Kate Baucherel BA(Hons) FCMA CGMA is an author, speaker and consultant specialising in emerging technologies, with a focus on the use of blockchain and cryptocurrency. She consults with clients from startup and scaleup businesses to blue chip multinationals and is a member of Endava’s Technology Advisory Committee. Kate also teaches part time at the University of Teesside in both the International Business School and the School of Computing, Engineering and Digital Technologies. Her subjects include fintech, blockchain and cryptocurrency, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence and automation in finance and accounting.

Kate graduated in business from Newcastle University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Kate has held senior technical and financial roles in businesses across multiple sectors including utilities, construction, manufacturing, leisure and software, leading several enterprises through their start-up and growth phases.

Her books include Blockchain Hurricane: Origins, Applications and Future of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency (BEP/Harvard 2020), What’s Hot in Blockchain and Crypto (2020,2021) and the SimCavalier series of cybercrime thrillers. She has spoken at events across the world and online, as keynote, panellist, mentor and chair, and regularly appears on BBC radio as a cryptocurrency expert.

With almost 30 years of growing businesses under her belt, Patrycja is now supporting the growth of other businesses.

Awarded 'Quality of the Year 2008' for management and innovative training, gained numerous industry accreditations for her clients and supported the launch of companies and products from training, through FMCG to fintech platforms.

Blue-chip companies include Lego, BMW, Scania, as well as the armed forces, and government agencies. Her expertise lies in leveraging technology to enable growth. She has worked with several renowned tech incubators and accelerators mentoring tech founders.

She founded Open Solutions Global (opensolutions-london.co.uk), a boutique consulting firm, to assist growth-oriented companies and innovative start-ups with their tech launch and market expansion. Founder of London Business Academy and Chapter Director for Startup Grind, supporting tech ecosystems in Leeds and the North East of England.

Patrycja has always believed that empathy, listening, and a full understanding of clients' needs are crucial to building successful partnerships; something that leads to trust. With her youthful energy and industry-veteran experience, her company has enjoyed supporting and scaling up businesses in the UK, in the US and in Europe.

After 10 years of running my own businesses I sold up and moved into business support. I have supported different businesses across the North East via the Skills Support for the Workplace program, I worked on the Business Support Helpline helping pre-start, Start-up and Established businesses across the UK, I am currently a Project Adviser on the North of Tyne Growth fund which is a large Capital grant.