A little context

Ewan McIntosh

Education strategist, author and founder of NoTosh, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Background, biography and the ideas behind the work.

I'm Ewan McIntosh. I've spent most of my working life asking awkward questions, challenging assumptions and helping people turn interesting ideas into things that actually happen.

I started out teaching in French universities and working with businesspeople in Paris, before coming home to teach French and German in Scottish schools. Since then, I've advised governments on the future of learning, commissioned digital projects at Channel 4, and founded NoTosh in Edinburgh in 2010. Along the way, I've worked with people and organisations around the world to make ambitious ideas work in practice.

I'm also a writer. My book, How to Come Up With Great Ideas and Actually Make Them Happen, came out in 2014, and I've been exploring the gap between what we say matters and what we actually do ever since.

I serve on the Board of Governors of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Education Board of the Royal Merchant Company of Edinburgh. Outside work, you'll usually find me making music, taking photographs or cooking.

I start by questioning what we take for granted, then look for possibilities beyond the obvious answer. The important part is trying things out with other people and learning what actually works.

Short bio

Ewan McIntosh is an Edinburgh-based educator, entrepreneur, writer and strategist. He founded NoTosh in 2010, following work as a teacher, national adviser on learning and technology futures, and Digital Commissioner at Channel 4. He is the author of How to Come Up With Great Ideas and Actually Make Them Happen (2014). He is a Governor of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and a member of the Education Board of the Royal Merchant Company of Edinburgh.