Daisy Matthews recently joined FieldHouse for a week of work experience – a week that happened to coincide with London Tech Week. In this post, she unpacks what it was like to dive into the world of PR and technology at such a busy and relevant time.
Work experience with FieldHouse Associates was very much like stepping into an entirely different world. Not only did I gain an incredible experience of office life, but I also was immediately immersed in the tech and venture capital ecosystem. On first arrival into the office I was set up with all the appropriate tools – an email address, a Slack account, and a buddy, Bella. Then, not an hour later, I was off to London Tech Week!
It was then that I realised why Anna, one of the Directors, had suggested this week would be a particularly good time for the experience – London Tech Week was both an exciting (if unfamiliar) adventure and the best crash course in technology that I could have asked for. Sitting in front of the main stage listening to incredible entrepreneurs and investors, I was amazed (while nudging Bella to ask for definitions of what felt like every other word).
During my three days in the office I went to several different talks, the first of which was a discussion panel about “investing through the noise”. While the discussion focused on some of the near-term issues affecting early-stage investment, such as the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, and interest rates, these are of course issues that have a wider impact on society too, and I felt I gained lots of insights.
My second day’s crash course was on Tech Transfer Offices – particularly fascinating as I am looking to attend university next year. The extent of the tech and AI research and development that takes place within university labs all over the world is astronomical, and pivotal to modern tech advancements. It was in moments like that that I realised how little of the tech world I had been aware of, and how significant it is to human development.
I really saw how important technology is when I sat in on Paul Polman’s Tuesday afternoon talk: “Climate tech’s time is now”. After he left the stage, I immediately went to follow him on Twitter. For someone like me, about to enter adulthood and the workforce, it was incredibly powerful to hear about the potential of cleantech and sustainable AI in the fight against climate change.
Finally, I couldn’t summarise my time at FieldHouse Associates without mentioning the lovely welcome and support I received from the whole team. Everyone without fail was ready to answer any questions I had, or just to explain the worlds of PR and tech without making me feel entirely clueless. Despite all the wonderful things I learnt and the great opportunity to go to London Tech Week, it was certainly the people at FHA that made my experience.
