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How to scale social innovations: building a delivery network

7 May 2026 18:00 – 19:15

The Line, 58 Victoria Embankment EC4Y 0DS

Free

Join us for How to scale social innovations: building a delivery network, taking place on Thursday, 7 May, 18:00-19:15 BST.

Too many promising social innovations fail to reach their full potential. While early-stage pilots often show strong results, they can struggle to scale due to the absence of a robust and sustained delivery network. Understanding how to build, support and grow these networks is critical to achieving lasting impact.

Nesta’s director of policy and partnerships, Joe Owen, will chair a panel of expert speakers, including Lord John Bird MBE, founder of The Big Issue, Madeleine Gabriel, mission director for sustainable future at Nesta, and Bayo Adelaja, CEO and founder of Do it Now Now.

Together, they will share insights from their experience of taking ideas to scale and building the networks needed to support them. The panel will explore what makes delivery networks effective, from advocacy and awareness-raising to knowledge sharing, training, and community-building, and what sets successful scaling efforts apart. We’ll also examine key questions around building sustainable networks, balancing consistency with local adaptation and the role of partnerships, communities and funders in enabling scale.

This hybrid event will be of interest to policymakers, social innovators, funders, and delivery leaders looking for practical insights and evidence-based approaches to scaling impact. This event is part of How to scale social innovations; an event series that explores how impactful ideas move beyond pilots to achieve real-world scale. It will also mark the launch of Nesta’s new scaling toolbox, designed to provide practical tools and frameworks to scale ideas.

Join us online or apply to attend in person.

Online registration is open to everyone. If you’d prefer to join the event in person, please register your interest below. Please note that in-person tickets are limited; we will get back to you within 48 hours to let you know if we can offer you an in-person ticket.

The in-person event will be held at The Line. A stunning riverside venue with views across the Thames.

The Line is located in the same building as Nesta's offices: 58 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0DS. The nearest station/tube is Blackfriars. You can use what3words to find our exact location. You can also download the venue travel information.

Joe Owen

He/Him

Joe is Director of Policy and Government Partnerships at Nesta. Joe was a senior civil servant in the Cabinet Office, where he worked on a wide range of economic and domestic policy issues including climate, regional inequality and migration. He also worked at the Institute for Government, as both Director of Impact and the director of the Institute's Brexit programme. He is a senior fellow at the Institute. Joe has also worked with a number of government departments as a consultant, including the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence and he spent a year at Transport for London in its strategy team.

Madeleine Gabriel

She/Her

Madeleine leads Nesta’s mission to significantly cut carbon emissions from UK homes by 2030. Her team works with national, devolved and local governments, consumers and industry to develop, test and scale up ideas, policies and initiatives that can speed up the transition to greener homes. Madeleine previously led Nesta’s work on inclusive innovation, researching ways to create an equitable, innovation-led economy in the UK. She has published widely on innovation practices that promote sustainability and social impact. Madeleine has also worked as a consultant evaluating local and national government programmes across a wide range of policy areas, including public health, housing, learning and skills and local economic development.

Lord John Bird MBE

He/Him

Lord Bird was born into poverty and brought up in care. His life journey has included spells as a prisoner, artist and printer. Now an activist, publisher and Crossbench member of the House of Lords, Lord Bird is the driving force behind The Big Issue Group, which includes the world’s most successful street magazine, The Big Issue and its social investment arm, Big Issue Invest. Lord Bird is a business leader with an outstanding record of using enterprise as a force for social change in dismantling the root causes of poverty; and in Parliament, he focuses on poverty and homelessness prevention.

Bayo Adelaja

She/Her

Bayo Adelaja is a social entrepreneur, changemaker, and speaker dedicated to fostering equity, social mobility, and financial inclusion. As the Founder and CEO of Do it Now Now (DiNN), a London-based Community Interest Company, she has spent years empowering Black-led charities, social enterprises, and businesses to achieve sustainable growth and lasting impact. Her work is deeply influenced by a legacy of service—both of her grandfathers were honoured by the late Queen of England for their contributions to social welfare within the Commonwealth. Inspired by their commitment, she has dedicated her career to dismantling systemic barriers that hinder Black communities’ economic opportunities. With a strong academic background, Bayo earned a BA from Durham University, studying at the same institution as her grandfather, a preacher and teacher. She went on to complete two MSc degrees from the London School of Economics, specialising in sociology and social policy. Her career has spanned policy, social innovation, and entrepreneurship, including roles at Google for Startups, where she supported underrepresented entrepreneurs, and at the London School of Economics and the House of Commons, where she engaged in research and policy development. Bayo is currently undertaking an MBA at London Business School on a full scholarship funded by the Laidlaw Foundation. Beyond DiNN, Bayo served as a Trustee on the boards of several leading institutions, including Royal Voluntary Service, Centre for London, Cancer Research UK, Prince’s Trust International, and Catalyst 2030, where she was a founding member. She is also recognised as a Gates Foundation Global Changemaker, reflecting her commitment to driving long-term, meaningful impact. Her dedication to social change has earned her an MBE for services to entrepreneurship, social mobility, and financial inclusion, along with recognition from Oxford and Harvard Business Schools as an innovator in African entrepreneurship. Bayo currently sits on the Investment Committee of Access - The Social Investment Foundation. As a sought-after speaker and thought leader, Bayo has addressed audiences at Durham University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and the House of Lords, as well as major conferences worldwide. She regularly speaks on topics such as social mobility, financial inclusion, impact-driven business, and the intersection of policy and innovation. Her insights have been featured by the World Economic Forum, The Sunday Times, Wired Magazine, BBC News, and more.

7 May 2026 18:00 – 19:15

Free

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How to scale social innovations: building a delivery network

About Nesta

How to scale social innovations: building a delivery network