Access to knowledge and inequality

Lord Victor Adebowale is Chair of Collaborate CIC, Co-founder of visionable and CEO of Turning Point. Victor has a long track record as a leader in a number of challenging areas of public policy as a manager, an advisor to government and a campaigner in areas of housing, health and social care, youth policy, criminal justice and public service reform. He was awarded a CBE in 1997 for services to homelessness and youth unemployment.

Madeleine Gabriel is head of inclusive innovation at Nesta. Her work asks who benefits from innovation and explores how policies and institutions can be designed so that its risks and rewards are more equally shared. Her recent research makes the case for innovation-led economies to be radically ‘democratised’ so that many more people can shape and benefit from them. She is also a leading voice in the social innovation movement, working with partners across Europe to campaign for a stronger social purpose within EU innovation policy and programming.

This event is chaired by British Library Chief Executive Roly Keating. In 2015, Roly oversaw the creation of Living Knowledge, a vision for the Library’s public purpose in a rapidly changing world. He leads the Library’s response to the challenges of maintaining a national research collection in a digital age, of driving knowledge creation and innovation in a dynamic economy, and of creating inspirational and enjoyable cultural and learning experiences for all.