We-Think

Charles Leadbeater is an independent advisor, best-selling author, award-winning journalist and recognized thought-leader on innovation whose advice is sought by governments, cities and organizations throughout the world. He was awarded the prestigious David Watt Prize for journalism after a distinguished career at the Financial Times, where we was Labour Editor, Industrial Editor and Tokyo Bureau Chief all by the age of 32, before leaving to become Assistant Editor at The Independent. Leadbeater went on to become a key advisor to Tony Blair's policy team at the Downing Street Policy Unit and the Department of Trade and Industry, specializing in the impact of the Internet and the knowledge driven economy, helping to shape government policy across a number of fronts. He is a senior research associate with Nesta, the UK's innovation fund, a trustee of the Nominet Trust, the social tech investment fund and has a long track record of involvement in social innovation, not least as chairman of the social enterprise Apps 4 Good. He was a co-founder of Participle, the public service design agency and is an associate of the Centre for London.