Andrea Cockerton

Andrea is a Cambridge-based venture market consultant that has worked alongside almost 350 entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial companies on pitching for venture funding and business critical deals. Previously a director of GEIF, one of the original UK business angel networks, and prior to that one of the management team of VBN, a software & networking dot com based in Cambridge, Andrea's clients & projects have given considerable strength and depth to her experience; she has coached a number of entrepreneurs in their applications to Dragons' Den, run workshops for a range of entrepreneurial bootcamps, networking events & training days across the country, and advised CEOs, partners & board directors on business critical keynote speeches.  She has also provided consultancy to national law firms on complex tender pitches and run workshops for Microsoft and its Imagine Cup competition.

Andrea is a frequent public speaker on the subject of pitching complex information under pressure, most recently at TMT Ventures, Warsaw, and is currently writing a book on the subject.  She is also a mentor for Fresh Ideas Events, and was one of the founding board members of the MIT Enterprise Forum in the UK.

In addition to her consultancy work, Andrea has recently launched a new start-up in late 2009 called Brick Handbag, which offers intelligent self defence training for women, taught by women.