About this Event
This is an interactive session where you will be paired with an industry experts for real‑time, personalized feedback on your start-up idea. In small, focused groups, you can ask questions, discuss challenges, and refine your materials with direct expert guidance. You can meet more that 1 Expert within the morning and afternoon sessions.
When booking a ticket make sure that you take note of the expert you want to meet.
Experts in attendance:
MORNING SESSIONS
Lisa Chatterton: Business Manager at Fashion Innovation Agency at LCF - Area of expertise: Digital Innovation
Lisa is a fashion innovation leader, commercial strategist, and industry connector working at the intersection of fashion and technology. With 25 years’ experience spanning fashion merchandising at Topshop and Arcadia Group and innovation leadership at the Fashion Innovation Agency, she combines deep commercial insight with expertise in emerging technologies like Gen AI, 3D design, immersive tech, and wearables. She has delivered hundreds of projects for major brands including Microsoft, NVIDIA, Disney, Unilever, Burberry, J.W. Anderson, and M&S. Lisa also shares her knowledge at London College of Fashion, helping students understand the technologies transforming the industry. Her approach focuses on pragmatic transformation, cutting through hype to deliver innovations that enhance creativity, efficiency, and connection.
Rosie Ainsworth: Founder of Prodigies - Area of expertise: Pitching
Rosie founded the startup Prodigies in 2024, starting from scratch with no network or contacts and drawing on her own experiences navigating the challenges of breaking into the creative industry. The company’s mission is to redefine the creative economy by fostering greater accessibility, collaboration, and connectivity across creative sectors and communities. Since its launch, Prodigies has secured a six-figure pre-seed funding round from leaders in luxury fashion, tech, and advertising. Rosie now leads a team of over 11 specialists with experience at Burberry, Alexander McQueen, the British Fashion Council, Saatchi Gallery, Nike, Bumble, and more. Under her leadership, Prodigies is building innovative solutions to support emerging creative talent and transform the way creative industries connect and grow.
Claire Swift: Director of Social Responsibility at LCF - Area of expertise: Social Responsibility
Claire oversees strategic partnerships and community-focused initiatives rooted in work with women in Pr*son since 2010. She heads a motivated team delivering long-term projects like Making for Change at Poplar Works, developed with Poplar HARCA, which benefit participants, their families, and local communities. Her work connects LCF students with real-world challenges, allowing them to apply creative skills to social, environmental, and economic issues. By embedding projects in East London communities, Claire fosters collaboration between students, staff, designers, small businesses, and social enterprises. These initiatives help participants build resilience, confidence, and financial stability while giving students meaningful hands-on experience.
Frances Odell, Head of Graduate Futures Consultants
Frances is a results-oriented accredited chartered Business Consultant with over 35 years of professional experience working with large corporates, SMEs and start - up businesses in the Fashion Industry. She is an accredited Business Coach and Senior Fellow. Her focus has been applying both her product and service development expertise along with strategic market analysis and positioning, supporting companies spot business enhancement opportunities.
AFTERNOON SESSIONS
Ian Smart: Co-founder of Impact Central and Executive Coach - Area of expertise: Finance
Ian is a director, adviser and executive coach who works with a wide range of businesses and leaders to help them achieve their potential and reach their objectives. In 2020, he co-founded Impact Central, an accelerator supporting impact-driven start-ups committed to delivering social and environmental change alongside commercial success. He is a Senior Adviser to Azets and non-executive Chairman of Dakota Advisory, while also coaching, mentoring and serving as Accountant in Residence at the London College of Fashion, a Trustee of Cockpit Studios, and a member of The Disruption House Advisory Board. Previously, he spent over 20 years as a partner at Grant Thornton, holding senior client-facing and leadership roles including Managing Partner of the London Office and member of the National Leadership Board. As Managing Partner of Grant Thornton’s Corporate Finance business, he gained extensive experience in transaction advisory services across buy-outs, acquisitions, disposalsand financial restructurings for both public and private companies.
Anna Ellis: Head of Business Development at Making for Change, LCF - Area of expertise: Design & Manufacturing
Based at Poplar Works, East London and HMP Downview, Making for Change’s ethical production units manufacture garments, homeware and accessories to the highest standards. The social enterprise provides training and employment opportunities to East London communities and women in Pr*son. Besides commercial manufacturing, it offers professional services including pattern cutting, sampling and product development.
Lisa Chatterton: Business Manager at Fashion Innovation Agency at LCF - Area of expertise: Digital Innovation
Lisa is a fashion innovation leader, commercial strategist, and industry connector working at the intersection of fashion and technology. With 25 years’ experience spanning fashion merchandising at Topshop and Arcadia Group and innovation leadership at the Fashion Innovation Agency, she combines deep commercial insight with expertise in emerging technologies like Gen AI, 3D design, immersive tech, and wearables. She has delivered hundreds of projects for major brands including Microsoft, NVIDIA, Disney, Unilever, Burberry, J.W. Anderson, and M&S. Lisa also shares her knowledge at London College of Fashion, helping students understand the technologies transforming the industry. Her approach focuses on pragmatic transformation, cutting through hype to deliver innovations that enhance creativity, efficiency, and connection.
Rosie Ainsworth: Founder of Prodigies - Area of expertise: Pitching
Rosie founded the startup Prodigies in 2024, starting from scratch with no network or contacts and drawing on her own experiences navigating the challenges of breaking into the creative industry. The company’s mission is to redefine the creative economy by fostering greater accessibility, collaboration, and connectivity across creative sectors and communities. Since its launch, Prodigies has secured a six-figure pre-seed funding round from leaders in luxury fashion, tech, and advertising. Rosie now leads a team of over 11 specialists with experience at Burberry, Alexander McQueen, the British Fashion Council, Saatchi Gallery, Nike, Bumble, and more. Under her leadership, Prodigies is building innovative solutions to support emerging creative talent and transform the way creative industries connect and grow.
Mirela Barbosa, LCF Graduate Futures Enterprise Consultant - Area of expertise: Branding & Marketing
Mirela Barbosa is a mentor and consultant with over 20 years’ experience in the fashion and beauty industries. Her work combines research, strategy, and cultural aspects to help develop meaningful brands. She is also the founder of Project M, an emotional branding consultancy aimed at startups and mid-sized companies, launched after completing her MA in Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation at LCF.
Event Venue
London College of Fashion (G09), 105 Carpenters Road, London, United Kingdom
