Digital marketing expert Alex Smale is the developer of award-winning VR software designed to help those with dementia. He has two decades of experience in marketing, including working at two different zoos as a marketing and business development manager, and has also held the post of chairman of the marketing and communications committee at the national zoo organisation BIAZA.

Mr Smale was formerly the CEO of ImmersiCare, a company he founded that developed a range of relaxing VR experiences for dementia sufferers as well as those with other healthcare needs. The software was also used by medical and care staff to reduce stress levels and improve attendance and quality of life. Unlike other similar types of VR projects, ImmersiCare was created exclusively in real-time 3D, facilitating a higher level of immersion.

Mr Smale has been a business coach for around five years with the business Operation Profits, which aims to help entrepreneurs make their online businesses as profitable as possible. He is also an award-winning photographer who offers a range of services including wedding photography, wildlife photography, horror photography, graphics and business training.

Alongside his wife Amina Shaaban, Mr Smale is the founder of the charity Classrooms for All, which aims to provide educational opportunities for both children and adults in developing countries. The charity does this by funding infrastructural development, improving school systems, and supporting skills and enterprise development. To date, the charity has raised around $400,000, provided more than 25 scholarships and has six infrastructure projects in process/built.