Latest news with #DavidBlake
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arts and community projects receive cash boost
Three projects that missed out on Levelling Up funds in Worcester are to get a financial boost. Comer Gardens Community Centre, the Swan Theatre and plans for a Worcester music bus will all benefit. Worcester City Council was awarded a £178,000 capital grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in December 2024. Councillors held off allocating money until the outcome of Worcester's bid for government funding was known. The city was due to get £5m but ended up with £2.3m and some projects missed out on funds. "Unfortunately we were not successful in a number of project allocations with government," managing director David Blake told the council's policy and resources committee on Tuesday. He said the council was successful with securing funds for the Scala project - an arts and entertainment venue in the city - and plans to revamp Angel Place and the Corn Exchange. Mr Blake said £42,000 would go towards refurbishment of Comer Gardens Institute, a project to which "the council has already committed £140,000". The Swan Theatre will get £50,000 towards installation of a lift to improve accessibility, and £80,000 has been allocated to a music bus. The music bus was described as "a travelling music facility to widen participation and learning amongst young people across the city". Councillor Karen Holmes said it was "lovely" that the theatre would be accessible to all, and councillor Pat Agar said it was "excellent news" the council could return to some projects. Council leader Lynn Denham said she was "particularly chuffed" about money for the mobile music hub and added that it would help increase skills in more deprived areas. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Work on arts centre set to start in early 2025 Worcester City Council
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arts and community projects receive cash boost
Three projects that missed out on Levelling Up funds in Worcester are to get a financial boost. Comer Gardens Community Centre, the Swan Theatre and plans for a Worcester music bus will all benefit. Worcester City Council was awarded a £178,000 capital grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in December 2024. Councillors held off allocating money until the outcome of Worcester's bid for government funding was known. The city was due to get £5m but ended up with £2.3m and some projects missed out on funds. "Unfortunately we were not successful in a number of project allocations with government," managing director David Blake told the council's policy and resources committee on Tuesday. He said the council was successful with securing funds for the Scala project - an arts and entertainment venue in the city - and plans to revamp Angel Place and the Corn Exchange. Mr Blake said £42,000 would go towards refurbishment of Comer Gardens Institute, a project to which "the council has already committed £140,000". The Swan Theatre will get £50,000 towards installation of a lift to improve accessibility, and £80,000 has been allocated to a music bus. The music bus was described as "a travelling music facility to widen participation and learning amongst young people across the city". Councillor Karen Holmes said it was "lovely" that the theatre would be accessible to all, and councillor Pat Agar said it was "excellent news" the council could return to some projects. Council leader Lynn Denham said she was "particularly chuffed" about money for the mobile music hub and added that it would help increase skills in more deprived areas. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Work on arts centre set to start in early 2025 Worcester City Council
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Worcester arts and community projects receive a cash boost
Three projects that missed out on Levelling Up funds in Worcester are to get a financial Gardens Community Centre, the Swan Theatre and plans for a Worcester music bus will all City Council was awarded a £178,000 capital grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in December held off allocating money until the outcome of Worcester's bid for government funding was known. The city was due to get £5m but ended up with £2.3m and some projects missed out on funds. "Unfortunately we were not successful in a number of project allocations with government," managing director David Blake told the council's policy and resources committee on said the council was successful with securing funds for the Scala project - an arts and entertainment venue in the city - and plans to revamp Angel Place and the Corn Exchange. Music 'across the city' Mr Blake said £42,000 would go towards refurbishment of Comer Gardens Institute, a project to which "the council has already committed £140,000".The Swan Theatre will get £50,000 towards installation of a lift to improve accessibility, and £80,000 has been allocated to a music music bus was described as "a travelling music facility to widen participation and learning amongst young people across the city". Councillor Karen Holmes said it was "lovely" that the theatre would be accessible to all, and councillor Pat Agar said it was "excellent news" the council could return to some leader Lynn Denham said she was "particularly chuffed" about money for the mobile music hub and added that it would help increase skills in more deprived areas. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Canterbury on the big screen at Cannes
A team of NZ actors and narrators including Davey Round, Robert Tait and the Wizard of New Zealand worked on the project. Photo: Cannes Film Festival Canterbury has hit the big screen at the Cannes Film Festival which runs until May 24. Our Man in Cannes - the David Blake Story was directed by Woodend's Sam Miller. It has dramatised scenes shot in Rangiora, Waikuku and New Brighton, along with other parts of Christchurch where locals stood in as extras. Sam Miller, who self-funded the feature film with ''sweat equity'', says the film is a must-see for ''cinephiles'' and those who love the history behind the scenes of the movies at Cannes. ''The history is just so deep and rich. It's staggering,'' he says. A team of New Zealand actors and narrators have accompanied Miller to Cannes, including Davey Round, Robert Tait and the Wizard of New Zealand. David Blake during filming at the Paradiso Restaurant, Hotel Barrière Le Majestic Cannes. Photo: Cannes Film Festival The narrators chronicle Cannes history - Napoleon, Cote de Azur, painters Edward Lear, Cezanne, Jean Cocteau, Miro and Picasso at the La Colombe d'Or and the surprising Cannes history of British Chancellor, Lord Henry Peter Brougham and Vaux of Cumbria on the borders of Scotland. The documentary follows the life of erstwhile London producer, sales agent and Hollywood veteran David Blake who has been on the Croisette (the Esplanade) at Cannes every year since 1968. The behind-the-scenes documentary captures the history of the Cannes Film Festival and Blake's incredible access to the best parties and glamour in Cannes, Los Angeles, New York and London for over 50+ years. David Blake, born in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, in 1948 takes viewers into the history and mystique of Cannes - a unique journey to the heart of the entertainment world and its political/cultural roots. The film will premiere in New Zealand and overseas.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Forget coffee, $1.4 billion tech company chief says he naps instead: ‘I can take them just about anywhere'
Being in the C-suite is a high-pressure job with long hours, board responsibilities, and intense scrutiny. But what is it like to be a top executive when you're off the clock? Fortune's series, The Good Life, shows how up-and-coming leaders spend their time and money outside of work. Today we meet Degreed's founder and co-CEO, David Blake. The 41-year-old serial entrepreneur started out as a management consultant for Oliver Wyman in 2007, but his heart wasn't in it. Blake's true passion lies in education—and he has since dedicated his career to improve learning for students and employees alike. Blake leads the $1.4 billion education technology company a long ways away from Degreed's Silicon Valley roots. He moved to Salt Lake City Utah in 2020, where he's embracing little breaks from the chaos of the tech world Blake's lifestyle is working in unison with Degreed's pace of growth; the business' career-building programs are used by 30% of the Fortune 500 with over 50 million skills rated to far, and 460,000 learning pathways for the 10 million activated users. For the co-CEO, that means balancing a hectic schedule with frequent naps (taken anywhere) and binge-watching survival TV. He also sneaks in some video games between his other duties as the co-founder of BookClub and advisor for several companies like Sounding Board, Transfr VR, and OnDeck. Despite a long list of to-do's, Blake's passion for education keeps the fire burning. Before starting Degreed in 2012, he was a founding team member at Zinch—a company that helped students find scholarships, acquired by $12 billion learning giant Chegg—and was selected as a top edtech entrepreneur by the Stanford School EdTech Lab. And even when he's off the clock, education is still a huge part of his life: Blake and his wife run a microschool, where they teach their three children. 'I've dedicated my life to the future of education, and I wanted my children to benefit from those principles,' Blake tells Fortune. 'I didn't want my kids to be like the cobbler's children with no shoes.' What's been the best investment you've ever bought? I spent about $15 on the book titled, The Millionaire Next Door. It reframed for me, early in my life, what the definition of success to be, and therefore in which ways and direction I'd strive with my life. This book is still guiding me today. I specifically recall a Buddhist teaching from the book, which was also picked up by Chuck Palahniuk and popularized in Fight Club, that 'you own your stuff and your stuff owns you.' And the worst? Have you ever seen the movie Money Pit? I bought one of those. If you have children, what do your childcare arrangements look like? The most unique approach we've taken to parenting our three children is that we started a microschool. I've dedicated my life to the future of education, and I wanted my children to benefit from those principles. I didn't want my kids to be like the cobbler's children with no shoes. What are your living arrangements like: Swanky apartment in the city or suburban sprawling? As it turns out, homes weren't built to run a classroom, so after a decade of living in San Francisco, we cast a wide net and looked for the right house in multiple states to be able to run our microschool. We ended up finding it in Utah, and moved back there in 2020. It's been full on, suburban life for us ever since. I am a big advocate for naps, and I can take them just about anywhere. How do you commute to work? When I am home, I commute by car. I enjoy the drive because it's a great time for me to listen to audiobooks or podcasts, which help me stay current and sharp on a variety of topics. Some of my favorite podcasts: Smartless, Room for Two, Faith Matters, Acquired, The Moth, The Weekly Show. Some of my favorite recent audiobooks: The Anthropocene Reviewed, I Hate the Ivy League, Blitzed, Greenlights, We Are Legion (We Are Bob) Do you carry a wallet? I haven't carried a real wallet for nearly 15 years. I use a MagWallet attached to the back of my iPhone (no phone case, the way Steve Jobs intended), which holds my driver's license and one credit card, which I rotate when I am traveling for work. Do you invest in shares? I focus my investing on private tech companies, a space I know well and where I can contribute both financially and with expertise. This familiarity allows me to vet deals effectively and support entrepreneurs meaningfully. While this approach isn't optimized for the highest yield, it aligns with my goal of making an impact. Helping good entrepreneurs succeed and generating meaningful returns is a win-win. As expected with early-stage investing, some deals have gone to zero. However, many have yielded returns, and a few, like Transfr and Podium Education, have been breakout successes. What personal finance advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Invest in Bitcoin. What's the one subscription you can't live without? Drift Co Scent-of-the-month. It's a small luxury for $10 per month, and so good. Smell is the most underrated sensory experience and this little luxury makes me incredibly happy. Spotify is my longest-standing subscription. With kids in the house, it's non-negotiable—they'd revolt if I ever turned it off! Where's your go-to wristwatch from? What is time? I haven't worn a wristwatch since I got my first cell phone. I aspire to one day purchase a Patek Philippe with the moon phases for my father. When I was young, he wore an inexpensive watch with the moon phases that I always loved. How do you get your daily coffee fix? I'm Mormon, so I grew up without coffee. If you've seen Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (which I haven't, but know the buzz), you know that Utahn's are really just soda fiends. Dr Pepper Zero Cream Soda is my pick. I'm sharp and at my best in the morning, so no caffeine is needed. I hit a slump at ~3:00pm every day, and power nap when I can. I am a big advocate for naps, and I can take them just about anywhere. What about eating on the go? In my 20's it was a cheesesteak or a burger. In my 30's it became a turkey sandwich or a burrito. Now that I am in my 40's, it is salad+protein. My eat-what-I-want metabolism has betrayed me lately. Where do you buy groceries? Instacart. How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home? I love cooking! My daughter does as well. She wants to be a chef and has taken over the family meals for 3-4 nights out of the week. My wife and I do date-night each weekend, and will eat a nice meal out and we try to host friends or family Sunday night. Where do you shop for your work wardrobe? The more senior the role in my career, the more I get to dress as I wish, and less as others expect. I was CEO by my late twenties, so it's been a while since I was wearing anything besides what feels right. I will say, as a Silicon Valley tech exec, the few times I'd wear a suit it was for foreign travel/meetings, where I was trying to respect their cultural nuances. What I've found is that people are often disappointed to find a tech exec dressed formally–I think they want to see the 'hoodie & sneakers'-cliches played out. Right now, my favorite piece in my closet is a jacket made by a friend, under her brand Bravo Charlie, who does vintage reclamation. She made me a jacket from a vintage sleeping bag–it's amazing and is a conversation starter anytime I wear it. What would be a typical work outfit for you? Jeans, t-shirt, sneakers and a jacket. Are you the proud owner of any futuristic gadgets? Carv, it's hardware that attaches to your ski boots to enable real-time, AI coaching as to how you are doing and what you can improve on in your skiing. How do you unwind from the top job? How do I manage stress? Napping, working out, stress eating, and during some chapters of the journey – therapy/coaching. How do I spend my free time? With my wife and kids, running, skiing, video games (Polytopia), and my guilty pleasure: survival-TV shows. What's the best bonus treat you've bought yourself? At a major milestone in my entrepreneurial journey, I made a personal splurge and purchased an industrial orange juice maker. When we acquired a startup in The Netherlands, I moved over there for a summer with my family. Each day, I'd stop at a little market to purchase fresh squeezed orange juice then walk through the quiet streets and bridges over the canals to the office. Fresh orange juice takes me back to The Netherlands every time. It's a hit of nostalgia and charm with every glass. How do you treat yourself when you get a promotion? I opt for bucket-list travel. For our 10th wedding anniversary, we biked our way through Thailand! I still consider that to be a trip of our lifetime. Take us on holiday with you, what's next on your vacation list? I travel almost every week, and my family often joins. Beyond that, I only take 2-3 weeks of work-free holiday per year. This time is reserved for lake trips, where days are spent waterskiing, fishing, exploring, swimming, and cooking; ideally, without WiFi. The quintessential trip as a Utahn isn't to Zions or Arches National Park; it is to the National Recreation Area, Lake Powell. It's the beauty of southern Utah's grand red rock formations, but with the fun and recreation of water. How many days of annual leave do you take a year? As co-CEO, my schedule demands almost weekly travel, much of it international. My family has taken the approach of traveling together as much as we can, and much of that is anchored in my work travel as well as trips where they are on holiday and I'm working remotely. So, I'm able to travel with my family 5-6 weeks per year, but reserve the days off for days on the lake. Fortune wants to hear from leaders on what their 'Good Life' looks like. Get in touch: This story was originally featured on Sign in to access your portfolio
