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Mary Stevens
Experiments Programme Manager at Friends of the Earth
Professional Background
Mary Stevens is an accomplished innovation and policy professional with a diverse background that spans central government, public sector consultancy, social action, and academia. Her career has been significantly shaped by her extensive experience in systems thinking and community development, making her a well-rounded leader in her field. With a deep understanding of the roles and responsibilities within local government, Mary is a strategic thinker who values practical application. She has dedicated her efforts to resilience and adaptation to climate change, particularly in areas concerning flood risk, energy efficiency, and community heritage.
Mary's position as the Experiments Programme Manager at Friends of the Earth marks a significant milestone in her career. Through her leadership, she has facilitated various innovative projects that align with the organization's mission of promoting sustainability and environmental justice. Prior to this role, she served as the Innovation Programme Manager at Friends of the Earth, where she successfully spearheaded initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable practices within communities and organizations.
Mary's journey is highlighted by her involvement with several esteemed organizations. As an On Purpose Associate, she contributed to community links and collaborated with initiatives through On Purpose London and Collaborate CIC, where she focused on fostering innovative approaches to social challenges.
In addition to her work in the non-profit sector, Mary holds significant experience within governmental frameworks. She has shaped policies during her tenure at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), where she served as the Head of Strategy, Partnerships, and Local Flood Risk Management. Her critical work within this role assisted local authorities in developing strategies to address flood risks, emphasizing the importance of resilience in local communities.
Mary's early career accomplishments include her role as a Fast Stream Policy Advisor at the Department for Communities and Local Government, where she supported the development of policies that have a lasting impact on community wellbeing.
In academia, Mary has held a prominent position as a Post-doctoral Research Associate at University College London, where her research focused on the intersections of French studies and anthropology, enriching her perspective on cultural and social dynamics.
Education and Achievements
Mary Stevens boasts an impressive educational background that has equipped her with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in her career. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Technology Management, where she graduated with Merit from The Open University. This program provided her with a strong foundation in integrating technological advancements into organizational frameworks, a skill that has proven essential in her various roles.
Additionally, she earned her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in French Studies (with Anthropology) from University College London, where her interdisciplinary research explored complex cultural narratives and social dynamics. This advanced degree is complemented by a Master of Arts (MA) in Cultural Memory, awarded with Distinction from the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies. This combination of studies reflects Mary's commitment to understanding cultural contexts and their implications for community development.
Moreover, her undergraduate education includes a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Modern History and Modern Languages (French), where she graduated with First Class Honours from the prestigious University of Oxford. During her studies at this renowned institution, Mary honed her analytical and critical thinking skills, enabling her to navigate complex policy environments effectively.
In addition to her degrees, Mary also possesses an International Diploma in Social and Political Studies from the prestigious Sciences Po Paris, an accomplishment recognized for its rigorous academic standards and emphasis on global political dynamics.
Achievements
Mary's professional achievements are a testament to her dedication, expertise, and impact within her fields of interest. Her work at Friends of the Earth has not only influenced the organization but also inspired many in the community to embrace sustainable practices. Her innovative mindset has been pivotal in facilitating programs that encourage environmental stewardship, community engagement, and resilience against climate change.
In her previous roles at Defra, Mary played a crucial part in implementing strategies that enhanced local flood risk management, showcasing her ability to effect positive change through collaborative action. Her leadership guided teams in developing frameworks that supported communities in adapting to climate challenges, which is increasingly vital in today's world.
Furthermore, her contribution to the RSA (Royal So
Highlights
On a day when Friends of the Earth is back in court challenging Defra's weak and unacceptable National Adaptation Programme 3 I've been thinking a lot about how climate breakdown is disproportionately impacted Disabled people and other vulnerable people.
In this context, it's been such a privilege to work with disabled designer, technology student and activist Ruth Hennell in our AI and Community Action Lab, drawing attention to the creativity and counter-narratives in this community. Her 'snail bot' and 'sensory sprout' create new forms of nature connection.
"The bots safely explore new spaces locally, without causing harm, to draw upon the diverse ways different living beings experience and perceive the world, to help both disabled and non-disabled people access and experience natural spaces in ways they wouldn't usually be able to, finding new relationships, ways of being and inspiration."
Curious? You can find out more about her project here: https://lnkd.in/e74TKmHV. She's also looking for support to further develop her ideas so if you know anyone who might like to help her develop her 'rooted and roaming' community of practice do get in touch.
You can find Ruth on X here: https://x.com/TheRehn
Shout outs to all the folks in Bristol who've also supported Ruth's creative journey - especially Emma Geen Pervasive Media Studio Knowle West Media Centre
#climateadaptation #disabilityjustice #creativetechnology
"Rooted and Roaming will take a slow, steady, and inclusive approach, resulting in a project accessible to Ruth and her collaborators and challenging the accelerant approach of mainstream AI." So excited to see @TheRehn's project take shape! 👇
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Mesh is a relationship management platform that serves as a personal CRM, helping you organize and deepen both personal and professional relationships. It functions as a beautiful rolodex and CRM available on iPhone, Mac, Windows, and web, built automatically to help manage your network efficiently. Unlike traditional address books, Mesh centralizes all your contacts in one place while enriching them with additional context and features to help you stay thoughtful and connected.
Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
- Smart Search: Allows you to search using natural language like "People I know at the NYT" or "Designers I've met in London"
- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.