Profile
Duncan is our Commercial Director and leads Shift's commercial team. He is focused on ensuring the products and ventures that Shift builds are commercially robust, with compelling business cases, so they can effectively scale to become self sustaining and high impact entities. He is also works closely with our CEO, Nick, on developing the overall Shift business model.
Previous to Shift, Duncan managed a private equity direct investment portfolio for a single family office where he worked closely with founding entrepreneurs helping them grow their businesses, overcoming the myriad of challenges they face in the start-up and growth stages. Duncan holds a BA in History and Economics from the University of Oxford.
Duncan is a secret pilates devotee, which means he spends his spare time strengthening his 'core', whatever that might mean.
duncan.brown@shiftdesign.org
0207 490 0217
Comment
Making a Meal: 3 years making affordable good food for families
Making a Meal is a report charting three years of Shift’s work to increase families’ access to affordable good food …
Comment: Social investment needs to re-establish its true north
In this joint response to the Adebowale Commission on Social Investment report, UnLtd, Big Issue Invest and Shift confirm their …
Putting communities at the heart of programme design
Duncan shares five key learnings from our work supporting the development of Impact on Urban Health’s Good Food Fund.
Getting out of debt: Solving the equity equation for social innovation
Kicking off a series with Pioneers Post, Shift’s Commercial Director shares our own experience accessing social investment.
VIDEO: Shift’s Development Director on families and food behaviours at #ShopWellEatWell
Improving the financial support for social entrepreneurs who are using non-traditional business models and structures
Alongside more traditional charities, a new generation of social purpose organisations has emerged, and the social entrepreneurs behind them are …
Not broccoli, not even chocolate covered broccoli, just chocolate.
Duncan Brown, co-founder of BfB Labs, explains the thinking behind developing our video game to improve young people’s mental health, …
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Research
Making a Meal
April 21, 2023
Learning and reflections from three years making affordable good food for families.
Beyond Demand: the social sector’s need for patient, risk-bearing capital
May 29, 2020
Research conducted by Shift in partnership with CAF Venturesome, Unltd and principal funder Esmee Fairbairn Foundation.
Hot, prepared revolution: A summary of two years work looking at takeaways
December 17, 2018
Shift has developed the UK’s most detailed understanding of takeaway food, families’ relationship with it, the role hot, prepared food plays in their food behaviours, the economics of outlets and the motivations of their owners. Possible avenues for positive change have been tested and the way forward is clear.
Unlocking More Philanthropic Capital for Social Investment: An Exploration of Best Practice
November 20, 2018
Improving the financial support for social entrepreneurs who are using non-traditional business models and structures
Projects
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All In – The UK’s first community incubator
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Affordable good food for families
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Radically redesigning social investment for underserved founders
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Building eBay’s support for social entrepreneurs
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Tip: giving new parents high quality information they’ll love
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Luminova: A mobile game to tackle anxiety
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Mobile game helping children manage their emotions
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NSPCC: Understanding its market position to shape its strategy
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Specialist support for National Lottery Community Fund grantees
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Improving the social investment landscape
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Designing a replicable approach for supporting children in care
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Progressively: a model to help organisations improve their impact
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Historypin: bringing communities together though local history
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Box Chicken:
a healthier alternative to fast food near schools