intellectual curiosity” and being presented with truly disruptive technologies are key hooks for angel investors.

Kat highlights the crucial need for tailored support and representation, discussing programs like Power Her Up and addressing the logistical difficulties women face, such as balancing care responsibilities with building a business. We also explore the complexities of co-founding, and Simone describes how moving fast and being aggressive in fundraising is often necessary to succeed.

Tune in to hear how female founders are navigating this landscape and seizing opportunities!

Thank you to the panel for joining me and to St Andrews University for hosting the event.

Search for "The Connect-Ed Network" on LinkedIn to join our community and access this episode when it drops! The Connected Network Podcast is made possible through funding and support from the Scottish Funding Council, The Challenges Group, The Community Lab and Podplistic.

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Birthing a business in a safe and supportive way:

We are joined by the inspiring Bayile Adeoti, Founder of Dechomai and Co-founder of the tech startup BobbAI. Drawing on her personal journey—including being told as a 16-year-old that she couldn't start a business because she didn't know any entrepreneurs—Bayile’s work is driven by a passion to enable others.

Dechomai acts as a "business midwife," helping to "birth and start businesses in safe and supported environments". We explore why this "nurturing environment" is essential, how they manage to unpick a business and put it back together to reach its full potential, and how they connect with individuals almost entirely through word of mouth.

Bayile shares critical insights from the Access Report, which investigated the barriers for ethnic minority social entrepreneurs accessing social investment, and reveals the enormous £75 billion opportunity left untapped globally in diverse communities.

Finally, we discuss the development of BobbAI, a tool designed to tackle the "maze" of business support in Scotland and beyond by providing real-time, actionable, and relevant information to entrepreneurs. Tune in to hear how Bayile is working to keep the door open and "create opportunities for them" within the ecosystem.

Thank you to Bayile for joining me and to The University of the West of Scotland for hosting the event.

Search for "The Connect-Ed Network" on LinkedIn to join our community and access this episode when it drops!

The Connected Network Podcast is made possible through funding and support from the Scottish Funding Council, The Challenges Group, The Community Lab and Podplistic.

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Stop solving the wrong problems!

Join us as we dive into the power of Design Thinking for entrepreneurs with Fraser Bruce, a Senior Design Academic at the University of Dundee.

Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience, Fraser shares how design thinking acts as both a mindset and a practical approach for creative problem-solving, helping entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of bringing an idea to market.

We discuss the application of this approach to develop an idea into an impactful offering—one that considers social and environmental outcomes alongside financial success. Fraser emphasises that design thinking offers a structured method for navigating the "messy, complex, and ambiguous" process of starting a new business.

Discover why empathy—working with real people in real environments—is fundamental, and how using tools like the Double Diamond process model ensures you are focusing on "designing the right thing" before moving on to "designing the thing right". This episode is crucial for anyone looking to validate their assumptions and build a winning formula.

Thank you to Fraser for joining me and to The Entrepreneurship Centre at Dundee University for hosting the event.

Search for "The Connect-Ed Network" on LinkedIn to join our community and access this episode when it drops!

The Connected Network Podcast is made possible through funding and support from the Scottish Funding Council, The Challenges Group, The Community Lab and Podplistic.

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Are you ready to rethink how we support marginalised talent and build truly equitable entrepreneurial ecosystems?

This week, we speak with Viana Maya, Founder of pRESPECT an organisation that helps create inclusive, equitable and empowering spaces for all. Viana shares her personal 'why'—drawing on her own experiences of homelessness and navigating various labels while trying to re-enter the workforce—to drive her passion for empowering people and the spaces they enter. In this episode, we discuss:

1. The shift from equality to equity: Discover why pRESPECT focuses heavily on equity, recognising that support must be personalised (and not take a "broad brush" approach) to meet the specific needs of marginalised individuals, ethnic minorities and those from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

2. Relationships first: Hear how Viana’s approach is holistic and relationship-based, allowing individuals to flourish without being forced to fit into predefined boxes. This approach has successfully supported individuals into entrepreneurial pathways when they thought that employment was their only option.

3. Safety nets and overcoming financial barriers: We explore the need for networks to act as a safety net and have the flexibility to evolve to embrace differences. Viana highlights radical solutions to financial barriers, referencing ground breaking programs where participants are paid to learn and hone their pitch their business idea.

With the increased use of AI in business, Viana also shares her thoughts on its ethical use, the risks we face and ways we might mitigate them. A huge thank you to Viana for joining us and sharing her insights.

Search for "The Connect-Ed Network" on LinkedIn to join our community and access this episode when it drops!

The Connected Network Podcast is made possible through funding and support from the Scottish Funding Council, The Challenges Group, The Community Lab and Podplistic.

Welcome to the first podcast episode from The Connect-Ed Network! 👋

In this insightful session on "Coaching Strategies and Feedback Techniques,” I am are joined by Susan McRoberts, founder of The Curated Consultancy Susan works with founders and their leadership teams to build progressive people strategies—moving beyond the basics of HR, creating clarity, connection, and culture across organisations.

This capability that Susan brings to startups and scaleups is also vital for Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiRs) and those supporting students and staff in our universities and colleges on their entrepreneurial journey.

In our conversation, we explore why coaching is fundamental for founders who may be technically brilliant but unprepared for the "people side of things". We learn about the key skills that advisers need, including active listening, how to navigate the coaching continuum (balancing directive advice versus coaching), and why avoiding the default of "just giving your opinion" is crucial.

Susan discusses the impact of our cognitive biases—which can lead to "wonky thinking" or faulty shortcuts—and how to remain open and curious when advising founders.

Finally, we dive into effective feedback, including the power of radical candour and the importance of ensuring feedback is actionable using simple frameworks like AID (Action, Impact, Do next).

Ready to explore and enhance your advisory approach?

If you’ve been inspired by what you’ve heard, head over to LinkedIn and search for "The Connect-Ed Network" (with a hyphen!) and join our community of like-minded people. You can also access our resource centre and discussion threads on Connect-Ed's platform on the Community Lab.

Come and join us!

Ross Tuffee

Founder of the Connect-Ed Network.

My thanks to Susan McRoberts for sharing her insights

Susan can be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-thecuratedconsultancy/

This podcast series has been made possible by funding and support from:

The Challenges Group: https://www.thechallengesgroup.com/

Scottish Funding Council: https://sfc.ac.uk/

The Community Lab: https://www.communitylab.app/

Podplistic: https://podplistic.com/

Our thanks to you all for your support