The co-founder and former director of the award-winning social enterprise, Social Bite, is setting off on a new career path as a motivational speaker.
Alice Thompson, who left Social Bite earlier this month, has joined Edinburgh-based motivational speaker agency Speaker Buzz with the aim of helping inspire organisations and individuals to make meaningful and lasting change.
Speaker Buzz has a new generation of motivational speakers on its books. These are people who focus on topical issues such as mental health, wellbeing, resilience, diversity and the environment. Through her work as a motivational speaker, Alice will share her experiences of co-founding Social Bite and tackling homelessness, to help inspire others to achieve their goals.
In addition to her work as a speaker, Ms Thompson has set up her own consultancy offering affordable coaching and mentoring support to start-ups and people who are in a business set up and run with strong ethics.
As part of her new venture, she is offering her services, for free for a minimum of two years, to an entrepreneur or small team who has a business idea that actively tackles climate change, through reducing carbon emissions, creating clean energy or increasing biodiversity. Alice said: “We are living in a climate emergency, and I feel it is the least I can do to help empower someone with a business idea that could make a real difference to this planet.”
She began her career in business aged 19, having rebelled against the normal routes to success by dropping out of university in exchange for a practical education. Having gained hands-on experience in events and marketing, she went on to co-found Social Bite along with Josh Littlejohn in 2012.
In her twenties, she went on to manage a team of more than 100 people, and helped grow Social Bite to become Scotland’s most exciting nationwide social enterprise, while creating meaningful and lasting change to the Scottish homelessness system.
In addition to running nationwide fundraising programmes and largescale events, the entrepreneur attracted A-list visitors to support the Social Bite cause, including HRH The Duke of Cambridge and HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio.
With a mission to end homelessness in Scotland, Social Bite has led to pioneering new housing policies in partnership with the Scottish Government and funding such work to the tune of £4 million.
During her career with Social Bite, Alice spoke at more than 100 business events throughout the UK.
Alice said: “Social Bite was an incredible journey for me but it’s time for a new challenge. With its mission to make a difference in the world, Speaker Buzz is a perfect fit for me. As a motivational speaker, I’ll be sharing everything I’ve learned along the way, from the highs and the lows, to help inspire others to achieve their goals and make a difference.”
Debbie Byers, founder of Speaker Buzz, added: “We are proud to represent Alice having followed her personal story and incredible achievements with Social Bite for a number of years. So many organisations will gain from her insights and knowledge of the purposeful business she co-created and the positive impact Social Bite generated around the world to address the issues around homelessness.”
Thompson’s other achievements include receiving Honorary Doctorate degrees from Glasgow University, Queen Margaret University and also Heriot-Watt University in 2021, becoming a member of the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls, receiving an ITV Pride of Britain Award in 2019 and being awarded the Livingstone Medal from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, a prestigious award also held by the likes of Sir David Attenborough, Neil Armstrong and Annie Lennox OBE.
Details of how to apply for Thompson’s free business support for a climate change business idea are available on www.alice-thompson.com
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
