Charles Leadbeater

Charles Leadbeater is recognized as a global leader on innovation and creativity in organizations. He develops innovative ideas for a broad range of sectors including large companies, small organizations, government departments, and community groups. He has provided his expertise to notable organizations such as Channel Four News Television, Discovery Europe, Atlas Adventure, Ericsson, Accenture, and British Telecom. He is currently a Senior Research Associate with Demos, an independent think tank focused on everyday democracy.

He authored "Living on Thin Air," which discusses the role of knowledge in the modern economy, and another significant work, "The Weightless Society," which explores the idea of entrepreneurship as a widespread activity. Both publications have been influential in shaping thoughts on entrepreneurship and economic strategies in the knowledge economy.

Leadbeater graduated from Oxford University with degrees in Politics, Economics, and Philosophy. He began his career as a newspaper journalist, contributing to the Financial Times and The Independent, where he also assisted in developing the "Bridget Jones Diary" column. His journalistic work earned him the David Watt Prize for Journalism. Although no longer a staff writer for mass publications, Leadbeater continues to write research reports, think tank pamphlets, and essays, contributing to various policy papers including the Government's White Paper on Science and the Competitiveness White Paper.