Farming, not hunting

Networking has a bad rep.
Networking is often considered the preserve of the shiny-shoed, shiny-haired salesperson, dressed as a ‘consultant’. They skid to a halt in a cloud of fairy-dust and hop out of their newly-valeted car; their glinting teeth and utterly believable smiles herald promises of immediate wealth and happiness...

Dr Joanna Berry, basing her work on the “Strength of Weak Ties”, will tell you some real life – and life-changing - networking success stories. She will bring them to life in conversation with some of her own network, Durham alumni and others. She will give you evidence of how true networking activity and attitudes can create significant, credible and potentially life-changing opportunities.
Faced with a drastic situation in the personal service that is a family run taxi company, Tom switched his business from taxi service to delivery app. He will tell us the story of Grab, which not only helped to sustain BlueLine taxis over the 3 months of full lockdown but also supported regional SME retailers in the process. Matt and his R&D team put ideation principles learned at DUBS into practice, creating from scratch a vacuum-powered, 3D printed ventilator unit!

Both stories are great examples of how the networks of people you live and work in can be as important – if not more so – than what you know. DUBS is proud to have been involved to different degrees in both of these stories. We brought in other alumni and industry partners, we forged new alliances across the globe, and we spread the word for both our alumni on social media of every description in the process.
Join us for an evening of inspiration that will have you reaching for your little black book.

Follow the seminar with a chance to network with alumni and others, find some friends (both old and new), and – as networking is all about farming, not hunting - plant some networks of your own.