Tom Ball

Founder at DeskLodge: B-Corp, Sunday Times Top 10 Places to Work. Business Leader of the Year.

Bristol, England, United Kingdom

About

DeskLodge is a Bristol based coworking company creating special, themed locations that attract the best people and help them do the best work of their lives. I'm incredibly proud of our team, our members and our spaces - and am constantly trying to work out how we can make them even better. Suggestions very welcome. I am a passionate innovator - I love building great solutions, great companies. To change industries (aim high!). To achieve "the impossible". I was once told that I am "helplessly in love with people". I rather liked it, and hope it's at least partly true! I love spending time with good people, doing things worth doing. To me "good" means people that are passionate about life and something that they do - you get "good" people in every walk of life - and often where you least expect them. Originally a hardware engineer before migrating to software / web development. I built a 25 person web development firm (CD9) and a dotcom (DomainAudit) - learning how to build technology. I then spent seven years helping banks and IT companies explain their strategy, learning more about strategy and how to apply technology to solve business problems (Cognac). I spent six years taking the best of what I'd learnt to create a network of over 300 flexible work locations accessible with a single "oyster card" until it closed in December 2017 (NearDesk). Specialties: Work-hubs, flexible working, future of work, co-working

Experience

  • Founder at DeskLodge
    Jan 2013 - Present · 13 yrs 7 mos

    Discover a new way of working: DeskLodges are spaces for flexible working. Innovative, varied places to meet and work. Fast Internet, Great coffee - and more importantly a productive place to work Proud members of the NearDesk network!

  • Trustee at Firebird Foundation
    Jan 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 7 mos

    Supporting the founder in addressing social adversity – particularly trying to help children and women to live in a safer, fairer world. Through grant-making and donations, Firebird supports programmes that improve health, safety, education and employment, enabling more people to experience a life of opportunity, free from injustice and abuse. We are only able to work with a few organisations each year but keen to connect likeminded people where we can.

  • Member & Host at The Supper Club
    Jul 2008 - Present · 18 yrs 1 mo

    The Supper Club is the UK’s leading membership club exclusively for fast growth entrepreneurs. Membership offers access to an extraordinary group of like-minded peers, providing a relaxed and confidential community to inspire, support and challenge each other.

  • CEO at NearDesk
    Dec 2011 - Dec 2017 · 6 yrs 1 mo

    The flexible working passport: Flexible working benefits workers and businesses, but working from home and coffee-shops isn’t ideal. NearDesk makes flexible working easy, with a single card that lets you walk-in and work at over 280 locations across the UK.

  • CEO & Consultant at Cognac Systems
    Jan 2011 - May 2012 · 1 yr 5 mos

    A year spent back in the real-world on the hunt for the next big thing. A problem worth solving. We found it in the form of NearDesk. Web developers using technology to get clients a year ahead of their competitors. Developed clever web products that bring the real-world and the virtual world closer together.