The pace of change in media tech is unrelenting for both business and technology. Step into an exclusive fireside chat hosted by Home Grown member, Asif Ahmed, where you’ll hear from three experts embedded in this industry who will share their insider predictions and observations.

​Hosted by the Tech & High Growth team at Cooper Parry, this event brings together a curated group of founders, investors, and domain experts from their VentureCEO collaboration and the wider high-growth ecosystem.

Expect an evening of stimulating conversation, high-level networking, and, of course, cocktails and canapés.

​Who’s Speaking?

Luke Lloyd-Davies, Chairman / Co-owner Rocket Sport, Former COO Rocket Entertainment Group

Emmy award-winner, Former COO of Rocket Entertainment Group (Elton John) and Chairman & Founder of Rocket Sports; Luke has had an illustrious career driving change and innovation across a multitude of sectors with industry giants like Sir Elton John and David Furnish. This includes producing large-scale live events like Elton John’s Farewell tour (the first ever tour to gross over $930m), creating groundbreaking partnerships and sponsorships with such brands as Snickers, John Lewis, Vodafone, and the nurture and representation of new talent including Ed Sheeran, James Blunt and Lily Allen when he was a partner at Rocket Music

​

As an exceptional operator and leader of change, Luke has also created unforgettable sporting moments for athletes, rights holders, and partner organisations, leveraging the IP of brand names such as Ford, Breitling, Nivea, Vodaphone, Lexus and TAG. Luke has served on the Governing Body of the Royal Academy of Music, was on the advisory board of Metro Bank Plc and a senior advisor to an early-stage venture fund called the Venture Collective. He is also an advisor to SXSW and Time Partners.

​Hari Ashurst-Venn, Senior Director of Digital and New Tech at Sony Music Entertainment

​Hari has been at Sony Music UK since 2020. At Sony Music, Hari’s team manages key partnerships with platforms like TikTok, Meta, and Twitch, as well as incubating projects with emerging platforms and start-ups. He also initiated Sony Music UK’s Black Founders Programme, an accelerator launched with Digital Catapult that has been running for two years, supporting over 20 Black founders based in the UK across the creative sector.

​Fiona Dent: General Partner at Edge VC

​A highly successful operator, Fiona has delivered spectacular results across big media, technology and early-stage start-ups. Her entire career has been focused on defining the future. At Reed Elsevier and Time Warner, she spearheaded corporate digital initiatives, growing online audiences to tens of millions. She played a pivotal role as Board director for Time Inc UK ahead of its separation from Time Warner and listing on the NY Stock Exchange. Fiona then became CEO of Makerversity, an award-winning incubator, and supports founders as an investor in the deep tech, SaaS, and creative sectors.

Host: Asif Ahmed, Partner & Head of Early-Stage, Cooper Parry

​Asif specialises in working with venture capital-backed companies as they scale and is widely recognised as a leader in the field. Having qualified at PWC he went on to establish and grow a successful advisory firm that was acquired at the end of 2022. His work focuses on equipping investor-backed companies with financial rigour, governance and best practices to go on to scale into large organisations. Over the last 20 years, this includes numerous examples of businesses that have grown from an idea to substantial enterprises. Having built a successful career as an entrepreneur who advises entrepreneurs, Asif has also been appointed to various Government Boards and consultative committees, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and was awarded the Freedom of the City of London. In 2021, he authored the Best-Selling book, ‘The Finance Playbook for Entrepreneurs’.

Please note: The event may include photography and videography. If you prefer not to be filmed or photographed, kindly inform our team in advance.

Secure your place on the Members Portal.