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About Nesta

Nesta is an innovation foundation. For us, innovation means turning bold ideas into reality and changing lives for the better. We use our expertise, skills and funding in areas where there are big challenges facing society.

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Nesta’s residency programme

This project started in March 2023 and is ongoing

Author

Celia Hannon

Celia Hannon

Celia Hannon

Director of Discovery

Celia was a director within Nesta's strategy department, shaping the organisation’s future agenda and leading the Discovery Hub.

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Rachel Parker

Rachel Parker

Rachel Parker

Research and Operations Manager, Discovery Hub and Strategy Unit

Rachel is an assistant programme manager, providing support for projects across Nesta’s Discovery Hub and Strategy Unit.

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We created a ‘social impact’ residency programme which brings new ideas and expertise into Nesta, helping us to trial new ways of working and deepen our knowledge of the problems we work on.

Why did we do this?

The programme is intended to promote knowledge transfer, foster continuous learning and help us to build new networks in the sectors in which we work.

What did we do?

The first round of residencies were focused on hosting individuals with frontline or ‘first-hand’ experience in our areas key to our missions, including:

  • an early-years teacher and consultant
  • a product development and innovation manager from the food industry
  • a renewable energy expert with knowledge of heat pump installation and manufacturing

The second round of residencies in 2023 saw Nesta hosting machine learning engineers to support the development of generative AI tools, including prototypes focused around use cases for the early years sector. As part of the same round, Nesta Cymru hosted school food nutrition and policy consultants to support their agenda to make school food healthier.

We are currently preparing for our next batch of social impact residencies.