Episode 4 of our Founding Sponsor mini series talking to the founding sponsors of the Tech4Good South West relaunch, to explore their interest in tech for good and their hopes and ambitions for the TechforGood South West network.
This episode is in conversation with Ben Heasman, Product Director and Trustee Director at Torchbox.
"We're just really excited about the prospect of bringing positive change to the world through technology, through wider representation in the industry, through focus on accessibility and sustainability of the products we build. Tech for good for us is really tied in closely with doing business better."
“There is just something really exciting about convening and having spaces where people can get together, we can share skills and knowledge. There seems a real momentum that's building up at the moment in the South West for more value-based organisations.”
Transcript
Tech4Good South West (00:03.374)
Welcome to the Tech for Good South West podcast brought to you by Annie, Alicia and Arielle. Tech for Good South West has relaunched and we are on a mission to build momentum for the Tech for Good movement across the South West. Our podcast focuses on conversations with charities, investors, startups and initiatives to share their stories, challenges and successes. Our next few episodes are focused on our founding sponsors and their hopes and ambitions for the Tech for Good movement.
Tech4Good South West (00:35.502)
Welcome to the Tech for Good Southwest podcast. I'm Arielle Tye and super excited today to be talking to one of our sponsors, Ben Heasman, here representing Torchbox. Really cool to be speaking to you. If you could start by introducing yourself and telling us about your organization. Oh yeah, so I'm Ben Heasman from Torchbox. So Torchbox are a digital agency and we specialize in working with the not -for -profit sector.
So that means we work with charities, with public sector organizations, with clients in the higher education sector as well. And we do everything from digital marketing to designing and building websites and applications, but particularly with users fairly at the centre. And what's your interest in Tech for Good? So I think ultimately our interest in Tech for Good is really because of the reality that we live in a broken world. One where, you know, it's becoming increasingly obvious that people are using tech for harm, which is, you know, obviously devastating. And, um, we live in a world where like communities don't have access to certain sectors and industries because of like where they grew up in the country or because of the color of their skin. And it's a world that we live in where people push for technological advancements, like whatever the cost.
You know, ever since Torchbox was founded by our founders, Tom and Ollie, they had a sense of wanting to bring change into the world. And so I'd say like really it's built into our DNA as an organization to be interested in tech for good. And recently we did some work to revamp our purpose for the organization and our new kind of purpose strap line is that we exist to empower positive change makers, both through the jobs that we choose to work on, but also through the work that we choose not to do as well. And so I think that's coupled with some rather like areas of focus, like we, you know, we've recently become a B Corp and I think that's just LinkedIn with that drive.
We want our business to be good for the people and for the planet as well. And again, like we're, we've a few years ago, we became employee owners and organization. And, and actually that's meant that things like our sponsorship of Tech for Good South West was an employee driven decision. It didn't come from the top down. It came from one of our employee voice groups. And so Tech for Good really lines up with like who we are.
Tech4Good South West (02:57.294)
You know, I think that comes out in a number of other ways as well. So over the last few years, we've had the privilege of working with organizations like Django Girls, who are helping women to fall in love with programming and the Outreachy program, which is our internships for underrepresented people in open source. We're also partnering with a local school in Bristol who have a lot of underrepresented communities in tech by running like sessions with them and encouraging students to come and work experience too.
So I think we're just really excited about the prospect of bringing positive change to the world through technology, through wider representation in the industry, through focus on accessibility and sustainability of the products we build. So, you know, tech for good for us is really tied in closely with doing business better. And I'd say that's where our interest really lies with tech for good.
Wow. It's really incredible stuff and so positive to hear all about the social value and impact work that you're doing.
In terms of Tech for Good Southwest then, you've come on board as a sponsor. It'd be really good if you could tell us like, what are your hopes and ambitions for the Tech for Good Southwest network? What do you hope it'll be able to achieve? Yeah, I think there's probably a number of things that we think that the Tech for Good network in the Southwest can achieve. And that's why we're really excited to be part of it. I think, you know, a huge part of that is knowledge sharing. So, you know, working with other like -minded people.
getting together and creating a bit of a community that can share the work we're doing in those areas, but also challenge and inspire us to do more in those areas too. And I think as well, like, you know, we're, we're convinced as one organization, we can do a certain amount, but actually when you partner with others, there's an opportunity for how to have greater impact. Especially when working with some of the smaller charities in the Southwest as well.
I think another excitement for us as well, our ambition for the network is that we'd love to continue to create opportunities for individuals at Torchbox to use their skills and experiences to volunteer, to get involved in local organisations and charities and helping drive things forward. Cause I think, you know, a lot of people have the desire and you know, they're like -minded, they work for a company that's value driven and orientated and I think having the option and ability to get involved in it.
But sometimes it's hard to find the opportunities. And so having a network that can link them up with spaces and places to where they're concerned will be really exciting for us.
Yeah. And there is just something really exciting, isn't there, about convening and having spaces where people can get together, we can share skills and knowledge. There seems like there is a real momentum that's building up at the moment in the Southwest for more value -based organizations. And it sounds like, I mean, you've been doing that for a long time. That's sounds like that's why you were set up. Why do you think the momentum is growing and sort of why now?
Yeah, I think, I think partly as it feels like we're on the cusp of a new era in technology. I think that's probably a big part of why it feels like there's real interest in tech for good in the Southwest at this moment and people getting together and convening. I think obviously, particularly with the advent of AI, it feels like technology is on people's radar more now than ever. But also I think with the advent of things like AI, there's also the option for technology to be used for harm more than ever as well.
I think people are pretty aware of that and there's a heightened awareness in the community. And I just wonder whether now the interest is there because people are aware of that. They want to get together to see how can we make sure that there is a sense of like we're driving forward to use technology for good. And I think as well, people are probably more aware of the fact that when people are working together, we work together, all these things, there's an opportunity for greater impact. And the ability to set an example of what better businesses looked like. I think it's just more people's radar, maybe like with the advent of like the B Corp movement, for example, as well to understand like how we do business better. And I think actually convening like -minded organizations and people is going to be a really good way to do that.
Wow. Super inspiring stuff, Ben. Very excited to work together and see what we can do. So thank you so much. Great to have you on the podcast.