Paul Connell

Paul Connell has had a diverse and extensive work experience. Paul founded Open Innovations in 2013 and The Data City in 2018. Paul served as a director at Halcyon Innovation since 2010. In 2013, they also founded ODI Leeds, an organization focused on open innovation with data, which they led until 2021. Paul was a board member of Emergent Alliance from 2020 to 2021. Additionally, they founded SmartKlub in 2014, where they worked until 2018, focusing on building city-scale distributed energy services. Paul served as the managing partner of Actuated Futures from 2013 to 2016, a company working in digital urban futures. Paul held the position of head of business development at The Sirius Group from 2010 to 2014 and regional partnerships director at E.ON Sustainable Cities from 2011 to 2014. Lastly, they were the director of Woodholmes Group, an innovation company, from 2010 to 2012.

Paul Connell attended Scarborough Sixth Form from 1987 to 1989. Paul then went on to Lancaster University, where they earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Environmental Science from 1989 to 1992. Following this, they pursued further education at Imperial College London, completing a Master of Science in Environmental Analysis & Assessment from 1995 to 1996.