What a whirlwind of inspiration, energy and learning these past two weeks have been at Innovation Fest 2025! As you know, at Unloc we love to innovate, look at different perspectives, and find new, unique and dynamic ways to to do things. Each Summer the Unloc team enjoy a wide range of activities based around the topic of innovation in order to do this, from powerful staff-led sessions to guest speakers who challenge and inspire us, the festival this year has been a true celebration of creativity, collaboration, and connection.
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Week 1 Highlights
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We kicked things off with Unloc staff speed sharing and wow, what an awesome team we are! The energy in the room was electric, and it was clear this is something we need to do much more often.
Next up, Joshua Dale brought co-production with young people to life, introducing us to the story behind his brilliant invention “Can’t Say Um”. His journey of game inventions added so much value, and fun to the day.
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We then welcomed back Josh Robinson, who built on his incredible session from our Innovation Fest event last year. This time, Josh wowed us with marketing ads designed to spark discussions, helping us dive deeper into the art of influence. He broke down the jargon, making marketing crystal clear and relevant for our work with young people. His golden reminder: “Social media is a room – make sure you’re seen in the right ones. Influence isn’t ego, it’s trust, value, and confidence. And confidence comes from evidence, so let’s get posting!”
To round off Week 1, Tom Lloyd led “When Tom Met Sally”, exploring Your Special Sauce, the Power of Questioning, and that timeless truth – people buy from people they like. A really great session about Networlking.
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Week 2 Highlights
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We were honoured to welcome Ahmad Jooma (aka Shook Man), who took us on a powerful journey of possibility. His message was clear: when we connect with ourselves, we connect more deeply with others. Young people are tuned into authenticity and this session gave us the tools to tap into our own. Highly recommended for anyone seeking to align purpose, passion, and impact.
Of course, no festival is complete without some fun and our staff summer social at Flight Club (plus ice cream in Buckingham Palace Gardens!) hit the spot.
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We then got hands-on with Podcast 101, guided by two amazing young podcasters in our Portsmouth Changemaker Studios. From learning the equipment to recording our own clips, it was a playful and practical session with Jess on hand to help us see how podcasting can become a powerful resource for our young people and programmes.
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Finally, to close two inspiring weeks, Larissa led us through reflection and feedback, before we wrapped things up in style with a rejuvenating yoga session with Curvaceous Carla, followed by a special guest appearance from TV and radio presenter Hayley Palmer. Hearing her personal story and career journey was both uplifting and motivating, and the finale, a celeb-style interview with our very own Ben Dowling ended Innovation Fest on a true high.
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Final Thoughts
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Unloc’s Co-Founder & Chief Executive Hayden Taylor commented:
“Another Innovation Fest comes to an end, and once again the team have knocked it out the park when it comes to thinking outside the box, trying new things, and investigating dynamic fresh approaches to teaching, learning and sharing. Each Summer we like to take this time to step back and look at where we’ve been, where we’re going – and how we can best get there! Innovation and Technology have always been at the heart of our approach to educating and empowerment, and hearing from different members of the team, and those guests we’ve welcomed in to speak and share – really helps broaden all our horizons and perspectives.
Well done to everyone who helped put this year’s event schedule together, in particular Beth and Jess who have worked relentlessly to make it a roaring success. I can’t wait to see what you have planned for next year!”
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Innovation Fest 2025 has reminded us that innovation isn’t just about new ideas, it’s about people. The connections we make, the stories we share, and the courage to show up authentically all fuel the work we do with young people.
Here’s to more sharing, more learning, and more innovation together!
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