---
title: 'Director, Venture Cafe London at CIC'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-venture-cafe-london-cic-london-rjh4wbvzgwh0'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-15'
---

# Director, Venture Cafe London at CIC

- **Company:** CIC
- **Location:** London, United Kingdom
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-06
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-15
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/cic/3d4a4565-f00b-4cc5-b061-e7f852212fcd

## Job description

Are you a natural leader with a strong network, driven to tackle your city's biggest challenges and connect diverse groups to make things happen? If so, you belong at Venture Café! At Venture Café, we aim to create a global community of innovators with equal access to resources and opportunities, addressing our most pressing challenges. Ready to make an impact with us?

The Venture Café Global Institute (VCGI) seeks a strategic, dynamic, and self-driven Director to lead Venture Café London in the heart of the Knowledge Quarter. This is a unique opportunity to operate and grow a hub for Deeptech innovation and connection, in close collaboration withARIA.

## ABOUT VENTURE CAFÉ

Venture Café believes that Isolation is the enemy of innovation and our mission is clear: Connect innovators to make things happen. We are a neutral and trusted center of gravity that connects the entire innovation ecosystem and is available for everyone. Our flagship program, the Thursday Gathering, is a dynamic and intentionally designed experience freely accessible to all. Featuring vibrant networking sessions activated with captivating demos or immersion in the night’s theme by attending thought-provoking sessions led by inspiring speakers. Here, curiosity meets opportunity, connections flourish, and innovation thrives. Venture Café was founded by Tim Rowe, founder and CEO of the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), in 2009 and helped fuel the growth of one of the world’s most powerful innovation ecosystems: Boston’s Kendall Square. What began with a modest gathering of 12 people at our inaugural Thursday Gathering has flourished into the Venture Café Global Institute (VCGI). Over the past 15 years, VCGI has united over 900,000 visionaries, developers, creatives, and civic leaders across 24cities worldwide, building a global community of communities. At VCGI, we believe if we’re going to solve humankind’s biggest challenges, we need as many amazing humans as possible involved in that process.

## YOUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK

Reporting to the Head of UK, Venture Cafe United Kingdom, you will lead the established Venture Café London team, directing programming for the Thursday Gathering and other ecosystem-building activities. Your goal is to ensure Venture Café programming continues to connect local innovators to the national and international entrepreneurship community. Your role would be to execute weekly Venture Café Thursday Gatherings including the following:

- Collaborating closely with VCGI and ARIA to continue to successfully implement and refine the strategy for Venture Café London.
- Scoping and securing financial partners for Venture Café London and building a pipeline for funding opportunities.
- Working closely with the Head of UK and the other UK Directors to ensure success and align initiatives where appropriate.
- Scoping and developing a rolling programming strategy to inspire and connect the local innovation community.
- Collaborate with the ARIA team and Programme Directors to drive value to the ARIA Opportunity Spaces.
- Identifying and partnering with local ecosystem leaders as an advocate and spokesperson to build diverse and inclusive programs.
- Developing innovative program formats for delivering content and creating connection opportunities to maximize engagement.
- Leading and overseeing strategic planning, impact measurement and program budget for Venture Café in London.
- Attracting sponsorship for programs and aligning them within the Thursday Gathering framework.
- Leading and coaching your three direct reports towards success.
- Continuously reviewing and implementing improvements/changes to ensure the ongoing success and reputation of Venture Café London.
- Collaborating with the Venture Café global network and ARIA to connect the London community to global opportunities.
- Identifying and mitigating risks to the effective operation of the Thursday Gathering.
- Nurturing existing initiatives to support Venture Café’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) efforts, while bringing a visionary approach to developing and expanding DEIB-driven programming and partnership opportunities.

## ABOUT YOU

You understand your city’s challenges and see them as opportunities, combining a fascination with trends and a humanistic perspective. Passionate about mission-driven work, you'll lead Venture Café London by nurturing relationships, leading teams, and thriving in ambiguity. Your skills include leading programs, matchmaking, innovating, connecting with the community, and fostering collaboration. You are comfortable with public speaking, have excellent communication skills, and excel at connecting across business, academia, government, and civil society. You bring a global outlook with local roots and a strong community commitment. ​​More specifically, you thrive in:

- Leading people and complex programs.
- Being a match-maker extraordinaire and seeing opportunities at the intersections of people, ideas & resources.
- Envisioning, developing and implementing innovative program experiences.
- Connecting with a broad cross-section of the community.
- Bringing people together to collaborate towards a common goal.
- Identifying and developing mutually beneficial partnerships. Additionally, you have:
- Knowledge of London’s  startup community, key influencers, networks and organizations.
- Excellent organizational, project, and task management skills.
- Experience securing funding opportunities and a network of potential funders.
- Comfort in Google Suite, email campaign software, and project management software.
- Fluency in English.
- Ability to legally work in the UK. We are unable to sponsor visas for this role at this time.

## OUR OFFER

- Employment contract.
- Competitive compensation based on experience
- 4% Pension Contribution• 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays• Supplemental medical and dental insurance• £200 Monthly Commuter Allowance• Life insurance• Business Travel Insurance• Hybrid work model – You will work three days per week in the office, with Thursdays required as a core in-office day.

## VENTURE CAFÉ LONDON - GUIDING ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES

As an organization, Venture Café London is guided by five core objectives that shape how success is measured. These objectives are advanced through purposeful programming, storytelling, and bringing together a diverse community of innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, corporates, and ecosystem partners. Broaden access to innovation and economic opportunity. Lower barriers to entry and create an inclusive, welcoming environment where people from diverse backgrounds can participate in and contribute to London's innovation ecosystem. Connect people and break down silos. Build bridges across sectors, disciplines, industries, and communities to encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of a globally competitive innovation ecosystem. Improve access to resources and opportunities. Foster meaningful relationships that connect innovators and entrepreneurs with the capital, talent, expertise, ideas, and strategic partnerships they need to develop and scale their ventures. Create spaces for meaningful human connection. Bring people together through accessible, engaging experiences that encourage the exchange of ideas, build trust, and turn spontaneous interactions into lasting relationships and collaborations. Strengthen the wider innovation ecosystem through shared resources. Openly share knowledge, tools, and opportunities while collaborating with ecosystem partners to align efforts, amplify impact, and support collective progress. The Venture Café Gathering The flagship Venture Café model is the weekly Gathering: a recurring community event where innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and other ecosystem stakeholders come together to exchange ideas, share knowledge, explore emerging technologies, and build meaningful connections. Through expert-led discussions, educational sessions, networking opportunities, and informal interactions, the Gathering creates the conditions for collaboration and new opportunities to emerge organically. It serves as a platform for connecting London's innovation community and provides a foundation for wider programming, strategic partnerships, and ecosystem-building initiatives. The Gathering is more than an event; it is a recurring platform for strengthening relationships across the innovation ecosystem and helping promising ideas develop into meaningful collaborations and real-world outcomes.

Venture Café welcomes all candidates regardless of race, color, ancestry, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status or disability. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

## About CIC

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: CIC (Cambridge Innovation Center) is a global leader in providing innovation campuses, coworking spaces, wet labs, and ecosystem-building programs for startups, scale-ups, corporations, and public entities.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Privately Held) – $68.7M total funding across 3 rounds.
- **Headquarters**: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founded**: 1999
- **Founders**: Tim Rowe (Founder & Chairman)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Real Estate (Innovation Workspace & Lab Space), Innovation Ecosystem Services, District Consulting, Event Programming
- **Target customers**: Startups, scale-ups, corporations, government/universities, and entrepreneurs (B2B, B2G)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “To create the best possible environment and programming to enable startups, scale-ups, corporations, and public entities to tackle the biggest local and global challenges while fostering growth and connection.” [cic.com](https://cic.com/about/)

## Products & Services
- **Workspace**: Coworking spaces, private offices, bookable conference rooms, and hybrid solutions across 1.5M sq ft in North America, Europe, and Asia.
- **Lab Space**: Modern commercial wet labs with full equipment and benching, tailored for life science and biotech startups.
- **Captains of Innovation**: Consulting services for innovation district conveners, institutional leaders, corporations, and innovation teams.
- **CIC Institute**: Educational programming and resources derived from CIC’s experience to help startups level up.
- **Venture Café**: Event programming and networking – famous for the Thursday Gathering – connecting entrepreneurs.
- **Japan Desk**: Dedicated initiative to bridge Japan’s innovation ecosystem with Boston’s.
- **International Soft Landing**: Programs to help entrepreneurs go global.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding $68.7M (3 rounds); manages 1.5M sq ft; served over 10,000 companies since 1999. [linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/cicnow)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not explicitly listed in provided sources; funding history suggests private investors. Partners include LabCentral, MassRobotics, Mass Mobility Hub, Kendall Square Association (co-founded/chaired by Tim Rowe).
- **Growth Signals**: 229 employees (YoY +7.1%); 13 locations across 4 countries (US, Japan, Poland, Netherlands); expansion into new markets and innovation districts.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Global scale**: 1.5M sq ft of workspace and lab space across three continents; the only operator with a truly international footprint dedicated to innovation.
- **Ecosystem depth**: Not just a landlord – CIC builds programming (Venture Café, CIC Institute), consulting (Captains of Innovation), and international bridges (Japan Desk, Soft Landing).
- **Track record**: 25+ years of serving 10,000+ companies; co-founded major innovation hubs like LabCentral and MassRobotics.
- **Leadership**: Tim Rowe (MIT lecturer, BCG alum, Japanese Foreign Minister’s Award 2024); CEO Denyse Medlenka brings operational rigor from KPMG and global HR leadership.

## Strategic Focus
- **Current priorities**: Driving innovation at scale through new innovation districts, expanding lab space capacity, and deepening ecosystem consulting (CIC Catalyst). Strengthening Japan and Asia presence.
- **Direction**: Positioning as a “global leader in driving innovation at scale” – moving beyond traditional real estate into holistic ecosystem orchestration.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “Innovators serving innovators” – diverse, creative, and mission-driven environment. Emphasis on DEIB (global DEIB Advisory Committee), employee groups for arts, sustainability, volunteerism.
- **Remote/Hybrid/Office**: Flexible work arrangements where business needs and role nature allow; on-site roles available in multiple locations (Cambridge, Tokyo, Warsaw, Rotterdam, St. Louis, Philadelphia).
- **Perks & Benefits**: Comprehensive health/dental/life/disability insurance; retirement savings; company-paid parental leave; generous PTO; commuter benefits; wellness programs; fitness subsidies; stocked kitchens with inclusive snacks; gender-neutral restrooms; accessible showers; bike parking; game rooms, makerspaces, recording studios.
- **Professional Growth**: Formal and informal L&D, internal mobility, regular performance conversations, organizational transparency, access to a network of 10,000+ innovators.
- **Culture highlights**: Open positions include General Manager, Events Coordinator, Marketing Director, Systems & Network Engineer, Project Associate & Innovation Consultant – showing a mix of global operations, tech, and community roles. [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/cic)

## Sources
1. [CIC About Page](https://cic.com/about/)
2. [CIC Careers Page](https://cic.com/careers/)
3. [CIC LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/company/cicnow)
4. [CIC Job Listings on Lever](https://jobs.lever.co/cic)
5. [Built In CIC Profile](https://builtin.com/company/cic-cambridge-innovation-center)

## Other roles at CIC

- [Japan Desk Coordinator - Cambridge, MA](https://feeny.ai/job/japan-desk-coordinator-cambridge-ma-cic-cambridge-0rxs9ykc2k0k) — Cambridge, MA
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