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Oli Barrett

Connector, Co-Founder and Presenter

Oli Barrett MBE is a serial co-founder, connector, and presenter known for his work in entrepreneurship, education, and social innovation.23 He is the co-founder of Turn On The Subtitles (TOTS), a campaign launched in January 2019 to improve children's literacy by encouraging broadcasters, policymakers, and parents to turn on subtitles for children's television programs.4

Career Highlights

  • Founder of The Connector Unit, which focuses on making valuable connections across sectors and industries4
  • Co-founder of various organizations, including Volunteer It Yourself, Tenner (the UK's largest schools enterprise challenge), and Clean and Cool2
  • Advisory board member for organizations such as the Centre for Entrepreneurs, One Million Mentors, and Tech London Advocates2
  • Fellow of Zinc VC, an organization that builds companies to solve social issues4
  • Official presenter of London Tech Week2

Achievements and Recognition

  • Awarded an MBE in June 2013 for services to business and entrepreneurship4
  • Described as "The most connected man in Britain" by WIRED UK3
  • Regular host and presenter for events such as The Great British Entrepreneur Awards, The Times Growth Summits, and the Global Leaders Innovation Summit3

Barrett's work with TOTS aims to leverage research showing that turning on subtitles can significantly improve children's literacy. The campaign seeks to make subtitles the default option for children's television programming, particularly for ages 6 to 10.1

Highlights

Nov 19 · twitter

🌈Happy 30th Birthday to The National Lottery (@TNLUK) and here's to an astonishing £50 billion which has been distributed to good causes (thanks to @TNLComFund led by @TNLComFund_CEO David Knott and new chair @Julia_Cleverdon). A brief personal musing; https://t.co/WSCQ9DzITo

Nov 19 · twitter

🐉🏆Meet the @CityAM Dragon Award Winners 2024;

https://t.co/soOysvEalS

(by @ChristianJMay)

#CityAMDragons

Related Questions

What other projects has Oli Barrett been involved in?
How did Oli Barrett and Henry Warren meet?
What is The Connector Unit, and how does it work?
What is the impact of same language subtitles (SLS) on children's literacy?
How did the Turn on the Subtitles campaign gain traction?
Oli Barrett
Oli Barrett, photo 1
Oli Barrett, photo 2
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Location

London, United Kingdom