BIMA Member: Horsesmouth

Address:

10 Golden Square
London
W1F 9JA
United Kingdom

Switchboard:

0207 734 5734

Company Overview:

Horsesmouth is a start-up social enterprise that uses the power of Web 2.0 technology and online social networking for a “pro-social” purpose. Through search and profiling the site allows people to find mentors and be mentored on a wide range of subjects and to talk one-to-one in a hosted online environment. Users can also publish content and conversations so the site will build a library of user generated content or “wisdom”.

horsesmouth.co.uk aims to take the concept of social networking, widely used among kids, and put it in a more “grown up” and purposeful context for everyone. Or to put it another way, if Ebay is about what’s locked up in your attic that might be valuable to others, horsesmouth is about what’s locked up in your head that’s made valuable by sharing.

So from starting a business to starting a family; from life with cancer to life as a carer; from which NVQ to whither an MBA, people can share their personal experiences with others in a helpful and supportive online environment where encouragement and wisdom is always on hand from others who have ‘been there and done that’.

A key principle of the horsesmouth site is that, in the great leveller of life, we all have something to give and gain – so when you register as a mentor on horsesmouth you’re participating in a “giving back” community that you may also gain from. On the site they call this idea the wisdomocracy.

horsesmouth is the brainchild of entrepreneur MT (Mary Teresa) Rainey a prominent media industry figure and co-founder of the top five advertising agency, Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R.

The need for a prosocial website has been welcomed by many celebrities, politicians and even the Prime Minister himself who believe that a website such as horsesmouth is a necessary offering in a world where 49% now use the web as a source of information. Many key public figures have offered their own Pearl of Wisdom in support of horsesmouth from Davina McCall to Martha Lane Fox and Richard Branson to Gail Porter. Log on to www.horsesmouth.co.uk to see some of the advice that has been given from celebrity supporters.

Future Activity

www.horsesmouth.co.uk will go live in November 2007.

Member Contacts

• Ms  MT Rainey
  Job: Chief Executive
  Telephone: 0207 734 5734
  Fax: 0207 734 6313
  Email: mt@horsesmouth.co.uk