Nesta Challenges

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We inspire innovators to solve some of the world’s most pressing societal problems.

Everyday, across the world, innovation helps to solve problems and improve lives, but with some issues new ideas just aren’t coming fast enough. We exist to understand the most pressing of these, shine a spotlight where it matters and incentivise people to solve them.

Our challenge prizes and competitions stimulate innovation through competition. They pinpoint a problem and then offer a prize for the first or best solution. We are independent, and inspire the best placed, most diverse group of people to find solutions; support the boldest and bravest ideas to become real, and seed long term change to advance society and build a better future.

Want to solve a problem or sponsor a prize? Innovators, funders and clients, alike, get in touch.

Tris Dyson

Executive Director

Tris Dyson is the Executive Director of Nesta’s Centre for Challenge Prizes.

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Kate Adams

Director of Operations & Special Projects

Kate helps shape the Challenge Prize Centre's future as it evolves from being a successful start-up focused on identifying, highlighting and solving critical problems.

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Constance Agyeman

Head of International Development and Communities

Constance leads on an International Development portfolio and a range of relationships and socially focused prizes across the UK and Europe for the Centre for Challenge Prizes.

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Kathy Nothstine

Lead, Future Cities

Kathy is the Lead for Future Cities in the Challenge Prize Centre working on the future of urban transport and global cities.

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Chris Gorst

Prize lead

Chris leads on challenge prizes designed to stimulate and accelerate fintech and data-driven innovations.

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Daniel Berman

Lead, Global Health Team

Daniel leads the Global Health Team, including the Longitude Prize, at the Challenge Prize Centre.

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Caroline Purslow

Programme Manager, Global Health Team

Caroline is the Programme Manager for the Global Health Team, including the Longitude Prize, at the Challenge Prize Centre.

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Shannon Marie Harmon

Communications Manager, Nesta Challenges

As Communications Manager for Nesta Challenges, Shannon works across all themes Nesta Challenges wide. They aim to encourage more people to enter our prizes through digital engagement.

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Richard Duffy

Foresight Researcher

Richard was responsible for monitoring new developments and trends in science and technology for the Challenge Prize Centre.

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Orpa Haque

Assistant Programme Manager

Orpa is an Assistant Programme Manager in the Challenge Prize Centre at Nesta.

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Charlotte Macken

Prize Design Manager

Charlotte is the Prize Design Manager in Nesta's Challenge Prize Centre, having previously worked for an international development charity with an emphasis on community and youth.

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Harry Atkinson

Digital Content and Entrant Manager

Harry is the Open Up Challenge's digital content and entrant manager co-ordinating outreach efforts to innovators. The challenge will accelerate a new generation of tools, using data...

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Olivier Usher

Lead, Research and Impact

Oli leads Nesta Challenges’ research team. He helps to identify promising areas for innovation and choose the most impactful focus for new prizes.

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Bhavik Doshi

Research and Impact Coordinator

Bhavik is the Research and Impact Coordinator at the Challenge Prize Centre. In his role at Nesta, Bhavik analyses the results from Prize impact evaluations and creates the first lea...

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Andrea Richardson

Programme Manager

Andrea leads Nesta’s challenge prize advisory work with the Government of Canada, consulting on the research and design of outcome-based funding projects.

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Zofia Jackiewicz

Assistant Programme Manager

Zofia in an assistant programme manager working on UK and International prizes.

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Caroline Pradier

Assistant Programme Manager

Caroline will be supporting the delivery of the Toyota Mobility Unlimited Challenge.

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Maddy Kavanagh

Assistant Programme Manager

Maddy will be working on our Inventor and Longitude Explorer Prizes.

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Ruth Neale

Assistant Programme Manager

Ruth is the Assistant Programme Manager for the Global Health Team, including the Longitude Prize, in the Challenge Prize Centre.

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Lubaina Manji

Senior Programme Manager, Better Markets

Lubaina leads on innovation competitions, primarily those within financial markets following on from the likes of the first Open Up Challenge.

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Janet Southern

Programme Manager

Janet is a Programme Manager in the Challenge Prize Centre having previously worked in the international development sector on various complex consortium programmes.

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Piotrek Gierszewski

Foresight Researcher

Piotrek is a Foresight Researcher responsible for research into existing projects and the scoping of potential new prizes for Nesta Challenges.

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Gary Fawdrey

Programme Coordinator

Gary is a Programme Coordinator working across the Challenge Prize Centre. He supports the delivery of prizes such as the European Social Innovation Competition and the Longitude Prize.

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Liz Vossen

Programme Manager

Liz will be working on the European Social Innovation Competition, Fall Armyworm Data Prize, and a range of other projects and prizes.

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Oliver Cansdell

Researcher

As a researcher in the Challenge Prize Centre, Oliver works to shepherd new projects from ideas to fully developed challenge prizes.

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Nicola Tulk

Programme Manager, The Legal Access Challenge

Nicola is programme manager of The Legal Access Challenge, a challenge prize delivered by Nesta in partnership with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

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Seoana Sherry-Brennan

Digital Communications and Prize Engagement Officer

Seoana's role is to help develop and implement the digital communications and engagement strategy across Nesta Challenges.

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Want to solve a problem or sponsor a prize? Innovators, funders and clients, alike, get in touch.