Mr Blué O’Connor

Mr Blué O’Connor

Social Venture Hub Manager

Research and Innovation

Languages
English
Key Expertise
Social Ventures, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Business Support

About me

Blué is the Social Venture Hub Manager for the Impact U programme, a collaboration between Oxford University Innovation and LSE Innovation. It aims to support academics and students to launch social ventures through targeted training and funding. He is responsible for establishing the partnership's training hub.

Blué spent over a decade in the Aerospace industry, rising from an apprentice to a leadership role in Global Business Strategy. He then took a two-year career break to travel the world. On his return, he transitioned into supporting SMEs with the Department of International Trade and Innovate UK, where he also began his path as a social entrepreneur.

Blué co-founded Talk Club, a global social venture focused on improving men’s mental fitness; and was the founder of KINGS, an ethical aftershave start-up that ceased operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also serves as Director at the ZionCommunity and Art Centre in Bristol, and co-launched Impact.AI, a venture spun out from the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE)that aims to upskill social entrepreneur's abilities to leverage generative AI.

Most recently, Blué was Head of Programmes at the SSE, where he led a team delivering grant and training programmes across the UK, including the UK-Government's VCSE Contract Readiness Pathway programme, which supported over 1,000 social ventures to improve their confidence and skills in securing large government contracts.

His diverse experience spans engineering, business support, and social entrepreneurship, earning him recognitions such as Virgin Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2018,  the School for Social Entrepreneurs Peer of the Year in 2018, and the Bristol Life Award for Talk Club in 2021. More recently, in 2023, he was awarded a scholarship to study an Executive MSc in Social Business and Entrepreneurship at the London School of Economics.