Unicorn Podcast

In this episode of The Unicorn Podcast, Simon Squibb sits down with Rishi Khosla as they dive deep into the highs and lows of building a bank worth $5 BILLION, as well as what it takes to disrupt an industry that is stuck in its traditional ways.Rishi Khosla is the CEO and co-founder of OakNorth. He started his first business, Copal Partners, a financial research company, in 2002 with just $60k. Over 12 years, he and his co-founder, Joel Perlman, scaled it to a 3,000-employee organization across 13 markets, before selling it to Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) in 2014.They then set out to build their second business, OakNorth, a financial technology company with a mission to empower the ‘Missing Middle' - businesses that are the largest contributors of economic and employment growth, yet still struggle to access fast, flexible debt finance. OakNorth is addressing this funding gap with its Credit Intelligence software which it licenses to commercial lenders such as Fifth Third, PNC, and Old National, and that it uses within its own bank in the UK, OakNorth Bank.Rishi Khosla is an early-stage investor in a number of leading technology companies, including PayPal. In 2019, he was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) from her Majesty The Queen for services to business.Rishi: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rishikhosla1Oaknorth: https://oaknorth.co.uk/investors/our-cofounder-rishi-khosla/Get business help for free, and get rewarded for helping at HelpBnk!https://helpbnk.com

In this episode of The Unicorn Podcast, Simon Squibb sits down with Rob Schimek, CEO of Bolttech, the groundbreaking unicorn insuretech company that has been making waves in the insurance industry. Simon and Rob delve into the rapid growth and success of Bolttech, discussing how it shot from startup to $1.6B valuation in such a short time frame. Rob shares the unique story behind Bolttech, revealing the pivotal moments that defined its path to success. Hear about the hurdles and triumphs of developing an innovative insuretech platform that disrupts traditional insurance models. Learn how Rob and his team leveraged technology and AI to drive growth and revolutionise customer experience in the insurance sector. Get ready for a deep dive into the process of building a unicorn with Rob Schimek and Bolttech's extraordinary journey. Rob: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/rob-schimek-59b37a1 Bolttech: https://bolttech.io/ Get business help for free, and get rewarded for helping at HelpBnk! https://helpbnk.com

Meet The Man Who Changed The Hotel Industry Forever Girish Jhunihnuwala is the Founder and CEO of Ovolo Group. He is famous for disrupting the hotel industry across Asia and Australia.

In this episode, we delve into the mind of Philip Belamant, the visionary Co-Founder and CEO of Zilch, a groundbreaking fintech company revolutionizing the way we think about and interact with finance.Zilch has become the fastest European company EVER to reach double unicorn status, and in this episode, Simon and Philip go deep into the core values and mission that enabled Zilch to reach this huge level of success so quickly.We also explore the origins of Zilch, the personal experiences that inspired Philip to create this unique platform, and how it's transforming the landscape of digital finance.Zilch: http://bit.ly/3KeMwhrPhilip: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-belamant/For more help start here: http://go.simonsquibb.com/

In this episode of The Unicorn Podcast, Simon sits down with James Watt, the co-founder of BrewDog, one of the fastest-growing craft beer companies in the world. James shares the truth behind the controversy surrounding his brand, as well as his revealing his marketing secrets.We explore James's unique leadership style and the company's unconventional approach to business, including their plans to use beer to save the planet. James also admits why he chose to give away £100m of his shares in the business, while his co-founder did not.Whether you're a craft beer enthusiast, an entrepreneur, or just interested in hearing from an incredible billion-dollar-founder, we know you'll love this one. So grab a cold one and join us for a lively conversation with James Watt of BrewDog!Follow James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-wattFollow James on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brewdogjames/?hl=enWatch James on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JamesWattBrewDogCEO Brewdog's Website: https://www.brewdog.com/ukTable Yeti: https://www.brewdog.com/ukFor more help start here: http://go.simonsquibb.com

Tessa Wijaya is the Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of Xendit. She graduated from The University of Sydney, has vast experience in the field of private equity from large companies such as Principia and Mizuho and grew up in Indonesia. Tessa describes herself as “a unicorn among unicorns among unicorns.” There are a lot of people in her family who are entrepreneurs who ran small canteens and hawker stalls. Tessa started a few side businesses before Xendit. she started a restaurant, which failed, and a batik brand with one of her closest friends, but they discontinued it to focus on their full-time jobs. she started a jewellery business as well with some friends, whom she is a silent partner right now. As an Indonesian woman running a $1 billion financial technology start-up in Southeast Asia, she is a rather rare breed. Women leaders in tech are uncommon. This is especially true in fintech, where they hold 7% of leadership positions.Xendit is an Indonesian fintech platform that processes digital payments for businesses in Southeast Asia, like Grab, Wise and Traveloka. Xendit was founded by Moses Lo, Tessa Wijaya, Juan Gonzalez and Bo Chen. Since launching in 2015, Xendit has grown rapidly. in 2021, it processes more than 65 million transactions worth $6.5 billion annually. It reached the $1 billion “unicorn” status in September 2021.Xendit currently has more than 3,000 customers. Xendit said its annualized transactions tripled from 65 million to 200 million over the last year. The total value of the transactions also jumped from $6.5 billion to $15 billion. Some of its clients are Traveloka, Transferwise, and Grab.As a woman who strives in the technology field, Tessa Wijaya is very aware of gender issues in Indonesia. She asserted that Indonesia needs more platforms where women could take a part in the technology field and also could inspire other women. Tessa:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessa-w-41043020/Xendit:https://www.xendit.co/en/For more help start here: https://purposefulproject.com/

We had the opportunity to interview John Caudwell LIVE on stage at Ideas Fest 2022. John founded Caudwell Group, the telco company which included Phones 4U, the UK's largest independent mobile phone retailer with over 600 stores across the country. When he sold Caudwell Group in 2006, the business was selling 26 phones a minute!But after all of his success, John says that “Nothing gives him the same feeling as helping people”. Living a life of purpose is what makes John feel complete, and while remaining active in the business world, he devotes most of his time to his lifelong philanthropic ambitions, pledging to donate 70% of his wealth to charitable causes!John's site:https://johncaudwell.com/Buy John's autobiography:https://amzn.to/3SIsA87Ideas Fest: https://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/ideas-festFor more help start here:https://purposefulproject.com

Yat Siu is an entrepreneur and angel investor. Born and raised in Vienna, Austria, he moved to Hong Kong in 1996 to set up Hong Kong Cybercity, the first free web page and email provider in Asia. Before Hong Kong, he landed his first job at Atari in Germany, and later at graphic software company Lexicor, where he served as director and head of the U.S. East Coast division. In the late ‘90s, he set up Outblaze, which was sold to IBM in 2009 and incorporated into IBM's LotusLive suite of services.In 2011, he founded Hong Kong-based Animoca, one of the world's largest apps for developers and publishers. The company is behind hit apps such as Pretty Pet Salon (one of Apple's top apps of 2011) and Cinderella Cafe. Receiving early funding from venture capital firms Intel Capital and IDG-Accel, Animoca went on to develop and publish hundreds of apps across both Android and iOS platforms.In 2014, Siu founded Animoca Brands, a company created through the spinoff of the licensing and publishing arms of Animoca, that uses technology like blockchain and artificial intelligence to develop and publish mobile products like The Sandbox, and it's the official distributor of CryptoKitties in China.During his fruitful career, Yat Siu was named “Global Leader of Tomorrow” and a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum and received various other awards for his contributions to business and society. In this episode, Yat tells Simon exaclty how Web 3.0 can save the world if navigated in the right way, as well as giving his advice to young people looking to start a business in the modern world of crypto, Web 3.0 and the metaverse.Topics0:00 - Intro2:16 - Who is Yat Siu and what are Animoca brands?4:00 - What is a digital dictatorship?10:40 - Is there an alternative to big platforms like Facebook?14:20 - Will we see the fall of the big platforms?19:40 - What should young people build today?23:51 - What do you look for when investing in companies?31:00 - What is the future of crypto?39:22 - How Yat raised 75 million in the bear market41:05 - NFTs and the truth about crypto49:44 - ‘F*ck the metaverse'?55:50 - Purpose01:02:22 - Yat's net worth01:10:00 - The education system is broken, how we fix itAnimoca Brands: https://www.animocabrands.com/StartmeupHK: https://www.startmeup.hk/startmeuphk-festival-2022/HKBN / HKBN Enterprise Solutions:www.hkbn.net / www.hkbnes.net

Steven Lam is the co-founder, executive director & co-CEO of GOGOX Holdings Limited, the first app-based logistics platform in Asia committed to providing extensive logistics services through innovative technology. Steven built the company with the vision of “Simplify Logistics”, aiming to resolve logistics inefficiencies and enable users to enjoy seamless logistics services.Over the years, GOGOX has evolved from a van-hailing platform to a diversified logistics platform that supports instant delivery to customised logistics solutions. GOGOX instantly connects individuals and businesses with millions of logistics partners to fulfil all sorts of delivery needs, redefining the delivery experience by providing speedy, agile and convenient logistics services that are unmatched. Steven's wealth of experience in entrepreneurship has brought him accolades in different categories, including Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia in 2016, Hong Kong's Ten Outstanding Young Persons Selection in 2018, and 50 Asians to watch of The Straits Times in 2018. In this episode, Steven and Simon go deep on how to start a business with little money, how to find the right investors and much more.Topics0:00 - Intro1:59 - How GOGOX was born3:07 - How did you start with so little capital?14:16 - Supply first18:17 - Founder structure25:04 - Getting investment35:30 - Steven's family opinions38:09 - Have you ever thought about quitting?41:18 - Company Culture45:04 - Do you have any regrets?48:27 - Advice for young peopleGOGOX:https://www.gogox.com/index/StartmeupHK: https://www.startmeup.hk/startmeuphk-festival-2022/HKBN / HKBN Enterprise Solutions:www.hkbn.net / www.hkbnes.net

Max Li is Co-founder and Head of Design of Airwallex , where he provides the creative vision for the business, and is responsible for developing and managing Airwallex's product design initiatives. Leading a global team, Max drives the implementation for designing functional and human-centric products that enable quality user experience in every market where Airwallex operates.Previously,  Max was a professional architectural designer with extensive experience in architecture, product design and user experience. Max also ran a coffee business prior to founding Airwallex, making his entrepreneurial experience so far both diverse and unique.In this episode, Simon and Max discuss his biggest lessons in building a unicorn company, how self-belief plays a huge part in success, and the future of business + technology. 5 books that Max recommends:For an excellent cover all guidebook to building products: Build, by Tony FadellFor emotional baseline: The subtle art of not giving a fuck, by Mark MansonFor perspective: 21 lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval HarariBooks with behind-the-scene, detailed processes for different industries are always good reads, recently: Secret Life Of Groceries, by Benjamin LorrIf language (especially writing) is not your forte: On Writing Well, by William ZinsserTopics0:00 - Intro1:25 - How Airwallex was born6:33 - Raising money7:46 - Transitioning from a cafe to Airwallex8:40 - Staying focused12:41 - Max's Family Background14:23 - Working with co-founders18:10 - Changing roles19:40 - Self belief21:00 - Biggest lessons on reflection23:10 - Imposter syndrome25:05 - What motivates you26:51 - The future30:51 - Regulation challenges32:35 - Max's thoughts on the Metaverse35:03 - Approaching competition37:24 - Luck39:36 - Startup culture44:52 - Advice for your younger self47:20 - Do you have any regrets50:31 - OutroMax Li: https://www.airwallex.com/ukStartmeupHK: https://www.startmeup.hk/startmeuphk-festival-2022/HKBN / HKBN Enterprise Solutions:www.hkbn.net / www.hkbnes.net

Tony was born in Beirut, Lebanon, during a violent civil war, and was lucky enough to travel to France at the age of seventeen to study for a computer sciences degree, then attended the IMD Business School in Switzerland. After graduating, Tony founded Nexmo, a pioneer in the Communications Platform as a Service (“CPaaS”) category. Nexmo made it easy for software developers to add essential communications capabilities (like sending messages between ride-sharing drivers and passengers) to their applications, on a global scale. Nexmo went public via a merger with Vonage in 2016.After the Nexmo exit, Tony took some time off to consider what to do next. He began to invest in “platform models that can change the world”, Tony's investments include Pento, Truelayer, Dialpad, Hopin, and Claap.That other talented individual in emerging economies should enjoy similar career opportunities, without the need for geographic displacement, is a persona, passion and the ideological cornerstone of Tony's career. It is where the idea of Oyster was born.For most people in emerging economies, career fulfilment means moving to another country. Tony believes this necessity to be in the office sets up unassailable inequalities for many people in emerging economies. Why should they have to move halfway around the world, away from their community and support system, to have a successful career? Tony created Oyster to remove the remaining barriers to successful remote work, including hiring, compensating and managing team members who are physically far away from the office.In this episode, Tony reveals the secrets that helped him scale Oyster to 1$ Billion valuations, as well as his unique journey to success. Simon and Tony also go deep on how to get investment, purpose and Web3.TopicsHow Tony Became An EntrepreneurGetting InvestmentChoosing The Right InvestorHow Tony Came Up With The Idea Of OysterBuilding Oyster From ScratchConnecting World LabourBeing Purpose-DrivenWeb3Are Entrepreneurs Born Or Bred?Tony Jamous:https://www.tonyjamous.com/

Tech titan Michele Romanow is the Co-founder and CEO of Canadian unicorn, Clearco - the world's largest e-commerce investor. The company has invested $3.2 billion in over 7,000 ecommerce and SaaS companies. Michele is a serial entrepreneur having started six companies before her 35th birthday. In addition to her work as an entrepreneur, Michele is a “Dragon” on the Canadian hit TV show Dragons' Den (Canada's Shark Tank).She previously co-founded SnapSaves, which was acquired by Groupon and was also the Co-Founder of Buytopia.ca. A prolific investor, Michele was recently named as one of Fortune's 40 under 40, a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and Canada's Angel Investor of the Year.Michele is a regular media commentator and her work has been profiled in Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, TechCrunch, and The Globe and Mail. Michele is a director for Vail Resorts, BBTV and Queen's School of Business. Previously she was a director for Freshii, Whistler Blackcomb, SHAD International and League of Innovators. Michele also co-founded the Canadian Entrepreneurship Initiative non-profit with Sir Richard Branson.In this episode, Michele teaches us how she approaches investments, what it takes to build a billion dollar company, her experience working with romantic partners and much more!How Michelle Approaches Investments What Michelle looks for in an investmentFailureWork/Life Balance and The Entrepreneur LifestyleWorking With Romantic PartnersRebranding from Clear Bank to ClearcoChanging Position From President To CEOFrom Entrepreneur To Employee To Entrepreneur AgainRevenue-Based FundingInvesting In Under-Represented EntrepreneursSolving The ‘University Route' NarrativeAre Entrepreneurs Born Or Bred?What Makes An Entrepreneur?It's Not The Years It's The Miles.Entrepreneurship From A Young AgeMichelle's Favourite Dragons' Den InvestmentsClearco Funded Companies Where Does All The Money Come From?Experience vs BooksDo You Have Any Regrets? Michele:https://instagram.com/micheleromanow?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=ClearCoWww.clear.coFor more help start here: www.purposefulproject.com 

Suneera Madhani is a payments innovator who has disrupted the industry with her unicorn company Stax. After seeing the need for a better payment experience for merchants, her entrepreneurial spirit took hold and she decided to solve the problem herself. She built Stax from the ground up, providing a sophisticated and business-friendly platformStax is a subscription-based payments processor that charges merchants a flat subscription fee rather than a percentage of sales for in-person and digital transactions. Over the past eight years, the 300-person company has processed $23 billion in payments for more than 20,000 customers across retail, professional services, and health care.On top of being CEO at Stax, Suneera also runs CEO school, a platform that empowers women to understand the power they have to change their lives, shift their legacy, and alter the course of history. In this episode, Suneera reveals the 3 steps to building a billion-dollar business, the TRUTH about why less than 2% of female founders make it to $1 Million, and much moreTopicsWhat makes the perfect co-founderShareholder agreementsAre you having fun?The tough task of raising investment as a womanAre accelerators worth the hype?Rebranding StaxKeeping your ego in checkCulture building“You have it”Are entrepreneurs born or bred?Suneera's Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/suneeramadhani/CEO School:https://theceoschool.co/Stax:https://staxpayments.com/FOR MORE HELP START HERE: https://purposefulproject.com

Tony Fadell is the creator of the iPod, co-creator of the iPhone, and founder of Nest Labs, which was acquired by Google for $3.2 Billion. Named as one of the top 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2014, Tony believes that instead of building artificial platforms like the Metaverse, we need to focus on building products that fix and improve the real world.Tony's first job out of college was such a disaster that it killed all new development in consumer-oriented personal computers for a decade. The next products he built were commercial failures, then he started his own company – a year before the .com bubble burst. But after 10 years he learned – with every team, every product, every disaster – how to design, manufacture, market and sell something people actually wanted.In this podcast, Tony goes deep on why failure is good, the problems with the metaverse, and the key to work/life balance and he also tells us his biggest regret. We're so excited to bring you this interview with such an incredible entrepreneur and Unicorn. We know you'll love this one, if you enjoy the episode all we ask is that you share it online so that we can help more people start and grow a business of their own. Enjoy!“You only fail if you give up. If you don't give up and you learn from your mistakes, that's a normal cycle of learning and it's okay! Failure sounds like such a harsh word but I don't see it that way. You only learn what you love to do by doing a lot of things that you don't like doing.”TopicsReinventing yourselfFailureOvercoming fearWhen to quitHow to find balanceWorking with familyHow to find a co-founderNaming the book"Fuck the metaverse"Device AddictionSteve Jobs deleted Tony's numberDevice moderationDo you have any regrets?What do you want to learn?If you could interview anyone, who would it be?Get Tony's Book ‘Build':https://tonyfadell.com/https://amzn.to/3sP4s8V

Unicorn Podcast Trailer by Simon Squibb

Chris Barton is a well-respected entrepreneur and one of the masterminds behind the music recognition app, Shazam. Shazam was created in London over 20years ago and caught the interest of Apple who went on to purchase the technology for a speculated $400 million in 2017. The app is now among the most popular apps on both iPhone and Android with over 1 billion downloads to date. Chris' career also includes companies such as Google where he worked for 8 years and Dropbox, where he held the position of head of mobile operators' business development. He has collected a wealth of knowledge and experience through his journey to make him a leading entrepreneur within the digital field and more specifically, mobile applications. He is now embarking on creating a new startup focused on machine learning and computer vision. In today's special episode of The Unicorn Podcast, Chris tells his story of building software that was so ahead of it's time, as well as giving you all the highs and lows of his career, so you have the knowledge you need to replicate his success for yourself. "Things take longer than you expect. You hit different hurdles and unknown things happen. Early revenue in your business is like oxygen. Make revenue for your business a priority from day one. If I had realised how important that was, even if it meant delaying my main vision, it would have been a better route to take." Topics: How Chris became an entrepreneur Chris' unconventional start-up approach Shazam - How it went from an idea to a reality Shazam - Finding an engineer to ‘invent' the technology Shazam - The four co-founders and their partnership dynamic Shazam - Allocating job roles Shazam - Raising funding Persistence + Timing Hiring CEO's + getting out of your own way Chris' new company ‘Guard' Apple's acquisition of Shazam What is it like after selling a company? Why Guard? One piece of advice to your younger self Chris Barton: https://chrisjbarton.com/

John Roberts is the Founder and CEO of AO World, the online retailer specialising in household appliances and electricals. AO operates following John's two personal mottos of ‘treat every customer like your gran' and ‘make your mum proud', which has allowed the company to attain more 5* reviews than any other electrical retailer. John started AO in 2000 after a friend bet him £1 to set up a business. He had previously been working as a kitchen salesman, and the internet was just reaching mainstream utility, so he decided to set up a company that would sell appliances online. In 2014, Roberts led AO World's listing on the London Stock Exchange, valued at the time at £1.2 billion. John has also supported Bolton Lads and Girls Club for 25 years, he's a chairman at OnSide Youth Zones and a councillor at OneYoungWorld. Each of these organisations supports young people and aligns with John's mission to leave the world a better place. In this episode, John gives us an in-depth insight into his life and career, as well as what it takes to build a billion-dollar company. “Be really clear about what it is that you're going to do, and be awesome at it. Obsess about being awesome, and be clear on what problems you're solving because If you're going to be average at it… Well, there's a lot of average in the graveyard.” Topics: John's early life The importance of learning Relationships and treating people fairly The £1 bet Why being interesting is everything Taking AO public The Metaverse/Web 3.0 John Roberts: https://twitter.com/johnrobertsao AO: https://twitter.com/ao

Anne Boden is the Founder and CEO of Starling Bank, a modern British bank that brings new technology to the forefront, delivering a more engaging experience for customers than traditional high-street banks. Since 2014, Anne's vision has served more than 2.5 million customers as Starling continues to grow into one of the UK's leading banks. In January of 2014, Anne decided to quit her job to pursue her vision of creating a better bank, defying all stereotypes of women in their 50s with a corporate background. Starting a bank is one of the most challenging businesses to launch, and people thought she was crazy, but Anne was determined to make it work. “I felt silly, I felt people would laugh at me for having this audacious goal. I didn't just want to create a new bank, I wanted to create one that had the very best technology right from scratch, treated customers very fairly, with a new way of doing things and engaging with customers. Nobody believed me. Nobody thought it was possible.” Topics: Starling's first steps Raising money + building a team Being a sole founder Building the technology ‘Banking on it' - Book Securing the $48m investment Crypto What success looks like for Anne Work/life balance Are entrepreneurs born or bred? Luck Advice to her younger self Anne: https://www.instagram.com/anneboden/ https://twitter.com/anneboden Anne's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/BANKING-How-I-Disrupted-Industry-ebook/dp/B084H6N2GS Starling Bank: https://www.starlingbank.com/

In episode Adam Kamani is an award-winning property entrepreneur, start-up investor, mentor and CEO of Kamani Property Group, KM Capital and YourNxtDoor. He has just launched a next-gen property app called Move Streets.

In Season 2, Episode 12, Simon talks to Tom. Tom Mercer is the Founder of MOMA Foods, a London oat brand. Frustrated with the lack of quality breakfast on the market Tom decided to leave his job in the City and do something about it. MOMA was a genuine grassroots start-up – the first kitchen was under a railway arch in South London and the first retail outlet was a stall (made from a converted filing cabinet) in Waterloo station. MOMA is now the go-to premium porridge brand in the UK, the #1 bircher muesli brand, and a fast-growing player in burgeoning oat milk market Tom is from a farming family in Staffordshire, read Natural Sciences at Cambridge, and prior to MOMA worked as a management consultant for Bain & Co. In his personal life Tom is a proud husband and dad.

In Season 2, Episode 11, Simon talks Dr Ali Parsa. Ali is a British-Iranian healthcare entrepreneur and engineer. He's the founder and CEO of Babylon, the revolutionary AI and digital health company. Babylon's mission is to put an accessible and affordable health service in the hands of every person on earth. Dr Parsa was listed in The Times 100 people to watch. He was featured in the Maserati 100, a list that recognises game-changing entrepreneurs. He was formerly a UK Cabinet Office Ambassador for Mutuals and the Chair of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Tech Forum. He has a PhD in Engineering Physic.

In Season 2, Episode 10, Simon talks to Alexia Inge. Singularly committed to curating a ‘Beauty Hall of Fame', featuring only the best hero products from across the globe, Alexia Inge co-founded Cult Beauty with a lifelong passion for beauty and a mission to become the most trusted beauty retailer in the world. Under Alexia's leadership since 2014, Cult Beauty has become the place to go for beauty discovery and incubating trends – from the latest scientific wellbeing discoveries to centuries-old remedies that have never been bettered. It has fast become home to some the biggest names and need-to-know burgeoning brands: from being the first independent e-tailer to stock Anastasia Beverly Hills to bringing Milk Makeup across the pond and herding Drunk Elephant into the EU.

In Season 2, Episode 9, Simon talks to Sach Kukadia. Sach is a serial entrepreneur, non-executive director, chairman, board advisor and angel investor. He launched his first start up, SecretSales.com at the age of 22 and over a period of 10 years, raised £18m through leading Venture Capital Institutions and drove annual sales of £47m. He eventually sold the business to a London based Private Equity firm in 2017. Sach's current interest lies with Residently, a disruptive Property Tech platform alongside a new D2C business launching in Q2 2022 that allows you to invest in gold. In addition, Sach is Chairman to vintage furniture business Rehaus, and NED to a number of other consumer facing businesses.

In season 2, episode 8, Simon talks to Patrick Tsang. Patrick Tsang is Chairman of Tsangs Group, a fourth-generation China-focused Single Family Office from Hong Kong. Patrick invests in various companies with a positive influence and positive impact. Born and raised in the United Kingdom with deeply-rooted Chinese heritage, he has a robust global network as a seasoned investor. He has worked on numerous IPO and M&A transactions globally and has successfully made investments in Asia, mainly in Hong Kong and China, North America, and Europe. Patrick holds several prestigious appointments, including the Trade Commissioner of Grenada in Macau, to promote international business and investment.

In Season 2, episode 7, Simon talks to Dan Murray-Serter. Dan is a multi-award winning serial entrepreneur, who talks openly about failure, mental health, mental performance, and 'braincare' - which includes his journey using science to build habits, cultivating a positive mindset & nutrition for optimizing his brain's health. Having started (and failed) the UK's #1 fashion app, Grabble, he is now back building his new company, Heights. In his spare time, he podcasts with both the Braincare podcast for Heights, and Secret Leaders, one of the UK's top business podcasts.

In Season 2, Episode 6 Simon talks to Nick Wheeler. Nick Wheeler first had the idea for Charles Tyrwhitt shirts - to make the best shirts, using only the finest materials, at great value, with unbeatable service - whilst studying Geography at Bristol University in 1986;. He used his middle names - Charles Tyrwhitt – more anonymous (and better sounding!) than “Nick Wheeler shirts” The first brochure was a one-page leaflet with 8 shirts and 8 ties. The product range has developed from just shirts and ties to suits, shoes and a full casual offering. Today the business is a multi-channel retailer and a leading British brand. The company grew rapidly to sales of £220M in 2018, but then hit Covid… Charles Tyrwhitt's mission today remains true to Nick's founding principles - to provide quality and value, and to deliver them to the customer with unrivalled customer service. Nick is also a non-executive director of The White Company. He is married to Chrissie Rucker, founder of the White Company. They have four children and live in Oxfordshire. Nick was awarded an OBE for services for retail in December 2017.

In season 2, episode 5, Simon talks to Nick Jenkins. After graduation, Nick spent eight years trading sugar in Moscow for Glencore. In 1998 he returned to the UK to study for an MBA at Cranfield, after which he started Moonpig.com, the personalised greeting card retailer. By 2011 the business had over 5 million customers and Nick sold a majority of his holding to Photobox. Nick now divides his time between the charity sector and investing in early stage businesses which led to him joining the panel of BBC2 Dragons' Den in 2015 and 2016. He now has a portfolio of 19 angel investments, mostly in ed-tech, med tech and e-commerce.

In Season 2, Episode 4, Simon talks to Stepan Galaev. Stepan Galaev identified the growing demand for portfolio management services in the angel investment community while working on the investment portfolio of renowned UK angel investor – Nick Jenkins. After several years of deep-diving in the venture capital environment, he saw an opportunity to build a multi-family office that would cater to individuals with similar business ethics, and the strong belief that investing in young ventures can deliver both social and economic returns.

In S2 Episode 3, Simon talks to Anne Skare Nielsen. Anne is one of Scandinavia's - in fact the world's leading futurists. With her great interest and knowledge in radical change and transformation of thinking, she is in high demand as a lecturer and provocateur all over the world. You see her very often in the media. Among other things, she has been on DR's popular radio program 'The Philosopher, the Author and the Woman of the Future', and has been a TV host on the program 'NewScience' on TV2 News.

Season 2 trailer by Simon Squibb

In season 2 episode 2, Simon talks to Hugh. Hugh Thomas is the NYC-based CEO and Founder of Ugly Drinks. Ugly is a flavored sparkling water brand, now available in over 15,000 stores globally and with offices in both the UK and US. Ugly believes in an omni-channel approach to business, and has built its business online as well as in traditional retail. Before starting Ugly, Hugh worked at Vita Coco in Europe, leading bra

In season 2, episode 1, Simon talks to William Reeve. William is CEO of fast growth technology business Goodlord, a role he's held since 2018. Alongside this, he's non-Exec Chairman of Nutmeg and non-Exec Director at Dunelm PLC. William is a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded Fletcher Research, LOVEFiLM.com, and Secret Escapes. He is also an experienced angel investor.

In episode 60, Simon talks to Pippa Murray. Pip Murray, 32, is the Founder of Pip & Nut, an award-winning food brand that launched to market in January 2015. Over the last five years, she's been shaking up the healthy food and drink sector with her range of naturally nutritious nut butters and recently launched nut butter cups. Pip & Nut is now the fastest growing nut butter brand in the UK and is a certified B corporation. As a self-confessed peanut butter addict, Pip had the inspiration for the brand after searching, unsuccessfully, in the supermarkets for a range of peanut butters that were free from palm oil. With no options available, she started making her own natural range of products in her kitchen with her blender, before trailing them at Maltby Street Market. Today Pip & Nut can be found in over 5,500 stores around the UK and Ireland. Her mission for the brand is to help people love food that loves them and break down the perception that choosing a ‘better for you' option has to feel like a sacrifice. Amongst other accolades, Pip was most recently named in the Evening Standard Progress 1000, London's Most Influential People 2019 and the ‘Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year' at the Natwest Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

In episode 59, Simon talks to Nick Telson. Nick co-founded DesignMyNight 10 years ago. Coming from a marketing background at L'Oreal, where he launched 2 brands in the UK, he grew DesignMyNight into 8 million views a month website with three ground-breaking B2B hospitality systems with over 15,000 customers. DesignMyNight was acquired by The Access Group in November 2017. He now hosts a top 10 global business podcast, Pitch Deck and has founded a new spin on venture for startups; Horseplay Ventures - a Startup Playground, where he has already invested in 25 startups in the UK and US.

In episode 58, Simon talks to John Elkington, Co-Founder & Chief Pollinator at Volans. John is one of the founders of the global sustainability movement, an experienced advisor to business, and a highly regarded keynote speaker and contributor, from conferences to advisory boards. In 2008, The Evening Standard named John among the ‘1000 Most Influential People' in London, describing him as “a true green business guru”, and as “an evangelist for corporate social and environmental responsibility long before it was fashionable”. In 2009, a CSR International survey of the Top 100 CSR leaders placed John fourth: after Al Gore, Barack Obama and the late Anita Roddick of the Body Shop, and alongside Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank. John has addressed over 1,000 conferences around the world. He was a faculty member of the World Economic Forum from 2002-2008. He has served on over 70 boards and advisory boards. John has won numerous awards and is the author or co-author of 19 books. The 20th book was published in April: Green Swans: The Coming Boom in Regenerative Capitalism (Fast Company Press).

In episode 57, Simon talks to Norris Koppel. Norris is Founder & CEO of the European banking service Monese. He launched Monese in 2015, after his first-hand experience of the hassle involved with opening a bank account in a new country. With its multi-currency current accounts that are available in 31 countries, Monese enables people to bank like a local across the UK and Europe. Since 2007, Norris has co-founded and built a number of fintech companies. He is passionate about financial education and is founder of the Artha Foundation that focusses on educating children about money.

In episode 56, Simon talks to Jeff Rotmeyer. Jeff Rotmeyer is the Founder and CEO of ImpactHK, a charity transforming the lives of the homeless in Hong Kong. ImpactHK started with just a few individuals wanting to show kindness to those in need. It has now grown into a humanitarian movement, involving thousands of participants, that is truly saving lives. Jeff is also the Founder and CEO of Love 21 Foundation, a charity supporting the down syndrome and autistic community with sport and nutritional programmes. Originally from Vancouver Canada, Jeff has lived in Hong Kong for 14 years and spent his first 13 years teaching in a government primary school. Jeff is dedicated to living a meaningful life through social work and is passionate about making positive impact for those in need.

In Episode 55, Simon talks to Rich Goldsmith. Rich founded MOJU in 2015, alongside his best mate, Charlie Leet-Cook. Rich has a degree in Engineering and worked in commercial and finance roles before discovering his passion for innovation in food & beverage. MOJU has grown from a craft juice made in a home kitchen and sold at local markets and music festivals, into the market leader of juice shots and the fastest growing brand in the UK juice & smoothie category. Rich is forever fascinated by how things work and connecting the dots. He's a huge believer in the power of collaboration and the ability of teams to bring big ideas to life, that has the potential to help drive positive societal change. Rich was named a Young Gun in the startups.co.uk awards in 2018 and is a steering committee member of 1% for the Planet, a community of businesses that donate 1% of their annual sales to environmental impact causes.

In episode 54, Simon talks to Jeff Lynn. One of the world's largest platforms for investing in private companies. He also serves as Chairman of The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec), a non-profit advocacy group for UK startups and scaleups. Jeff began his career as a corporate lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York and London. He has been named one of the 100 most influential men in the UK by GQ and one of the 10 coolest people in tech by Business Insider.

In episode 53, Simon talks to James Chase. As a member of the family that invented Tyrrell's Crisps in the nineties before going on to found Chase Distillery in 2008, it is little wonder that entrepreneurialism is in James Chase's blood. The Director at Chase Distillery cut his teeth on the family farm, helping his father to challenge the status quo of the spirits industry. They did this by adopting a unique field-to-bottle process, using the potatoes grown on the farm to distill into vodka and then gin. James was inspired having spent time in the USA, where he witnessed the success of the hard seltzer market; catering for the demand for alcoholic drinks with lower calories that were still big on flavour.

In episode 52, Simon talks Angelina Riccio and Tenna Anette. The pair turned their back on a fast paced, party lifestyle after a case of burn-out inspired them to create products that would actively benefit the wellbeing of themselves and their families. Prior to Purearth, Angelina became an entrepreneur at a young age, founding a global modeling agency Reality Check Management, whilst Tenna is an ex-event manager at Sketch. The pair, who became flatmates for over a year and a half to help support the business, produce cold-pressed juices, water kefir's, and more recently, CBD shots which have helped achieve a 61% annual growth year on year. They work with industry-leading scientists such as Dr. Gabriel Cousens and David Wolfe to help identify new superfoods that can boost immunity and protect people from illness – especially relevant in today's world.

In episode 51, Simon talks to Duro Oye. Duro is a London based award-winning social entrepreneur and filmmaker. Duro is Chief Executive of 2020 Change a youth empowerment organisation focused on the social mobility of young people from low socio-economic backgrounds. He strongly believes that every young person should have the opportunity to live to their fullest potential. Oye's national recognition came in 2013 after he raised £50k to fund his first independent film project ‘247365 Change'. Since then he has worked on documentary film projects with The BBC's ‘County lines, Teenage Drug Runners' & Channel 5 ‘Gangland Season 1 & 2. 2020 Change's flagship programme ‘I Am Change' which runs in prisons, schools and local communities across London, uses alternative education in a unique way to engage young people in interactive workshops and seminars about discovering purpose, potential and most importantly their unique identity.

In Episode 50, Simon talks to Mads Faurholt. Mads is a serial entrepreneur and best selling author. He has started over 20 companies across technology, financial services, marketing, HR and education, with thousands of employees, and investors such as Goldman Sachs, Alibaba, Peter Thiel and the World Bank. Prior to starting his current company, Nova Founders Capital, Mads was Global Partner and Managing Director of the German internet giant, Rocket Internet; Head of Asia at Groupon (the world's fastest-growing company), and Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company. Mads received his bachelor from Copenhagen Business School at the shortest time ever recorded while managing a sales team of 50 and subsequently took his MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In episode 49, Simon talks to Mark Tilbury. Mark left school at 16 with no qualifications and no money. No one believed in him especially his teachers. His first job was making wooden trashcans and it paid less than $2 per hour. Mark's manager bullied him and gave him all the bad jobs. He decided to quit and start his own business, it was a big risk. 30 years later, he runs a million-dollar business. Mark has grossed over 50 million. He has the house of his dreams, but most importantly has the freedom to spend time with his family. Mark is now helping entrepreneurs become financially free as well!

In episode 48, Simon talks to Sonalie Figueiras. Sonalie is the founder & editor-in-chief of Green Queen, an award-winning impact media platform advocating for social & environmental change in Hong Kong with a mission to shift consumer behaviour through inspiring & empowering original content. She is also the founder & CEO of Ekowarehouse, the global sourcing platform for certified organic products, with a mission to make safe, quality food accessible & affordable for the whole planet. With over a decade of experience in publishing, digital marketing, organic trade and health & sustainability, she is an eco wellness industry veteran with a keen eye for market trends and a sought-after international speaker and moderator, sharing her expertise on stages across Asia and beyond, including TEDx and Harvard Business School.

In episode 47, Simon talks to Jenny Knighting. Jenny has worked with a number of ambitious start-up's, leading commercial strategy and making bold business growth plans a reality. With a wealth of experience in media, manufacturing, services and events, Jenny brings a unique creativity and perspective to every launch, scale and strategy. As founder and CEO of Nutcracker Agency, Jenny has led her team to win multiple awards, including finalist in the Best New Business at The National Business Awards. Since launching Nutcracker in 2014, the business has grown 60% year on year, helping countless clients in a wide range of industries to fulfil their vision through targeted, exciting and results-driven marketing.

In episode 46, Simon talks to Paul Smitton. Paul is the CEO and Managing Director for Asia's leading travel and lifestyle rewards programme, with more than 12 million members and over 800 programme partners worldwide. Responsible for 200+ team members delivering the P&L for this important business unit.

In episode 45, Simon talks to Bernard Moon. He is the Co-founder & Partner at SparkLabs Group, which is a network of startup accelerators and venture capital funds that has invested in over 280 companies across the globe. Previously, he was Co-founder & CEO of Vidquik, a web conferencing & sales solutions platform. Bernard was a Managing Director at the Lunsford Group, which is a private investment firm with holdings in real estate, healthcare and other industries. Bernard was Co-founder & VP of Business Development of GoingOn Networks, a social media platform for companies, and also led their product development where BusinessWeek recognised them in their "Best of the Web" list.

In episode 44, Simon talks to Sophie Baron. Sophie is the Founder of UK based parent/baby digital start-up Mamamade; a fast growing direct-to-consumer business. With the use of AI Mamamade creates bespoke nutrient-dense meals for children aged 6-36 months.Originally from New York, Sophie ventured to the UK to undertake a PhD at London School of Economics before becoming Head of Operations at a tech company.

In episode 43, Simon talks to Dr Kalmeta. She presently completed a 25 month international chronic wound project in which her company, BioRegentech, successfully transferred its technology: successfully tested all prototypes of advanced wound medical devices, active substrates, and the associated protocols. This work was a dedication to humanity to prevent one of humanity's greatest suffering, limb amputations. Under Dr. Kalmeta leadership, BioRegentech has grown and currently has 2 divisions: Advanced Wounds and COVID 19. Every 22 seconds, a leg is amputated and 85% of these amputations are the result of a diabetic foot ulcer. BioRegentech is a new life science company that has developed disruptive technology that can completely heal these open wounds by growing up to four layers of fresh tissue, a completely impossible task for modern medicine. Our mission is to give doctors our advanced tools in order to prevent further amputations, which are especially prevalent in the disproportionately affected populations.

In episode 42, Simon talks to Hayley Peacock. She is the Managing Director and Owner of Little Barn Owls Nursery group in West Sussex, her Horsham setting being awarded Nursery World UK Nursery of the Year in 2015/16. Her three nurseries are Reggio Emilia Inspired Forest and Farm Schools, the largest being based on a farm and is home to 20 animals including pigs, chickens and ducks that children look after every day, and another bring a full time forest school. Hayley's newest and most exciting project is the opening of ATELIER 21 FUTURE SCHOOL – a revolutionary new school for children 4-16 years old which is planned to open in September 2020 which will be inspired by project -based learning, Guy Claxton's Learning Power Approach and the Reggio Emilia Approach. A blend of academic workshops, outdoor learning through Wild Friday's and time for Self – Directed Learning and Entrepreneurship projects gives pupils a holistic, experiential education where they are supported and developed to make progress in the skills they will need to compete and thrive in the 21st Century.