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Eddie Blake
Architect
Professional Background
Eddie Blake is a seasoned architect and educator whose extensive experience in architecture encompasses both practical and academic spheres. Having served in prominent roles within esteemed organizations, he has played a significant role in shaping the new generation of architects through rigorous teaching methodologies and innovative design practices.
His professional journey began with a foundational experience as a Junior Architect at Sauerbruch Hutton, a leading architecture firm known for its commitment to sustainable design. Here, Eddie honed his skills in architectural design and project management, laying the groundwork for a successful career ahead. Following this role, he took on the position of Principal Designer at Studio Weave, where he was instrumental in delivering unique architectural solutions that emphasize narrative and place.
Eddie's flair for education emerged in parallel to his professional career. He assumed the role of Lead Tutor at the University of the Arts London, where he inspired aspiring designers with a blend of architectural theory and practical application. His skills as an educator extended to various appointments such as Associate Lecturer at the same university, Visiting Lecturer at the Royal College of Art, and Unit Tutor at Kingston School of Art and Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. With each role, Eddie cultivated a passion for mentoring young architects, guiding them through complex design challenges while instilling a strong sense of creativity and innovation.
Education and Achievements
Eddie's academic pursuits reflect a profound commitment to architecture, beginning with a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) from the Glasgow School of Art. This foundational degree provided him with the essential skills and aesthetic sensibility that are crucial in the field of architecture. He further advanced his expertise by earning a Master of Architecture (M.Arch) with Distinction from Westminster University, showcasing his dedication and remarkable capabilities in architectural design. His studies culminated in a Master’s program at the prestigious Architectural Association, a globally renowned institution that emphasizes cutting-edge design education. This rigorous academic background enables Eddie to blend the theoretical with the practical effectively, making him a powerful advocate for innovative design in education and practice.
Notable Contributions
Eddie has a noteworthy track record in both practicing and teaching architecture, culminating in a plethora of contributions that benefit both his students and the architectural community. His time at RIBA as a Researcher saw him contribute to significant architectural discourse, helping to shape policy and practice at national levels. Furthermore, as an Archivist at Westminster University, he managed and preserved vital architectural records that inform current and future architectural practices.
Throughout his career, Eddie Blake continuously seeks opportunities to enhance his knowledge while contributing to the architectural field at large. His diverse experiences allow him to address a wide array of architectural challenges in innovative ways, making him a sought-after mentor and collaborator in both academic and professional settings.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Clay offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
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