Jan 2022 CEO's update
Can you believe it’s already February? The Cicada team spent January planning for the year; including the launch of the National Space Industry Hub next week, and lots of new events and programs (see below). Plus we’re hiring for a Head of Medtech & Biotech, if that’s you or know someone who might be interested let me know. We also welcomed 5 new resident companies into the building; say hello to iiShield, Pending.AI, LeoLabs, Growave, and NSW Space Research Network.
Science is now regularly the headline story, yet trust in the scientific community has been declining in our ever-polarizing world. Over the break, I watched the latest Netflix movie Don’t Look Up, where Leonardo Dicaprio and Jennifer Lawrence play scientists trying to warn society that a comet will catastrophically hit the earth and end human existence. The director, Adam McKay, revealed how it's a satirical take on our failure to capture the hearts and minds of the public, politicians, and media into real action on the climate crisis.
Deep tech entrepreneurs can talk in great detail about their science, technology, and research, but they also have to be able to tell a compelling story that excites people about why they are on this mission. It’s not about being speculative or engaging in hyperbole, but bringing people on your journey.
It got me thinking about how critical science communication is if you want to unite people to tackle big global problems. At Cicada, we’re fortunate to meet brilliant innovators every day. Our deep tech entrepreneurs can talk in great detail about their science, technology, and research, but they also have to be able to tell a compelling story that excites people about why they are on this mission. It’s not about being speculative or engaging in hyperbole, but bringing people on your journey; customers, investors, the media, even just your family, to help you bring breakthrough innovations from the bench to the market.
We know that our community is full of people with incredible ideas and technology. And this year we want to see more of these become a reality. That’s why the first conversation we want to have this year is about the critical role of science communication and how we can all do better. Joined by Kylie Ahern (The Brilliant and STEM Matters) and Phil Morle (Main Sequence Ventures) we’re going to unpack this topic. It’s a skill to take complex topics and communicate them clearly without losing integrity - so our panel will offer personal insights and practical advice to entrepreneurs who need to be able to communicate the story and value of their science. If we’re to rebuild trust, solve big problems, and inspire the next generation of innovators then we all need to level up.
I hope you can join us both for the event, but even more importantly in building a robust national conversation about the critical role that science and innovations play in solving the world's most pressing problems.
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