“Try to get better every day. Worthwhile things take time, consistency does not guarantee you will be successful, but not being consistent guarantees you won’t reach success.” – Harrison Bailey
By: Harrison Bailey | Director of AI & Developemnt – Digital Ink
📍 Location: York, UK & Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
🎧 Currently Listening to: The Joe Rogan Experience, The Nvidia way – Love listening to Audible [My favourite music genre: hip hop/rap]
I’m Harrison, a Data Science graduate from the UK with what you might call an unusual combination of passions: AI, business, and adventure. If that sounds like an odd mix, stick with me. There’s a thread that connects racing Tuk Tuks across Sri Lanka to building AI solutions for businesses, and it all comes down to one thing: the magic that happens when you step outside your comfort zone.
My days are packed, which is precisely how I like it. You’ll typically find me bouncing between work projects, the gym, football pitches, or catching up with friends. I’ve never been one to sit still. I’ve always pushed myself to be the best I can be, whether that’s in business, sport, or chasing new experiences that test my limits.
This drive started early. I was fortunate enough to represent my county in swimming, even competing at the Olympic facilities in Stratford. Later, I played for York City Academy and North Yorkshire in football. But it wasn’t just about the competition; it was about discovering what I was capable of when I pushed myself.
That appetite for challenge has taken me to some incredible places. Last year alone, I completed my PADI diving license in Spain and passed my 10m boating license. But some of my most meaningful experiences have come from adventures that combined challenge with purpose.
Building schools in Zambia was a life-changing experience that showed me how stepping into unfamiliar territory can have a profound impact. Then there was the ‘Tough Mudder’—because apparently, I enjoy voluntary suffering. But perhaps the most memorable was the ‘Rickshaw Run,’ where I raced across Sri Lanka in a tuk-tuk to raise money for Cool Earth.
Picture this: three wheels, questionable brakes, and 2,000 miles of Sri Lankan roads ahead of you. It sounds insane, and it was. But there’s something magical about immersing yourself in different cultures, meeting new people, and learning things you never knew you needed to know, such as how to repair a tuk-tuk engine with a coat hanger and sheer determination.
These experiences taught me something fundamental: being outside your comfort zone isn’t just where growth happens—it’s where breakthroughs happen. Whether you’re diving 30 meters below the surface or trying to explain machine learning to a sceptical business owner, the principle is the same. The magic happens when you’re slightly terrified but moving forward anyway.
This philosophy became central to everything I do, including how I approach business.
During my Data Science degree, I kept noticing something troubling. On one side, you had businesses that desperately needed AI and data solutions but saw them as complicated, expensive, and definitely outside their comfort zone. On the other hand, you’d have brilliant students who had grown up with these technologies, understood them intuitively, and were eager for real-world experience.
The gap was massive, and it was hurting everyone. Businesses were missing out on affordable innovation, and students were graduating without the practical experience that would make them truly valuable in the marketplace.
That’s when I became determined to make students who leverage Data, Analytics, and AI the most sought-after resource on the planet, not through more theory or certifications, but by connecting them directly with real business challenges.
Chris Minn (Digital Ink) & Harrison Bailey announced the partnership of Digital Ink and Smart Elephant in June.
The Smart Elephant was born from this realisation, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built, especially our partnership with Digital Ink. We connect the brightest student minds with real-world AI, software, and data analytics projects. The result? Businesses get affordable, innovative solutions and the kind of forward-thinking edge that keeps them ahead of the curve, while students gain invaluable experience working on actual business problems.
However, what excites me most is that we’re not just solving immediate problems. We’re creating pioneers. When you take someone already comfortable with AI and give them real business context, you’re not just filling a skill gap; you’re building the next generation of innovators who truly understand both the technology and its practical applications.
There’s a universal principle at work here: if you can find a service that every business needs but finds complicated, and connect it to the brightest talent in that space, then everybody wins. Businesses gain solutions they couldn’t access before, talent gains experience they couldn’t acquire in a classroom, and the market gets innovation it desperately needs.
It’s the same principle that made the Rickshaw Run so memorable. Take something that seems impossible (crossing a country in a vehicle designed for short city trips), add the right people (slightly crazy but determined adventurers), and magic happens.
The AI revolution isn’t coming, it’s here. But revolution doesn’t happen in boardrooms or lecture halls. It happens when you put curious minds together with real problems and give them the freedom to experiment, fail, and iterate until they find breakthrough solutions.
That’s what we’re building at The Smart Elephant. We’re not just bridging a gap between students and industry, we’re creating the conditions for the next wave of business innovation. And just like every great adventure, it starts with stepping outside your comfort zone and seeing what’s possible.
Whether it’s diving into the depths of the ocean or the depths of a complex data problem, the principle remains the same: the most interesting discoveries happen when you venture into uncharted territory. And trust me, the view from out there is incredible.
Beyond Work: A Few Fun Facts About Me:
🍽 Favourite Food: Dad’s roast dinner but there has to be Yorkshire Puddings! Followed closely by a Cornish Pasty. (I’m half Cornish)
🏆 Biggest Achievement: Launching The Smart Elephant , my student led AI enterprise at the same time as passing my Data Science degree with a first class honours.
⚽ Hobbies: Football (or soccer for those of you in the US!) Gym / fitness / Bouldering / Diving / Sports in general!
🧠 What I Can’t Live Without: My Laptop
🌍 Dream Destination: I’ve been lucky enough to travel loads – Europe, US, UAE, Africa, Australia, but Japan is on my bucket list and where I intend to go next!
📆 What do most weekends look like: In the gym, on the football pitch or at my desk.
🏔 Beach or Mountains? Beach. I can’t be far from the sea. I have my captain’s license and my diving license for a reason! When I look back at the land from the sea, I feel very grounded and humble, and when I’m deep in the ocean, there is a whole world of discovery.
❓What do you enjoy most about working for Digital Ink? I love working with great people to help great clients accomplish great things!
