After more than a decade of shaping enterprise education at Lancaster University and across the wider sector, Simon is stepping away from his role at Work in Progress, and into a bold new chapter with his wife, Charlotte, and their young family in France.

Both Simon and Charlotte have long been familiar faces in our community. Charlotte was among the first to complete the International Enterprise Educators Programme (NCEE), while Simon has been an influential presence in the EntreComp community and EEUK best practice events including  IEEC (who could forget PechaKucha Poetry?). Together and individually, they’ve embodied the spirit of collaboration, curiosity, and creativity that drives our sector.

At Lancaster, Simon leaves behind a legacy of innovation. From championing the Business Model Canvas to co-creating Ideas Labs, Innovation Fellowships, Startup Validation Programmes and ECHO (the Entrepreneurial Competency Heutogogical Organiser), he reimagined how enterprise education could look for all, through experimentation, creativity, and playfulness.

He also secured EEUK funding for several projects, including Black Swan, the intellectual property board game that brings play and creativity to one of the most challenging aspects of enterprise learning. Simon built a home for entrepreneurial learning at Lancaster; a community space where ideas grow, people thrive, and authentic learning by doing is celebrated.

Now, in true ‘walking the walk’ style, Simon and Charlotte are venturing into their own entrepreneurial project – establishing a sustainable flower farm in central France.

As one of my mentors often says when things are unfolding, ‘just keep doing the work’. We cannot wait to see what this chapter brings for Simon, Charlotte, and their family as their ideas and work take root.

We encourage colleagues to connect with them on LinkedIn to follow their journey; and who knows, perhaps, in the future, we will see Simon step into to shaping enterprise education in Europe, grounded in hands on entrepreneurial, sustainable, and very authentic learning by doing.

Amanda Brooks & the Work in Progress Team, Lancaster University