Easol

At Easol, we spend a lot of time with entrepreneurs. Their mindset fascinates us, what makes them tick, what helps them succeed, and how they turn challenges into opportunities. Recently, our very own Mike sat down with Dave Jarman, Associate Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, to dig into some of the core traits of successful entrepreneurs. His insights struck a real chord: 💡 Passion matters more than the idea  💡 Innovation comes from lived experience  💡 Resilience is adaptability, not brute force  💡 Momentum beats perfection  At Easol, we see these qualities every day in the people we work with. Our job is to support them, celebrate them, and help them create their breakout moment. 👉 Swipe through the carousel for Dave’s key lessons on the entrepreneurial mindset. If you want to see the full conversation head over to our blog: https://lnkd.in/eTPdcXBt If you’re ready to explore what’s possible with the right support, let’s talk. #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Mindset #Easol #BreakoutMoments   

Bullfrog’s Composite NDT Product Journey: Easol’s Role Taking an idea from concept to market-ready product demands more than innovation. It requires strategy, collaboration and clear alignment with customer needs. As Bullfrog’s composite NDT product moved from scoping into development, Easol joined as a strategic partner. We worked closely with Bullfrog’s internal team during research and development, helping refine early trials, reduce risk and ensure the product stayed aligned with market demands. Alongside the technical work, we shaped the business case for investment, built the product’s narrative and visual identity, and supported the creation of the consortium and internal team needed for launch. The result was a product that entered the market with confidence, backed by validation, investment and a clear strategy for growth. You can read more about Easol's role in Bullfrog here: https://lnkd.in/eMbn6bZt #NDT #CompositeManufacturing #Innovation #Strategy #Collaboration #Aerospace

HeadStarts in the real world: NGOs and meaningful change Innovation and entrepreneurship aren’t just for start-ups or tech companies. They’re powerful tools for NGOs too, helping them adapt faster, operate more efficiently, and create lasting impact in the communities they serve. Through our HeadStarts methodology, we’ve seen NGOs transform how they:  Redesign social care services to be more flexible and person-centred  Support refugees with micro-agencies tailored to unique local needs  Build sustainable charity initiatives with innovative fundraising models  What makes the difference isn’t a single breakthrough idea, but a culture of continuous improvement. HeadStarts helps NGOs strike that balance between immediate challenges and long-term progress, giving them the resilience and creativity to thrive. Read the full blog: “Entrepreneurship and Innovation in NGOs: Driving Meaningful Change” https://lnkd.in/evMKKxMP

Intro to the Series: Bullfrog’s Composite NDT Product Journey — A Collaborative Story When developing new technology, no single organisation has all the answers. Bullfrog, a specialist in advanced nondestructive testing (NDT) solutions, knew this when setting out to create a new composite NDT product to meet the aerospace industry’s evolving demands. Bullfrog’s innovation, a low-cost, automated in-process NDT solution using uncooled IR thermography and AI, is designed to detect defects earlier, reduce waste, cut emissions, and improve yield by up to 45%. The potential is to make scalable, sustainable composite manufacturing a reality. But turning vision into reality takes collaboration. This short case study series highlights the distinct roles played by Bullfrog’s trusted partners, from concept to market-ready solution. • Headstarts: guiding the early-stage journey with their evidence-based methodology, helping Bullfrog define market needs, prioritise features, and connect with the right partners. • Easol: providing strategic insight and technical expertise to refine the product, shape the proposition, and support investment. • Mike / Rose Sharon: bringing invaluable experience to strengthen development alongside the technical team. In this first instalment, we focus on Headstarts and their pivotal role in building the foundation for Bullfrog’s concept. Headstarts helped Bullfrog: - Capture customer pain points and market requirements - Define clear product priorities and development roadmaps - Build vital networks across academia, OEMs and manufacturing - Their structured, flexible framework of Landscape, Scaffolding, Plausible -- Futures and Snapshot gave Bullfrog the clarity and confidence to align technology potential with real market demand. The result was a solid foundation for a viable, scalable and investable venture. This is just the start of the journey. Check out the full blog piece here: https://lnkd.in/eMDpGJ8q #NDT #CompositeManufacturing #Innovation #Collaboration #Aerospace #Sustainability

Sometimes, the smartest way forward is to pause. In fast-paced projects, the instinct is often to keep pushing ahead. But in reality, taking a step back can be the difference between wasted effort and breakthrough progress. At Easol, we’ve seen this time and again through our HeadStarts methodology. By pausing to reflect, teams can:  Reconnect with the core vision  Balance customer, technology, and business perspectives  Use learning loops (small, safe experiments) instead of risky leaps of faith  This shift in mindset isn’t about slowing down, it’s about accelerating the right way. From building Zooid, to helping aviation teams find clarity, to uncovering cost-saving opportunities in government projects, HeadStarts has shown how small moves create big results. Read more in our latest blog: “Energising Your Team and Project: Hit Pause to Accelerate” https://lnkd.in/esa2_PCn  

Shaping the future isn’t about a single breakthrough.  It’s about the people, the processes, and the networks that bring bold ideas to life. In today’s unpredictable world, successful innovation means learning to embrace complexity, balancing creativity, feasibility, and real market needs, while building resilient teams that can adapt and grow. That’s exactly what our HeadStarts methodology is designed to do. It helps leaders and teams:  Put people and collaboration at the centre  Balance business, technology, and market forces  Learn iteratively through safe, small experiments  Strengthen organisations to handle change  Build the networks that move good ideas into great ones  Innovation isn’t a one-off event. It’s an ongoing journey, one small step at a time. Read our latest blog: “Navigating Complexity with HeadStarts: An Innovative Approach to Building the Future (One Small Step at a Time) https://lnkd.in/e-JZE_CJ

Big News!    We've secured funding from the ATI SME Programme, in partnership with the University of Southampton, Cranfield University, Brookhouse Aerospace Limited and Createc This funding will support the next stage of development for Bullfrog for composite manufacturing. Bullfrog is built to solve a clear problem. In aerospace manufacturing, up to 40% of defects occur during layup, and 10% during demoulding. These often go undetected until late-stage scanning or even painting, wasting time, materials and money. Bullfrog changes that. Using active thermography and AI, it detects defects earlier and faster, during the process, not after it. That means less waste, improved product quality, and shorter production cycles. The core technology was developed by Dr Shakeb Deane as part of his PhD, where it was used for automated defect detection in aircraft and wind turbines. Over the last three years, we’ve worked with him to shape this into a scalable, production-ready system. This funding allows us to take Bullfrog further. To build, test and embed a new standard in composite manufacturing, one where quality control isn’t a bottleneck, but a key driver of efficiency and sustainability. This is just the beginning. Over the coming weeks, we’ll share the story behind Bullfrog, our progress, and what’s next. We’d love to hear from others tackling challenges in composites, let’s connect. #CompositeManufacturing #Aerospace #NDT #SmartManufacturing #Thermography #AI #Bullfrog #UKInnovation #ATIProgramme #Easol 

Is your biggest business risk really your competitors, or is it failing to anticipate what comes next? From AI to shifting consumer behaviours, sustainability to geopolitical change, the pace of transformation is unlike anything we have seen before. For SMEs and start-ups, keeping up is no longer enough. Adaptability and foresight are now essential. In our latest blog, Mike Oliver and Matthew Mullan explore Futures Thinking: the art and science of anticipating trends, signals and shifts that can shape or shake entire industries. We look at:  • How macro trends like AI, automation and green innovation are redefining opportunities  • Why “context is queen” when it comes to strategic foresight  • Practical ways smaller businesses can turn change into a competitive advantage  The future is not something that simply happens to us. It is shaped by the decisions we make today. What trends do you think will define your industry over the next decade?  Join the conversation and read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/egzMKjua

Innovation isn’t a straight line. It rarely moves neatly from A to B. Instead, it twists, doubles back, and evolves through chance encounters, shifting markets, and unexpected breakthroughs. That’s why traditional models of innovation so often fall short, they try to force a complex, living process into a rigid formula. This is exactly where Headstarts comes in. Rooted in complexity theory, Headstarts gives teams a framework to:  Navigate uncertainty  Explore multiple paths at once  Adapt quickly to change  Spot new opportunities as they emerge  Instead of sprinting toward a fixed finish line, Headstarts turns innovation into more of a dance, one that’s dynamic, resilient, and alive to the world around it. We’ve just launched the first in our new Headstarts blog series, starting with “Innovation Isn’t a Straight Line: Rethinking Success with Complexity and Headstarts.” https://lnkd.in/eauunxR3 If you’re curious about how to blend theory with practice and embrace innovation as a living story, this is a great place to begin. 

“Impact is not how you do it. It’s what and who you do it for.” — Kimberley Abbott Founder of Vested Impact In fast-paced startup culture, it’s easy to fall into the trap of building for growth at all costs. But as Kim Abbott reminds us in Strive & Thrive, real innovation doesn’t start with the product, it starts with the problem. She speaks powerfully about the need to: ✔ Design for outcomes, not optics ✔ Listen first, especially to the people we claim to serve ✔ Align boards, investors and business models with impact, not just revenue This isn’t just about adding Environmental, Social, and Governance to a pitch deck. It’s about fundamentally rethinking what success looks like, and who gets to define it. “Make impact as central as financials. Boards should make founders as accountable for impact as they are for revenue.” That idea sticks. Because it calls on all of us, founders, funders, advisors to treat impact not as a moral bonus, but as a design principle. It also challenges a narrative we still see too often: that doing good and doing well are somehow in conflict. Kim’s work shows the opposite. When societies thrive, businesses thrive. The best founders today aren’t chasing valuation for its own sake. They’re building systems that shift capital, power and opportunity to where it matters most. We’ll say it again: fall in love with the problem. That’s where the real work begins. #StriveAndThrive #BusinessWithImpact #SystemDesign #FoundersWithPurpose #SocialInnovation #Leadership #ProblemLed #EasolThinks #KimAbbott #VestedImpact