Community Manager, EdTech Exchange
I graduated from Cambridge University last summer with an MPhil in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic (niche, I know). I joined the EdTech Exchange in November, in the role of Community Manager.
Twitter handle: @Sam_Nicholls_ / @EdTechExchange
What was the last book you read?
Pride and Prejudice. Having studied English Literature at university, I feel as though I probably ought to have read the classics, so I’m currently attempting to work my way through them!
How did you buy it?
At a second-hand book shop.
And what did you read it on?
I probably shouldn’t admit this given the sector I work in, but it was a paperback…
Which writer would you have loved to have met – and why?
Terry Pratchett – he had an incredible imagination and a brilliantly engaging writing style.
Tell us what you/your company does in 20 words or fewer?
The EdTech Exchange organises networking events, and facilitates connections and peer-to-peer mentoring, for the founders of edtech start-ups.
Tell us the 1 thing about your company/business that we need to know…
We’re essentially Alcoholics Anonymous rebranded as the EdTech Exchange.
What do you like about your job?
I love the networking element of my job – I get paid to meet interesting people and learn about innovative products whilst drinking free wine.
Does the publishing industry understand technology?
Publishers are continuously trying to understand tech, but the rate of innovation could be quicker. The existing business model of the traditional publishers, i.e. focusing on paper books, constrains them. Digital publishing requires a new business model, but this would cause competition for their own existing products.
Which great novel have you tried to read – but failed?
I try to make a point of always finishing a book once I have started it. I failed to finish 50 Shades of Grey, but I’m not sure that it qualifies as a great novel…
When was your first London Book Fair (LBF)?
This will be my first one – I’m looking forward to it!
EdTech Extra at The London Book Fair is in association with EdTech Exchange