BeTheSpark in Action: Shaping a bright idea into reality

The BeTheSpark movement aims to create a more visible, simple and connected ecosystem within Wales. Striving to make the entrepreneurial landscape more accessible and easier to navigate for everyone by showcasing the support available for entrepreneurs to start, grow and scale their businesses. 

Creating an ecosystem where skillset, knowledge and expertise is shared easily with those who are just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey is fundamental for setting them up for success.

Below is a great example of the BeTheSpark movement in action…

After a recent connection made via Twitter (WCICTech), Wesley Clover Innovation Centre’s Marketing and Design Director Paul Bailey met with student Ellie Seddon of Cardiff Metropolitan University who shared her aspiration for launching a new start-up in summer of 2019. Ellie is proactively engaging and meeting with key influencers within the ecosystem who will be able to support her on her entrepreneurial journey.

Wesley Clover Innovation Centre is a technology hub located in Newport, Wales. It is home to ambitious entrepreneurs and their teams who graduate from the Alacrity incubator and provides them with continued support, mentoring and the tools they need to grow globally.

The team and entrepreneurs within WCIC are avid supporters of the Welsh entrepreneurship BeTheSpark movement after its inception by Wesley Clover’s Chief Executive, Prof. Simon Gibson, CBE.

Paul’s passion for entrepreneurship and want to help achieve a more visible, simple and connected ecosystem within Wales prompted him to reach out to Ellie and offer his help and support in his field of expertise - branding and design.

The team at WCIC are actively known to give their time, free advice and often hands-on assistance to enable Welsh entrepreneurs move forward and make steps toward making their business dream a reality. They not only work on developing the businesses within WCIC but also play an active role in supporting external businesses helping the Welsh entrepreneurial ecosystem to flourish.

Upon meeting, Ellie expressed two challenges that she has been struggling with for a while. These challenges made up her company identity – these were her business name and logo.

With extensive experience in branding and mentoring start-ups from foundation phase Paul could help add value to Ellie’s business idea by helping her formulating her company identity.

Ellie’s vision is to create an app to assist students learning English as a second language (ESL – English second language). Paul then explored associated words that ended in ESL or sounded like it (for instance …estle or …nestler). The letter ‘N’ from Nurturing resonated with Ellie, helping create the tag line and it very quickly slotted into place for a company name also. The company name NESLA stands for Nurturing English as a Second Language - the second A in language was also taken to ensure the pronunciation correctly.

Creating a speech bubble within the logo was an obvious choice as the company is based around verbal communication but care needed to be taken not to make it seem like a cartoon, as Paul and Ellie agreed that it needed to be serious and professional.

From a simple Twitter introduction to meeting face-to-face to share their knowledge, skillset and vision, Ellie’s company name and logo was born.

Paul said, “I am passionate about the growth of entrepreneurship within Wales and if by sharing my expertise in branding and design can help move a business idea from concept to reality then I am happy to play my part”

Play your part today and join the movement by clicking here.