Outstanding Contribution
technology, has led to the release of 23 apps in eight different languages.
A 2001 graduate of La Trobe University in Australia, Bright has led Therapy Box with determination and drive from a kitchen-table start-up to a company whose apps are often the top-grossing education downloads in the AppStore.
Unsurprisingly, the huge success of Therapy Box has led to Bright receiving a number of prestigious awards, including the Mphasis Universal Design Award, the NatWest Everywoman award and this year a Queen’s Award for Enterprise and Innovation.
Interviewed after receiving her award, Rebecca Bright spoke about her innovation: “I don’t have anything that others don’t have. It is about being able to recognise a gap or problem and how to solve that creatively. It’s about identifying opportunities, ways of improving things and sharing that vision with others, taking the leap and having a go. That’s what the others are not doing.“
Rebecca Bright collecting her award from David Bloxham, of awards sponsor GCS, and Dame Stephanie Shirley
The audience was told that the outstanding contribution of the final Women in Business Awards evening winner would serve as a powerful legacy and benchmark for other women
The significant contributions of the finalists had beneficially helped change lives in the fields of corporate social responsibility; diversity; education and training; community involvement or acts of charity; or support and coaching.
Judging was led by GCS, and its managing director David Bloxham presented the award to:
WINNER: Rebecca Bright of Therapy Box.
Rebecca Bright has used her experience as a speech and language therapist to create ground- breaking apps for people with communication difficulties.
In 2010, after a number of years working with patients, she co-founded Therapy Box in order to utilise the latest innovations in app development to resolve the needs of those with communication difficulties due to a range of disabilities.
Her team of nine in the UK and 25 developers based in India now provides affordable solutions for people with such disabilities – helping to change their lives, and also those of their friends and families.
The innovative approach of Therapy Box, combining speech therapy with cutting edge
Ever think you would be so successful? “No. It all started as a very little idea. I went to see a young client with a communication disorder and she needed an aid like Stephen Hawking has. All we could provide was an old-fashioned device, which wasn’t going to suit her. By using an app, we not only met her needs, but she was using what everyone was using and looked cool, not more disabled.“
Originally from Australia, Bright previously worked for the North West London NHS Trust.
“Working in the UK, we feel very much like a British business now. London and the south is definitely the place for tech companies to grow and to develop. There are always things happening, plus we have the opportunity to network.
“We have been very successful this year which is great, but as a women in business this award is very nice. Really though, it’s an acknowledgement for the hard work that my partner, my team, and I have done. So, it will take pride of place in our office.“
The other category finalists were: Kerry Adamson, Interserve Heidi Drummond, Pear and Ginger
Prof Ruth Farwell, Buckinghamshire New University Vicci Jarvis, Interserve Jane Holmes, Building for the Future
Finalists received commemorative Women in Business Award certificates from Dame Stephanie Shirley. Their career profiles can be viewed by downloading the Women in Business 2014 event programme pdf at:
www.businessmag.co.uk
Finalists from second left, Prof Ruth Farwell, Kerry Adamson, Jane Holmes, Vicci Jarvis, Heidi Drummond with Nadine Dereza, Dame Stephanie Shirley and David Bloxham
www.businessmag.co.uk THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – OCTOBER 2014
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