At the Business Design Centre (BDC), our strength lies in our connected community and celebration of our tenants' successes.
At the Business Design Centre (BDC), our strength lies in our connected community. From our in-house teams to the 120 businesses that call the BDC home, collaboration, creativity and shared success are at the heart of everything we do.
Our tenant businesses play a vital role in shaping the culture and ethos of the BDC. We actively bring our community together both internally and externally, whether that’s collaborating on flagship events such as the Workspace Design Show or connecting through annual quiz nights, summer BBQs and Christmas lunches. Celebrating our tenants’ milestones and successes is an important part of championing the people and organisations that make the BDC such a special place in the heart of London.
One of these businesses is Impact Factory, one of our longer-standing tenants, who are celebrating 35 years of human-centred learning and professional development this April. Based at the Business Design Centre since 1998, Impact Factory has played an important role in shaping the culture of our tenant community.
To mark this milestone, we caught up with them to reflect on their journey, proudest achievements and what the future holds for Impact Factory.
About Impact Factory
Founded in 1991, Impact Factory is a London‑based training and personal development consultancy specialised in practical, experiential learning across communication, leadership, management and presentation skills, delivering more than 30 courses and tailored programmes to over 5,000 delegates each year.
Their approach focuses on building confidence, creating achievable behaviour change, and making learning enjoyable, supported by a rigorous two‑year trainer development programme.
When you look back at the early days, what was the company’s original vision, and how has it evolved over the past 35 years
Impact Factory’s original vision was to make professional development more human – focusing on strengths, real behaviour change and experiential learning rather than lectures. That philosophy hasn’t changed, but it has expanded globally as we now work with organisations around the world, helping people develop the human skills that make workplaces stronger, more collaborative and more effective.
What does reaching 35 years mean to you personally?
It’s a moment of reflection and gratitude. Building something that has lasted this long and remained relevant is incredibly rewarding, especially knowing it has helped hundreds of thousands of people grow in confidence and capability.
What milestones stand out as the most important for the business?
Several key moments come to mind, including publishing The Nice Factor, expanding internationally, growing our team of facilitators, and successfully adapting our programmes for remote delivery during the pandemic.
Each of these milestones marked periods of change or challenges, and in those times, we’ve consistently remained resilient, adaptable and flexible while staying true to our core values. Those values have helped guide our decisions, allowing us to evolve with the world around us while continuing to deliver the human-centred learning that defines Impact Factory.
What impact are you most proud of making in your community or industry?
Helping shift the perception of soft skills from “nice to haves” to essential. We’ve helped organisations see that communication, leadership and interpersonal skills are fundamental to performance and culture.
What excites you most about the next 5 years?
Continuing to evolve how people learn by combining our experiential approach with new ways of delivering training to reach even more organisations and individuals globally.
What legacy do you hope the company will build on from here?
The ambition is to continue building a legacy of human-centred development where organisations invest in the interpersonal skills that help people collaborate, lead and thrive.
What does celebrating 35 years mean to the company at this moment?
It’s both a celebration and a milestone. It reminds us how far we’ve come while reinforcing the values that have guided Impact Factory since the beginning.
If you could describe the last 35 years in one word, what would it be, and why?
Resilient. The business has adapted through economic shifts, global change and evolving workplaces, all while staying true to its core values.
What message would you give to the people who supported the company through these years?
Celebrating our tenant community
We’re proud to celebrate Impact Factory’s 35-year milestone and grateful to have them as part of the BDC community. Discover more about:
- Our tenant businesses
- How the BDC supports organisations and charities in the heart of Islington
- Available showroom and office spaces at the BDC
