UEA startup shakes up Norwich business scene with masterclasses
From New York to Delhi and almost everywhere in between, millennial entrepreneurs Lauren Razavi, 25, and Jesse Onslow Norton, 29, have seen it all. But when they decided to build consultancy business Flibl from scratch last July, they chose their hometown of Norwich as the place to start up. Just a year later, the ambitious duo are launching a series of masterclasses for graduates, freelancers and entrepreneurs in Norfolk.
After graduating from the prestigious creative writing MA at the University of East Anglia, Lauren made a name for herself as a freelance journalist, reporting from more than 30 countries for titles such as The Guardian, Wired, NPR and Harper’s Bazaar. In 2016, she was crowned the UK’s young freelancer of the year at the IPSE awards and named as a notable young leader by entrepreneurship group LeadNorfolk.
Jesse, a UEA graduate in politics and media, began his career in computer programming before Google headhunted him to work on a communications project spanning countries across the world. Since then, he’s worked on editorial and content for brands such as Emirates, Royal Bank of Canada, NatWest and Regus. He also speaks regularly on topics such as fintech, blockchain and macroeconomics at conferences and events all over the globe.
Before they founded Flibl, Lauren and Jesse travelled from country-to-country and worked remotely from their laptops as ‘digital nomads’. “Although we both grew up in Norwich, my family’s from Australia and Lauren’s is from Iran, so global thinking and frequent travel are natural to us,” Jesse says. “There was no doubt that our business, Flibl, would be based here though. It’s our spiritual home and a city we’re proud to be part of.”
In just 12 months, Flibl has expanded from a simple idea to a team of 10 people. Today, the consultancy helps some of the world’s most innovative companies tell their stories on digital platforms. This autumn, Flibl’s founders will share their knowledge and experience with the Norfolk business community in a series of workshops offering insights into journalism, brand storytelling, PR and the future of work.
“Our masterclasses focus on innovation, personal development and entrepreneurship, making them relevant to a variety of different audiences,” Lauren says. “We hope that by sharing what we’ve learned so far, we’ll encourage others to pursue interesting careers and enterprises, especially young people in the East of England.”
The inaugural programme of Flibl Masterclasses will run during September and October at Fuel Studios, a startup hub based on Pottergate in Norwich city centre. Course details are available below.
SEPTEMBER:
Tue 12th – Brand Storytelling: Business Success Through Stories
Sat 16th – Journalism Masterclass: Launch Your Freelance Writing Career
Tue 19th – Journalism Masterclass: Getting Started in Travel Writing
Sat 23rd – What Journalists Want: A Masterclass on Winning Press Coverage
Tue 26th – How to Travel the World and Make a Living: A Future of Work Masterclass
Sat 30th – Work Smarter, Not Harder: A Masterclass in Productivity
OCTOBER:
Tue 3 Oct – Journalism Masterclass: Launch Your Freelance Writing Career
Sat 7 Oct – Brand Storytelling: Business Success Through Stories
Tue 10 Oct – What Journalists Want: A Masterclass on Winning Press Coverage
Sat 21 Oct – How to Travel the World and Make a Living: A Future of Work Masterclass
Tue 24 Oct – Work Smarter, Not Harder: A Masterclass in Productivity
Sat 28 Oct – Journalism Masterclass: Getting Started in Travel Writing
For further information on Flibl Masterclasses or to request an interview with Lauren and Jesse, please call business development coordinator Meg Pay on +44 (0) 7960 770 983 or email meg@flibl.co.