VOOM Podcast

Nikki Bedi presents highlights from the 2018 VOOM final, with pitches from the six finalists and words from Richard Branson and his fellow judges Tropic Skincare founder Susie Ma, Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed, entrepreneur and presenter Sophie Morgan and Virgin Media Business MD Peter Kelly.We also hear from previous VOOM winner Toby McCartney (CEO of MacRebur) who gives his top tips for a perfect pitch, plus there’s a surprise appearance from Sir Mo Farah. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode Nikki Bedi is at the 2018 VOOM semi-final event in Manchester to soak up the competition atmosphere as companies get ready to pitch. She is joined by two brilliant entrepreneurs from the North West – Rachel Clacher, co-founder of office-outsourcing pioneers Moneypenny, and Naomi Timperley co-founder of Tech North Advocates, an initiative set up to champion digital businesses in the region. We also hear from Mark Brant, the managing director of Paypal in the UK (a partner in this year's VOOM competition) with top tips for growing a business internationally. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode Nikki Bedi is joined by two entrepreneurs who’ve used personal experiences as catalysts for their businesses. Michelle Kennedy (formerly Board Advisor / Director at the dating app Bumble) explains how a period of loneliness after the birth of her first child inspired her to create an app for mums called Peanut – helping women chat, meet and solve problems together. She is joined by Doctor Sue Black, an entrepreneur whose life-changing journey in computer science became a springboard for her to enable others through the social enterprise #TechMums. Plus we’ve a special guide to investment from VOOM competition partners Grant Thornton, as Sarah Abrahams (Head of Growth Finance) debunks some of the common myths and mistakes companies make whilst raising capital. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode Nikki Bedi meets three entrepreneurs who’ve built their businesses around social media. She is joined by Jungle Creations founder Jamie Bolding – a company commanding an astounding 5 billion monthly views across its channels on Facebook, Martin Adams from Codec.ai who use artificial intelligence to improve audience impact, and writer and presenter Emma Gannon (Ctrl Alt Delete/ The Multi-Hyphen Method) to discuss the top tips and strategies. VOOM reporter Chris Reed also meets outdoor advertising experts JCDecaux – to find out why the traditional billboard ad is more relevant than ever. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode Nikki Bedi meets two entrepreneurs who’ve brought innovation to existing markets. Emily Brooke describes her journey as the founder of Blaze – a challenger brand in the world of cycling – whose invention, the Laserlight aims to make every bike safer. She’s joined by Jas Bagniewski, who has turned the mattress into a £140million pound valued company, at Eve Sleep. Plus as this years VOOM competition begins, we hear from previous winner Toby McCarney of Macrebur with his top tips for entrants. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the first episode of this new series for 2018 Nikki Bedi meets Thomasina Miers, founder of Mexican food chain Wahaca, and Andrew Hunt, founder of African-inspired superfood company Aduna. Together they discuss how they’ve built ‘profit with purpose’ into their business journeys – from scaling sustainability within the restaurant world, to kickstarting a new industry for rural African producers. And with the VOOM competition in full swing, we hear from one of the judges of this year’s Virgin Unite Impact Award, Cemal Ezel (of Change Please) whose own company is fighting homelessness with coffee. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the final episode of this series Nikki Bedi is joined by two founders who have placed community at the heart of their mission. Holly Tucker - founder of Not On The High Street and Holly & Co - explains why supporting small businesses has become her obsession, whilst Pip Jamieson shares how she’s built both profit and purpose in her creative network, The Dots. Meanwhile Voom reporter Chris Reed also explores community spirit in the craft beer industry, as he meets Logan Plant from Beavertown Brewery. Plus we go inside Voom Pioneers, our very own small business community. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode Nikki Bedi is joined by Oliver Bridge from Cornerstone, the subscription shaving company, and Ned Corbett-Winder from Not Another Bill, the surprise gift shop. They discuss the advantages of the subscription model in make shopping a more convenient and curated experience, whilst livening up people’s post boxes along the way. VOOM reporter Chris Reed also introduces one of the standout companies from the recent VOOM Tour stop in Winchester, Tamsin Gordon of Glitzbox. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode Nikki Bedi meets Simon Mottram, founder and chief executive of the Rapha cycling brand - a runaway success in the British apparel market. They are also joined by Avi Lasarow of DNAFit, who explains his pioneering approach to genetics testing to inform nutrition and fitness. While VOOM reporter Chris Reed meets Sylvain Filippi - the CTO at DS Virgin Racing - plus we’ve got the latest from the VOOM Tour, including a very special brunch with Richard Branson. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi takes a dive into the multi billion dollar industry of gaming and is joined by Ian Livingstone, the man described by the press as ‘patient zero for the epidemic of UK geek culture'. From founding Games Workshop in 1975 and bringing fantasy board game titles such as Dungeons and Dragons and Warhammer to Europe – to becoming president of Eidos Interactive and contributing to blockbuster video game series such as Tomb Raider and Hitman – Ian is one of the most of the most celebrated figures in the industry. He is joined in conversation by Jude Ower – founder of Playmob – a company looking to use gaming as a force for good, by building charity and education plots into some of our favourite gaming titles. We also hear from Isabel Van De Keere, a health-tech entrepreneur using virtual reality gaming to treat stroke and spinal cord injury patients, with Immersive Rehab. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi presents a property special and is joined by Arthur Duke, who explains how he took on the property guardianship sector with his company Live-in Guardians, and Alastair Parvin, who shares the story behind the open-source building movement, WikiHouse. Meanwhile, VOOM reporter Chris Reed meets the founders of The Modern House, who are certainly not your average estate agents - and we also hear all the latest from the VOOM Tour as it hits Manchester. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The VOOM Podcast returns for series 3 with a food industry special. Nikki Bedi is joined by Craig Sams - the fair trade pioneer behind Green & Black's chocolate - as well as social entrepreneur and previous VOOM competition finalist Iseult Ward, whose company FoodCloud is on a mission to tackle food waste and end food poverty. The pair discuss the balance between profit and purpose, sharing stories of successes and failures along the way. Plus we hear about the futuristic concept of vertical farming from Kate Hofman, co-founder of GrowUp - whilst roving VOOM reporter Chris Reed shares the latest from the all-new VOOM Tour. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Before the return of the VOOM Podcast later in year, Virgin Media Business present a special live podcast from TEDx in Manchester – a day devoted to sharing great ideas, challenging the norms, and expanding horizons. Discussing ‘The Secrets of Disruptive Business’ host Chris Reed is joined by some of the event’s keynote speakers including Jennifer Arcuri – founder of cyber-security consultancy Hacker House, Nic Cary – the co-founder of leading Bitcoin software company Blockchain, and physicist Dr Helen Czerski from University College London. They take a look at some of the patterns surrounding success: how to harness them, and how to break them. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

VOOM Award winner Olly Bolton (from drinks brand What A Melon) and business journalist Harriet Minter (former editor of the Guardian's Women in Leadership section) join Nikki Bedi to pick out some of the best tips from the VOOM Podcast in 2016. With help from entrepreneurs featured throughout the year they discuss everything from making the initial jump and launching a business, to growing and taking on hurdles like a pro. Plus thoughts on tackling the gender gap and preparing for Brexit. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi meets one of Dragons' Den's most successful failures – entrepreneur Shaun Pulfrey whose product Tangle Teezer was first laughed off as a 'hair brained idea'. Nearly a decade later his company is going from strength to strength, with a valuation somewhere close to £200 million. They are also joined by Venetia Archer, whose new app Ruuby is beauty's answer to Uber. Plus we hear the story of Sarah Hancock, whose battle with her own health, inspired her to launch the green beauty brand Skin & Tonic. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi speaks with two entrepreneurs working to change our eating habits – combining healthy ethics with revolutionary online approaches. Innocent Drinks alumnus Anthony Fletcher explains how his company Graze have become leaders in the industry of snacking, whilst Farmdrop founder Ben Pugh is on a mission to give both food producers and customers a better tasting deal. Plus we hear from 2015 VOOM award winner Dan Cluderay who's built a business on products past their 'best before'. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi introduces a show focusing on the business of love and connections featuring one of dating’s biggest, yet anonymous success stories, Venntro Media Group. Founded by Ross Williams the company has pioneered white-label services for the industry, powering over 25,000 partner sites worldwide and serving near to 50 million users. They are also joined by James Eder, whose new app Causr is looking to connect business professionals using geo-location. Plus, Happiness and Change Consultant Samantha Clarke gives her top tips on approaching challenges, speaking as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week for Virgin Pioneers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi is joined by two entrepreneurs whose businesses have helped thousands of others reach success through events and pop-up retail space. Renaud Visage, co-founder of Eventbrite, shares how his company has mastered the online ticketing industry and sheds light on the technical troubles he has had to overcome along the way. Ross Bailey also explains how his company Appear Here is enabling new businesses to secure prime pop-up locations, disrupting the commercial letting industry. Plus 'accidental restaurateur' Yianni Papoutsis, tells the story of how he went from flipping patties at festivals to growing one of the trendiest group of burger restaurants in the UK – MEATliquor. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jacqueline Gold's story is one of empowerment, both in the boardroom and in the bedroom. She joins Nikki Bedi to explain how she grew Ann Summers from the dingy back streets to over 140 prime locations across the UK – all whilst changing the attitudes of a nation along the way. Plus we hear from the VOOM 2016 winner Toby McCartney, who's tackling the world's plastic problem one pothole at a time. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi hosts a special live show at the Virgin Disruptors event and is joined by R&D expert Dom Price of Atlassian (a software giant that serves the likes of NASA) and Andy Walshe from Red Bull (the Head of Performance behind Felix Baumgartner incredible skydive to Earth from space). They discuss to discuss the power of people in business and how to push the limits to get the best out of yourself and your team. Plus words on disruption from Richard Branson and a sneak peak at VOOM series two. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi is joined by one of the most admired intellects in advertising, Rory Sutherland (Vice Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Group) who gives his top tips on the art of business persuasion. He is joined by 21-year-old entrepreneur Timothy Armoo whose company Fanbytes, pitches social influencer marketing as the next big frontier in the advertising world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi hosts a drinks industry special featuring Jim Cregan – the part-time 'mermaid entertainer' turned iced coffee magnate, and Darren Rook – the first entrepreneur to open a whisky distillery in London in over century. They share tips on launching a drinks brand, approaching the export market and putting personality into a product (with the help of rap videos). They're also joined by this year's VOOM Crowdfunder Award winner Olly Bolton, who's taking a leap into the natural hydration sector with his company What A Melon. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Host Nikki Bedi is joined by Nalden, the blogger turned tech entrepreneur behind WeTransfer – the online file sharing service that serves around one billion transfers a year. And Carl Thomas who explains how he was inspired to leave his career in architecture to set up the social image sharing platform miPic, allowing users to monetise their artwork and photos with printed products. The pair talk entrepreneurial instincts, making the jump and knowing when a product is ready to launch. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi is joined by an all-female lineup including Emma Sinclair MBE, who shares thoughts on the traits she needed to become the youngest person to float a company on the London stock exchange, before conquering the car parking industry, and then turning to tech. And Jessica Huie MBE draws parallels between her 'day job' in PR and her entrepreneurial offshoot – the groundbreaking greeting card's company, Colourblind Cards. Plus, VOOM competition finalist Sumi Wang explains how her company eFoldi has reinvented the mobility scooter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sir Richard Branson interviews top model turned entrepreneur Tyra Banks, alongside Sara Blakely the billionaire founder of Spanx in this fashion special. Host Nikki Bedi is also joined in the studio by José Neves, the entrepreneur behind luxury fashion retailer Farfetch, and Hall Watts, the co-founder of Unmade – an upcoming start-up using tech to revolutionise the knitting industry. Plus, we hear the winning pitches from the VOOM 2016 competition. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi is joined by Tim Westwell, the founder of Pukka Herbs - the UK-based organic herbal tea and supplement company that works with over 5000 growers across the world to produce a portfolio of over 30 teas and 75 food supplements using Fairtrade and FairWild certified ingredients that are sold in over 40 countries - and Dan Watson, the founder of SafetyNet Technologies - a company that design and build devices that use light to help fishermen catch the right fish and tackle some of the biggest issues facing the commercial fishing industry. They discuss how to make products that have a positive impact on the world, how to incorporate social and environmental responsibility into a business and how to make money whilst also making an 'Impact'. Plus, we hear the story of Nathaniel Peat of renewable energy company GenNex who empower a local workforce to build, maintain and sell their products - with a huge focus on education, tackling unemployment and gender equality in Africa. He was flown to Necker... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode, Nikki Bedi is joined by Elizabeth Varley, the Founder and CEO of TechHub - the global tech startup community with over 1000 members that creates spaces around the world for tech entrepreneurs to meet, work, learn and collaborate - and Richard Stephens, co-founder of Opto VR - a new kind of Virtual Reality Headset that lets anyone who owns a smartphone experience High-quality VR movies, videos and games wherever you are. They discuss the risks of being an innovator, how to position your start up against big corporations and how to recognise when you have an idea that your market want. Plus we hear tips on how to pitch from VOOM competition judges including founder of The Cambridge Satchel Company, Julie Deane, You Tube star, Dina Tokia and Head of Investment at Virgin StartUp, Andy Fishburn after a record breaking 29 hour Pitchathon. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi is joined by Sacha Zackariya, CEO of Change Group – a leading foreign currency exchange company serving around 2.5 million customers a year and Matthew Ford, entrepeneur and founder of Pariti – a new app that helps to manage personal finance by setting savings targets. They talk about the rapidly changing landscape of the finance industry, 'fintech disruptors', and top tips for new startups taking on the big banks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode, Nikki Bedi is joined by Chris Barton, original founder and board member of Shazam – the music recognition app used by over 500 million people – and Russ Tannen, Head of Music at DICE – a revolutionary ticketing service featured in Apple's Best Apps of 2015. They share tips for success in the mobile apps industry, monetizing your idea, and overcoming technological hurdles to bring your service to life Plus, we hear the story of Anthony Eskinazi – winner of the 2015 VOOM competition in the Grow Category and founder of JustPark. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nikki Bedi is joined by Paul Lindley, founder of Ella’s Kitchen – the UK’s number one baby food brand with a global turnover exceeding one hundred million dollars – and Gem Misa, founder of Cauli Rice – the first long life cauliflower rice brand to take the supermarket shelves by storm. They share tips for success in the food industry, pitching to supermarkets, and deciding whether to put your house on the line for a business idea you believe in. Plus, we hear the inspirational story of Jeff Paterson – winner of the 2015 VOOM competition and founder of FourEx, the money exchange kiosk ‘on steroids’. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.