CUBE FEST 2026
9 speakers. 100 insights. Music that matters.
- Cube Thinking team
At Anthony Burgess Foundation, CubeFest 2026 brought together founders, leaders, and curious minds for a day built around one thing: meaningful progress.
This wasn’t about filling a room. It was about creating the right environment for ideas to land, conversations to start, and perspectives to shift.
From the outset, the atmosphere felt different. DJ SHADEV set the tone with soulful house, bringing energy into the space.
Music wasn’t an add-on; it’s part of who we are.
Starting with mindset
The day opened with Tristam Horns. His message was clear: “Just say yes.”
After scaling his business to 85% of the UK market and exiting to Expro Group, his perspective wasn’t theoretical. It was grounded in experience, recognising opportunity, acting on it, and backing decisions when it mattered.
A reminder that growth often starts with a decision most people hesitate to make.
Focusing on people
From there, attention shifted to what underpins every business: people.
Gabriella Hammond from Forbes Solicitors brought this into focus, highlighting employee engagement not as a nice-to-have, but as a core driver of performance.
Because without that, strategy doesn’t hold.
Digital, data, and decisions
With people as the foundation, the conversation moved into digital and data, the second dimension of Cube Thinking.
Most crucially, we heard from Rachael Williams, Founder of My AI Courses brought a grounded perspective on ethics and values in the age of Big Tech, reminding us of the importance of stepping back and ‘unplugging’ from the digital world.
Our strategic partner, Richard Harding from the Hartree Centre and Jonathon Butters explored how businesses can approach innovation with clarity, not noise, cutting through complexity to focus on what actually drives progress.
That thinking continued with Guy Marshall, who shared practical insight on using AI for good, grounded in research, not hype.
Alongside this, Raj Kundalia delivered a cybersecurity session focused on the basics that are often overlooked, the small actions that significantly reduce risk.
Because in reality, it’s rarely the complex threats that cause problems. It’s the gaps in the fundamentals.
Performance and perspective
To close the speaker sessions, Rob Hallam focused on a theme many founders recognise but rarely address directly: perception.
“Perception is reality.”
His session explored how he personally manages and overcomes anxiety time and time again.
A critical reminder that performance isn’t just external. It’s internal first.
Bringing it together
Throughout the day Founder & Director, Jason Kingston connected each conversation back to the core dimensions of Cube Thinking:
- People
- Process
- Digital & data
Not as theory—but as a practical framework for building stronger businesses.
A defining moment: CUBEX
The day closed with something new.
Partner Simone Barnett introduced CUBEX—a new business collective designed for founders and leaders who want to grow alongside others.
A space built on shared thinking, honest conversations, and consistent progress.
Not another network. Something more considered.
More than an event
As Eve Maguire, Marketing Lead put it:
“CubeFest is not just an event. It’s a movement. It’s a feeling. It’s good people coming together to not just learn, but connect.”
For Jason Kingston, the intention behind it was always clear:
“CubeFest came from my heart. Music has always been a big part of my life, and I wanted to bring that into the business world. To create something that feels different, and means something to the people in the room.”
There is a unique alchemy in listening to thought leaders challenge our perceptions of corporate culture, but the real magic happens in the 'in-between' moments, the face-to-face discussions and the spontaneous networking where abstract ideas finally find their feet.
We didn't just share a space; we shared a vision. Better yet, the music made it an unforgettable day"
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