Community First: Solving Public Safety Through AI and Data with Michael Houghton

Behind the SME with Michael, Co-Founder of Community Wolf.

What if public safety could be crowdsourced and improved with the power of AI?

In this episode of Behind the SME, host Adam Kene speaks with Michael Houghton - entrepreneur and co-founder of Community Wolf - about his journey from corporate engineering to building a mission-led startup tackling public safety challenges in South Africa.

They discuss the lessons learned from navigating early career pivots, embracing naivety while building expertise, and creating a platform that empowers communities to participate in safety reporting through WhatsApp and AI tools.

💡 Highlights include:

How curiosity, obsession, and “happy buckets” guide entrepreneurial decisionsThe journey from corporate engineering to mission-led entrepreneurshipBuilding trust at scale while crowdsourcing sensitive public safety dataTurning mission-first thinking into a sustainable business modelLessons in leadership, risk-taking, and learning through discomfort

If you’re a founder, leader, or innovator looking to solve real-world problems and build a mission-driven business, this one’s for you.

🎙️ Behind the SME is hosted by Adam Kene, CEO of Kene, exploring the real stories, insights, and lessons from the entrepreneurs and leaders powering the UK’s SME economy.

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📩 Contact us: hello@behindthesme.co.uk

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