Tris Dyson

Tris Dyson is the Executive Director of Nesta’s Centre for Challenge Prizes.

The centre works to grow the challenge prize field through a centre of expertise and to find, test and reward innovations that can first, or most effectively demonstrate impact on the issues affecting our lives.

Tris leads on the development of the Centre for Challenge Prizes as a hub for expertise and insight on challenge prizes. His aim is to design and manage challenge prizes to deliver beneficial innovations and also to generate and share learning on the design and use of challenge prizes.Before joining Nesta, Tris co-founded and led Spice, a social enterprise that developed time credits as systematic low cost and sustainable methodology for engaging many more people in communities as active participants in 'co-producing' public and community services.

Tris grew Spice to employ a team of 26 leaders within three years - including diverse experts in fields including: co-production, commissioning, community engagement and climate change. Spice became one of 20 Deloitte Social Pioneers and was named as one of Britain's New Radicals by the Observer and Nesta. Tris was also included in the Independent on Sunday's 'The 100 Happy List' in 2012.

Previously Tris was the director of a social action think tank - The Wales Institute for Community Currencies at the University of Wales, Newport. Other roles include founding Chair of Timebanking Wales, a community development charity, Founding Director of Consultancy 3rdMinds, Interim Manager of new £50 million grant fund at vinspired and a Teacher on the TeachFirst programme.