How Designability is creating inclusive products that remove barriers for disabled people

How Designability is creating inclusive products that remove barriers for disabled people

In this episode of Leaders With Purpose, Rebecca Hull and Lou Lai sit down with Jim Bowes, CEO of Designability Jim shares his journey from building a digital agency to leading a charity that designs inclusive products for disabled people. The conversation explores purpose-led leadership, moving into the charity sector, building trust as a new CEO and focusing limited resources where they can have the biggest impact. Jim also talks about the importance of inclusive design, why good design should work for more people and how Designability is helping remove barriers from everyday life through products, research and collaboration. * Introduction to Jim Bowes and Designability 00:00 * Jim’s journey from Manifesto founder to charity CEO 01:18 * Finding purpose after leaving an agency 05:37Moving from agency life into charity leadership 08:09 * Building credibility in an established organisation 09:51 * Strategic discovery and focusing resources for impact 11:30 * Balancing ambition, capacity and priorities 13:51 * The complexity of leading in the charity sector 15:24 * Building relationships through organisational change 16:32 * Values, behaviours and culture 19:18 * Co-design, collaboration and working in the open 22:31 * Theory of change and systemic impact 24:07 * Designability’s role in direct impact and wider influence 24:41 * Partnerships and accessible transport 26:33 * Building CEO networks and spotting opportunities 28:17 * Inclusive design and real-world needs 30:01 * Accessible vehicle design and cognitive overload 31:05 * Why inclusive design is good design 33:27 * Fundraising, storytelling and demonstrating impact 35:10 * The CEO and trustee relationship 37:58 * Governance, value-add and trustee roles 42:50 * Future charity leaders and the skills boards should look for 45:04 * Managing energy as a leader 48:07 * What’s next for Jim Bowes and Designability 51:25 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping purposeful organisations. Subscribe to the podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose Connect with us:  Jim Bowes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbowes/ Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/ Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/ manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

How Tate uses data, digital insight & storytelling to drive strategy

Jude Comyn has spent the last nine years helping Tate better understand its audiences. Not just through data, but through insight that can actually shape decisions. In this mini episode, Jude talks about what it really takes to turn data into impact: finding the “golden nugget,” building simple frameworks, telling a clear story and making insight useful for people who do not have time to dig through dashboards or long reports. We also get into how Tate is bringing digital insight into the mix, from understanding exhibition conversion funnels to joining up audience research, analytics, marketing and product data. For any organisation trying to become more insight-led, Jude’s advice is refreshingly practical:  “Keep it simple, focus on what is achievable with the resources you have and build from there.” Chapters: Tate’s audience-focused culture 00:00 Turning data into insight, strategy and frameworks 01:42 Finding the “golden nugget” for senior stakeholders 02:38 One-minute, five-minute and deep-dive insight storytelling 03:20 Building models and making insight explicit 04:15 Bringing digital insight into the wider audience picture 04:22 Joining the dots across analytics, research and digital data 05:00 Digital marketing, search, SEO and the end-to-end journey 05:42 Using conversion funnels to improve exhibition performance 06:24 Why insight needs to be embedded across the organisation 06:50 Advice for building a realistic data and insight strategy 07:40 Keeping it simple and building insight capability step by step 08:20 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping purposeful organisations. Subscribe to the podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose Connect with us:  Judith Comyn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-comyn-11630115/ Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/ Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/ manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

How Tate uses audience insight to lead with purpose and impact

What does it mean to lead with purpose inside a values-led organisation? In this episode of Leaders With Purpose, Manifesto’s Rebecca Hull and Lou Lai are joined by Judith Comyn, Head of Audience Insight at Tate, for a conversation about leveraging data, creativity, leadership and organisational values to drive meaningful change.  Jude shares how her career moved from commercial market research into the not-for-profit and cultural sectors, and how the “silver threads” throughout her journey led her towards a career rooted in social mission. Together, they explore how Tate uses audience insight to better understand, connect with and serve the public and why data only delivers true value when it is successfully transformed into insight, strategy, and collective action. In this episode: * Jude’s career journey into audience insight * Moving towards more purpose-led work * Career breaks, parenthood and the “soggy middle” * Building audience insight capability at Tate * Turning data into insight, strategy and action * Digital insight, search and the audience journey * Co-creation and the power of the “third space” * Living organisational values day to day * Advice for women navigating career, childcare and leadership * The impact of AI on search and the cultural sector This episode covers Tate’s values of being bold, open, kind and rigorous, the importance of storytelling in data and the growing impact of AI on search and cultural organisations. Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping purposeful organisations. Subscribe to the podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose [https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose] Connect with us: Judith Comyn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-comyn-11630115/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-comyn-11630115/] Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/] Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/] manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

Mergers, mission and the power of saying no

When everything is changing, what keeps you moving in the right direction? In this mini episode, Rachael Franklin, Chief Engagement Officer at Breast Cancer Now, sits down with Rebecca Hull and Lou Lai to share a candid look at her decade-long journey helping shape one of the UK’s leading charities, from navigating complex mergers to building a unified organisation with a clear mission. She reflects on the realities behind large-scale change, including the challenges no one fully anticipates and the leadership mindset needed to keep moving forward.  From influencing without authority to making tough prioritisation decisions, this episode offers practical insight into modern leadership. Together, they cover: - Introduction to Rachael Franklin and her journey - Building strategy and influencing without authority - Reaching a turning point after years of change - The reality of mergers and why they take longer than expected - Navigating complexity and organisational change - Defining your North Star during times of change - Strategy, long-term thinking and leading through uncertainty - The challenge of prioritisation and what not to do - Scaling impact and the role of digital transformation Watch the full mini episode for a deeper dive into Rachael’s leadership journey and the future of Breast Cancer Now. Subscribe to the podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78ASRJjPQjcijfeFxyiafX?si=41269ee0af1a468d Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-with-purpose/id1836126863 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/ad0874f0-68de-4c21-a3e2-e08dfe71597a/leaders-with-purpose Connect with us:  Rachael Franklin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-franklin-65aa4220/ Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/ Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/ manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/

How AI is transforming the charity sector with Breast Cancer Now

In this powerful episode of Leaders with Purpose, we sit down with Rachael Franklin, Chief Engagement Officer at Breast Cancer Now, to explore what it really takes to lead through transformation, growth and uncertainty. From her early days in telemarketing fundraising to navigating complex charity mergers and shaping a bold new five-year strategy, Rachael shares honest, practical insights on leadership, innovation and impact. This conversation comes at an exciting moment for Breast Cancer Now, who have just launched a bold new brand identity with a powerful ambition that by 2050, everyone with breast cancer will live and live well. As their digital partner, we’ve been proud to support this journey building the digital foundations over the last few years to help scale their impact, connect more people to support, and bring this vision to life. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to the episode and Rachael Franklin 00:38 - Career journey: from telemarketing to leadership 05:00 - Building strong partnerships and agency relationships 06:17 - Personal connection to purpose and mission 10:00 - Lessons from early fundraising and audience insight 12:42 - Leadership journey and role at Breast Cancer Now 13:43 - Navigating mergers and organisational change 17:08 - The reality of integration and long-term transformation 20:22 - Strategy, prioritisation, and finding your North Star 25:00 - Digital transformation and scaling impact 28:51 - AI in the charity sector: opportunities and challenges 32:17 - Using AI to amplify human-led services 34:55 - New five-year strategy: “Change Happens Now” 37:26 - Key focus areas and future ambitions 41:12 - Innovation, experimentation, and embracing uncertainty 44:03 - Leadership advice: being okay without all the answers Whether you’re a leader in the charity sector, healthcare, digital transformation or purpose-driven business, this episode is packed with insights you can apply immediately. Connect with us: Rachael Franklin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-franklin-65aa4220/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachael-franklin-65aa4220/] Rebecca Hull: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hull-75a78b39/] Louise Lai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-lai-3958962a/] manifesto: https://manifesto.co.uk/