Patchwork Hub: Building our Technical Innovation

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Beth Kume-Holland is the award-winning founder and CEO of Patchwork Hub, a disabled-led, female-led social enterprise and tech platform working to create a more accessible and inclusive future of work.Developed out of her lived experience while a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard University, Patchwork Hub has since been disrupting the tech and recruitment sector, leading an accessible working revolution through its recruitment and consultancy services.As noted in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, 'decent work for all' is one of the most pressing societal and economic challenges of our time. In the UK, there are 1 million disabled people willing and able to work, but who are unable to because of barriers in conventional practice. And it's not just disabled people - it's carers, parents, and everyone who could thrive better in work environments fitted around their needs. When people are needlessly marginalised it's not only them that are punished: as a society we all miss out. Fitting work around our needs can unlock economic and societal benefits for everyone. This core aim underpins the social mission of Patchwork Hub.Post-pandemic, the world has changed, but our model of work has not caught up. In our 'new normal' there's an opportunity to re-evaluate our mainstream ways of working and centre accessibility, bringing in a 'hidden talent pool'.This is where Patchwork Hub's innovation comes in. Building on the success of its prototype, this project will develop Patchwork Hub's robust, accessible job platform and tech infrastructure and devise additional accredited services for employers. It will position Patchwork Hub to disrupt the sector and rapidly scale its growth.Carers, parents and disabled people were 'more than twice as likely' to lose their job during the pandemic, while the disability employment gap stands at 28%. Now more than ever we need to create an inclusive, accessible future of work that brings in previously excluded groups. Breaking down these barriers, Patchwork Hub will be the first of its kind, leading a culture change in work and accessibility for the hidden talent pool.Beth was recently named in the Shaw Trust Power 100 as one of the 'most influential disabled people in the UK'. With the platform afforded by this award and her work as a role model, Beth hopes to encourage more women, and disabled women, into innovation and entrepreneurship, extending the impact of this project beyond the work of Patchwork Hub itself.