Why is it called The Maven Club?
A Maven is a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field.
We have had the privilege of working with lots of different people across many fields of expertise, and we are obsessed with empowering these Mavens to be all they can be.Â
We wanted the club to express this sense of encouragement that celebrates the passion people have in their business, charity, job, idea, or area of knowledge.
Bringing people like this together can really help to inspire growth and development for everyone, and so that’s what we set out to do; to see the potential unleashed and the world be impacted positively.
Who started The Maven Club?
Karen Ferguson and her husband Dr Ken Ferguson decided to start the Maven Club to create a safe, affordable place to help people to flourish in their roles; whilst bringing their ideas and organisations to a place where they too can thrive.
Their combined experience has highlighted the issues that can get in the way of this being people’s reality. Networking groups alone don’t always give people the growth opportunities they hope for, and individual business development doesn’t always allow connection. The Maven Club seeks to provide a place to belong to a small group (we call them crews) where there is relevant peer learning and connection, plus access to great resources, labs, and academies to develop in specific areas; with one-to-one sessions included to ensure people are growing in a way that is personalised to their needs and challenges.
Karen Ferguson has worked in communication and concept development specialising in helping individuals and organisations to grow well, from start-ups to large organisations. Her work encompasses various sectors bringing to life bespoke project ideas, through to establishing businesses or charities. She is passionate about good communication and organisational health and loves to see people released into their full potential. She is an experienced trainer and lecturer, with a keen interest in creating sustainable training programmes that ensure great ideas aren't diluted as they grow in reach.
Ken Ferguson is currently a GP partner in Glasgow. He has worked in health care for nearly four decades including senior leadership Health Board roles. He completed an MBA (with specialism in leadership studies) in 2006, turning his attention to establishing the West of Scotland Heart and Lung Centre. With many years experience of leadership and change management within health care, Ken has introduced innovative solutions in complex settings. In his GP practice he is currently training medical students and nurse practitioners. Having undertaken a variety of mentoring roles he has recently become involved in GP training programmes.
The Original Crew
Jasmine Preston studies media and communications within the Cardiff school of journalism, media and culture and joined the team at The Maven Club as the Social Media Manager. Jasmine says, "There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a project come together, knowing it will inspire, inform and connect with people in meaningful ways. I thrive on working within a team and witnessing how fresh ideas can develop and grow with the help of social media."
"Each coaching session I have had with Karen has been a great help to me. She has helped me to refocus on what is important, to get balance in my work commitments and has enthused me to keep going when things have been challenging."
~Â Lynn
Charity Relationships Manager
