SHOWREEL
TESTIMONIALS
Susan Benjamin:
This is an excellent programme for startups who face so many challenges and limited budgets
Matt Robinson:
Excellent Day, Interesting Anecdotes, Energetic Delivery
John Hynes:
It’s nice to hear from a man who has done the walk and is able to talk the talk
Clare Brynley-Jones:
Great day – great setting, really interesting and reassuring
Ross Wallin, Pitcher and Piano:
Great Venue, charismatic presenter and good time slots
Phillip Gibbs, Synergy Linx Ltd:
Doug Richard is great, open and has a great sense of humour. Phil Wilkinson was a very valuable addition
Vanessa Knight, 100 Percent Art:
Brilliant, loved the interactive approach with audience to give real on-the-spot examples
Joanna Anthony:
A positive day which I can highly recommend to others
Guest Speakers
School for Startups works with many business leaders to provide training to UK startups, small businesses and entrepreneurs. A few of our recent guests include Louise Drabwell, Nick Hynes, Richard Tyler, Stephen Field, Brent Hoberman and Antony Ross.
Expert Speakers confirmed for 19th of January 2010 “Growing a Successful Social Enterprise” at the Royal Institution, London:
Uday Thakkar, Founder of Red Ochre
Uday founded and leads the innovative and highly respected social enterprise Red Ochre. Highly regarded for its consultancy, training and research capabilities Red Ochre has a growing reputation for its enterprise and job creation support programmes. It prides itself with improving personal and organisational effectiveness and efficiency. Red Ochre works with social enterprises, ethical businesses, the voluntary and community sectors, faith organisations and refugee organisations. It is increasingly being asked to support community and employment projects by local and regional authorities.
Uday is a leading exponent of social enterprise and financial sustainability and specialises in strategy, leadership and management support, financial management, governance and funding. A chartered accountant by training Uday has started a number of successful commercial businesses, social enterprises and a charity. Uday is the New Statesman/Edge Upstarts Social Enterprise Mentor of the year 2008. He regularly speaks at conferences on social enterprise, finance and enterprise and is often asked to comment on related topics by the media. Uday contributes numerous articles on social enterprise, finance, management and governance for publications and web sites. Uday is also a trustee of 3 charities.
About Red Ochre
Red Ochre works closely with individuals and organisations to assist them with challenges they face with change, funding, finance, management, governance and service delivery. Since its inception it has assisted over 500 individuals and organisations and in excess of 10,000 people have attended its workshops, seminars and conferences across the UK. Red ochre is also creating an online social enterprise business planning toolkit for Business Link in London.
Julie Devonshire, COO, Global Ethics Ltd.
Julie Devonshire is a fellow of her professional accountancy body and ex-director of Investors in People UK.
Julie helped to set up and became COO of Global Ethics Ltd, an award winning social enterprise selling mineral water, vitamin water and condoms, donating 100% of its profits to fund unique water pumps in Africa and other humanitarian projects.
“I am responsible for everything financial, commercial and resource related; my job is to make sure we make money. I was Global Ethics’ first employee and have devoted my time to the project for the last four years drawing a nominal salary. Most of my career has been dedicated to making shareholder’s richer but Global Ethics is about something far, far more rewarding; changing lives. I am immensely proud that we have, through our own commercial skills and endeavours, created and donated over £3m changing an estimated 1m lives, with much more to come,” explains Julie.
Anthony Ross, Bridges Ventures
Antony Ross has 14 years of private equity investment, in a wide range of businesses from early stage development opportunities to later stage management buy outs. He led 3i’s healthcare team from 2000 to 2003 supporting medical technology and biotechnology businesses across Europe. Previously he managed 3i’s Newcastle and Cambridge offices.
About Bridges Ventures
Bridges Ventures is an investment company whose commercial expertise is used to deliver both financial returns and social and environmental benefits. We believe that market forces and entrepreneurship can be harnessed to do well by doing good. Bridges Ventures manages four funds: Ventures Funds I & II, Social Entrepreneurs Fund and the newly launched Sustainable Property Fund. Bridges Ventures is an innovative and pioneering company with experience in supporting entrepreneurs and a proven social investment track record.
Jonathan Jenkins, Director of Ventures, UnLtd.
Jonathan Jenkins has over 15 years experience in fundraising for SMEs from his City career, which included time at a UK merchant bank, and culminated in his role as managing director of Plus Markets, a stock exchange created by his family to enable access to capital for smaller companies. In his time at Plus, over 500 companies raised a total of £2bn. He joined UnLtd in September 2008 as Director of Ventures, specifically tasked with creating the investment readiness programme and team, to meet the clear requirement for such intermediary support within the social investment market.
About UnLtd
UnLtd holds a £100 million endowment to invest in UK social entrepreneurs. Established in 2002 by 7 leading not for profit organisations, UnLtd’s mission is to reach out and unleash the energies of people who can transform the world in which they live. UnLtd provides individuals and informal groups with cash awards and practical support that includes coaching, training and networking opportunities to help them develop community projects. UnLtd has the biggest network of social entrepreneurs in the world and has invested approx £40 million of financial and non financial support in some 16,000 individuals, impacting on many thousands more.