About Mevan Peiris – Innovation Community Developer

Mevan is an Operations, Marketing and Business Strategy specialist who has held managerial positions in Hospitality, FMCG and Consumer Technology companies.

He is currently attached to the Warwick Innovation District and manages the “My Innovation Collective” Platform, helping businesses and entrepreneurs to connect, solve problems and accelerate innovation. Mevan is a Mentor on the Siemens Next47 Global Intrapreneurship Programme and a NatWest Business Mentor for the West Midlands and East of England.

He also operates as an independent Business Strategy Consultant for multiple clients including the 2nd largest exporter of Ceylon Tea.

As Head of Operations for PickMe Food (an online delivery platform in Sri Lanka), Mevan featured in the Forbes 30under30 list for Consumer Technology in 2020.

Mevan was the recipient of the Chevening Scholarship and completed a Master’s in Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the University of Warwick. He holds a BSc in International Relations and a Diploma in Economics from the University of London.

About My Innovation Collective

My Innovation Collective is a circular skill exchange and time-banking platform, between experienced industry professionals and entrepreneurs.

             When you’re a start-up in the early stages or if you’re an SME looking to scale-up, it’s usually a steep learning curve. There’s a lot to benefit from the experience and insights of people who’ve “been there – done that.” This is what the My Innovation Collective platform is essentially trying to do. Help share knowledge, offer mentorship and exchange experiences among the business community in the West Midlands, and the larger Warwick eco-system.

It is an initiative of the University of Warwick’s own Warwick Innovation District (WID). Since its launch in 2020, start-ups and SMEs within the WID have raised over £100m in funding, with over 20,000 people engaging in innovation and over 700 businesses started or supported.

Mevan, Operations, Marketing and Business Strategy specialist

What does the vision of success look like?

We already have a whole range of free “offers” by industry experts including Business Model Innovation to Value Proposition fine-tuning, Sales strategy workshops, Investor Pitch Reviews and many more.

While entrepreneurs and companies are “requesting” for things like an introductory chat on Intellectual Property protection, to setting up their payroll, to applying for grant-funding.

We also have students signing up to the platform and offering their time in return for work-experience, while early-stage ventures are actively looking for potential team members.

The vision is that this platform becomes a circular, self-sustaining eco-system that creates value for all members of its digital community.

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