RE: Grade A CRTA hires18 Oct 2024 20:19
Eric Collins
Non-Executive Director
Eric Collins is an investor, serial entrepreneur, technology executive and award winning author.
Eric has been in the C suite of 4 fast growth companies that exited to American listed companies including Microsoft, Medtronic and Digital Turbine. 2 companies were in the US and 2 were in the UK.
In 2018, Eric co-founded Impact X Capital Partners with a group of distinguished UK, French and US investors. In 2023, Impact X launched its second fund to invest in underrepresented entrepreneurs in Europe, the UK, the US and beyond. Impact X has over 50 investments in its portfolio including the UK insurtech unicorn Marshmallow. Eric is the CEO of Impact X and sits on the boards of private companies in the US and the UK.
Eric has been featured in Bloomberg, CNN, Dow Jones, The Times, The Guardian, BBC Radio, ITV News, Sky News, and numerous other media outlets and podcasts.
He is regularly invited to be a keynote speaker or panellist for leading companies and events both in the UK and internationally. Recently he has spoken for Morgan Stanley; Goldman Sachs; Google; JP Morgan; Bank of America; Paramount; Aviva, US Embassy London; London & Partners; Latham & Watkins; Europe’s largest business show, The Business Show; the private markets conference IPEM; Gitex Dubai; the global tech festival, London Tech Week; the world’s leading content development marketplace, Content London; and Asia's leading entertainment content market and conference, Asia TV Forum & Market. He has also been featured as a writer at the Oxford Book Festival as well as the Black British Book Festival. In his award-winning book, We Don’t Need Permission: How Black Business Can Change Our World (Penguin), Eric argues investing in Black and underrepresented entrepreneurs is the surest, fastest socio-economic game changer there is.
Civically, Eric serves on the board of UnLtd foundation, the leading provider of support to social entrepreneurs in and around the UK. He is a board member of Autograph ABP, the UK’s leading gallery dedicated to championing the work of artists who use photography and film to highlight questions of race, representation, human rights and social justice. He co-led the Contested Heritage Committee of Southwark Cathedral and is an Executive Producer for Philomela’s Chorus - the UK initiative which underwrites the making of short films by artists who identify as Black women.
Eric is also a brand ambassador for luxury car manufacturer, Audi, the youth charity The Prince’s Trust, and is affiliated with the Dorchester Collection’s Legend Series.