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How Present Pal began


Meet Chris

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In 2014 Chris was a student with dyslexia at the University of Strathclyde and realised that the results of his business degree would rely largely on his ability to present to his peers. After consulting with the university’s disability service and dyslexia experts, Chris realised that there was no direct or accessible solution for presentation anxiety. With Chris determined to ensure that his public speaking fears didn’t lead to his exclusion, he created Present Pal.

Since launching the Present Pal app in 2018 we are now supporting over 10,000 learners and presenters in Higher Education in the UK and North America. We’ve expanded quickly, in the past year our team has quadrupled from 4 to 17, welcoming a host of talented, passionate individuals to the Estendio Team, bringing with them a range of skills and ideas to equip us in our mission.

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Our Values

Accessibility

Inclusivity is at the heart of everything we do and we’re all about addressing pain points through simple solutions. We recognise that everyone is unique and has a different experience with learning differences and disabilities.

We want to create a level, equal playing field for everyone to get the best out of themselves and each other, and we are constantly innovating and looking for ways to do this.

Adaptability

Adaptable meets ability in our small and committed team.

In the Estendio team and we all need to get our sleeves rolled up!

This may mean being slightly out of our comfort zone or doing jobs or tasks which may not be your specialism but we take this in our stride and get the job done.

Ambition

We want a world where inclusivity is the standard, not the exception.

At the same time we’re here to become the best versions of ourselves - we are always learning and growing together to push ourselves to achieve our vision of inclusivity.

Attitude

We’re each responsible for our own actions, performance and career. We are always good neighbours to each other and put us before me.

We embrace our differences and use them to grow by staying open-minded, curious and humble. Ultimately we are collaborative at heart, accountable and ready for the journey here at Estendio!

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 Our Team

Chris Hughes, Founder & CEO

Chris Hughes, Founder & CEO

Cara Hunt, Chief Marketing Officer

Cara Bielecki, Chief Marketing Officer

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Linda Edstrand, Director of Product and Operations

 
Lorna MacDonald, Head of People

Lorna MacDonald, Director of People

Robert Moore, VP of engineering

Robert Moore, VP of Engineering

 
Ben Scott, Marketing Manager

Ben Scott, Marketing Manager

Joseph Dawber, UK Education Manager

Joseph Dawber, UK Education Manager

Alex Bierton, Senior Software Developer

Alex Bierton, Senior Software Developer

Brian Ward, Technical Team Lead

Kevin McDermott, Full Stack Developer

Kevin McDermott, Software Developer

Daniel Findlay, Junior Software Developer

Stephen Herd, Software Developer

Rick Simpson, Lead Product Designer

Steven McCurrach, Senior UX/UI Designer

Steven McCurrach, Senior UX/UI Designer

Mark Robinson, Chair of the Board

Iain Landsburgh, Non Executive Director

Iain Landsburgh, Non Executive Director

Ian Cameron, Head of Finance

Ian Cameron, Head of Finance

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 Awards and Investors

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Scottish Edge

Wildcard Edge Winner 2016 (£10,000)

Young Edge Winner 2016 (£10,000)

Edge Round 13 Winner 2018 (£50,000)


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Converge Challenge

Kickstart Award Runner-up 2015 (£1,500)

Converge Challenge Runner-up 2016 (£29,000)


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Scottish Enterprise

SMART Award 2016 (£138,500)


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Microsoft AI for Accessibility

Announced as first European AI4A grantee


Investors

 
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SIB (Scottish Investment Bank) logo
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