Virgin StartUp Changemakers

This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp which took place in June 2020. To get your ticket for our next MeetUp please visit virginstartup.org/events

Since 2020, the world of business has been dealing with unprecedented levels of uncertainty. But does that mean we should wait until things feel more stable before getting a startup off the ground?

This MeetUp explored what we can learn from businesses that started up in previous recessions, what new opportunities there might be now, and whether there is ever a ‘right time’ to start a business.

Our host, Virgin StartUp Business Advisor and founder of Rebel Cook Club, Ben Keene, was joined by three founders to find out if not now, then when to start up.

On the panel:

• Gabriela Hersham, founder of co-working environment, Huckltree
• Lucas London, founder of home decor brand, Lick
• Lucy Standing, Chartered Occupational Psychologist and founder at career change and job shadowing service, Brave Starts

Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events are for founders to access invaluable advice and network with like-minded entrepreneurs. Find out more at virginstartup.org.

Thanks to the support from Virgin Money, we’re able to make our MeetUp events free to attend, providing thousands of early-stage founders with the support they need to start and scale businesses in the UK.

Virgin Money are here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

#virgin #virginstartup #virginmoney #ukbusiness #startups #coronavirus

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Global thought leader, unshakeable optimist, founder and best-selling author, Simon Sinek, joins Virgin StartUp for an evening of conversation. You’ll want to listen to the end for a surprise guest who joined us on stage!

This is a recording of an interview which took place in September 2020. To get your ticket to our next MeetUp, visit virginstartup.org/events.

In a rare and intimate setting, we welcomed Simon to our digital MeetUp stage to find out his ‘why’. 28 million people have tuned in to watch Simon’s TED Talk, the third most popular TED Talk of all time, based on his sell-out book, Start With Why. His thinking has inspired countless founders to build businesses that hold purpose at their core.

Our host, Virgin StartUp advisor and founder of Rebel Book Club, Ben Keene, uncovered Simon’s insights on how to build and lead effective teams, what drives consumer behaviour, and why we should all feel optimistic about the future of business.

Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events are for founders to access invaluable advice and network with like-minded entrepreneurs. Find out more at virginstartup.org

Thanks to the support from Virgin Money, we’re able to make our MeetUp events free to attend, providing thousands of early-stage founders with the support they need to start and scale businesses in the UK.

Virgin Money are here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp that took place in September 2020. Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events.

Starting a business means taking on risk and creating value – but the nature of this value - and crucially why we create it – is fundamentally changing. At this Virgin StartUp MeetUp, we explored the role that small business might play in the future.

The world has seemingly changed overnight, encompassing all areas of how we do business, how we live and how we work. But how many of the changes we’re experiencing were already on the cards before the pandemic? What trends in our social lives, the climate, technology and consumerism were already in motion, and will continue long into the next decade?

Joining host Ben Keene, founder of Rebel Book Club and Virgin StartUp mentor, on the panel:

• Tracey Follows, noted futurist and founder of Futuremade
• Bruce Walker, CEO & Cofounder at innovation community FutureX, and
• James Ghaffari, Director of B Corp Certification at B Lab UK,

We took a look into the coming decade and beyond, to try and chart our predictions for what comes next. What comes next for founders, for consumers, for business and for the planet.

As we uncovered at our recent MeetUps, business “success” is being redefined in front of our eyes. The ways consumers behave and respond to brands has evolved, and brands which show inauthenticity or maligned interests will be exposed at lightning speed online. Traditional business models which have been relied upon for decades are starting to look stale; the rise of adblocking software and decline of outdoor advertising are forcing brands big and small to vie for consumer attention elsewhere on social media and new audio formats.

Sustainability has become not only a watchword for societies at large, but a sign of intent in consumers. Younger generations have grown to not only seek sustainable products and brands, but openly state that they are willing to pay more for them. A Forbes report notes that 62 % of Generation Z, who will begin entering the workforce this year, prefer to buy from sustainable brands, on par with our findings for Millennials.

If purpose is going to be at the heart of the future of business, what does this mean for how we, as founders, design startups, brands and companies which can thrive?

Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events are for founders to access invaluable advice and network with like-minded entrepreneurs. Find out more at virginstartup.org

Thanks to the support from Virgin Money, we’re able to make our MeetUp events free to attend, providing thousands of early-stage founders with the support they need to start and scale businesses in the UK.

Virgin Money are here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

#virgin #virginstartup #startups #futurism #sustainability #BCorp

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This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp that took place in February 2021. Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events.

In the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s a challenging time to start a business. But in challenging times, opportunities arise for founders wanting to make a difference. Opportunities to fix problems, innovate, adapt and grow.

If you’re thinking of starting up, or are working hard to pivot your business, this MeetUp is for you.

Our host, Virgin StartUp advisor and founder of Rebel Book Club, Ben Keene, spoke to three lockdown entrepreneurs to set out a clear plan of action for would-be founders contemplating starting up, and established founders looking to pivot.

Featuring:

• Ayesha Pakravan, founder of custom hospitality business, The Plattery, and not-for-profit tackling food poverty, Vital Meals
• Hannah Adams, founder of launched in lockdown Pieces of the Puzzle, a sustainable, wellbeing-first puzzle company
• Roshanne Dorsett, founder of health and eco-conscious skincare startup, The Glowcery

Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events are for founders to access invaluable advice and network with like-minded entrepreneurs. Find out more at virginstartup.org

Thanks to the support from Virgin Money , we’re able to make our MeetUp events free to attend, providing thousands of early-stage founders with the support they need to start and scale businesses in the UK.

Virgin Money are here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

#virgin #virginstartup #startups #lockdown #coronavirus

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp that took place in March 2021. Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events.

Are you thinking of packing in the day job and going full-time on your startup? How do you know when the right time to go all-in is? It’s time to find out.

Whilst there’s no ‘perfect time’ to quit the day job and go it alone, what are the options when your startup is gaining traction, and how do you find the confidence in yourself and your business to take the leap?

At this MeetUp, our host, Virgin StartUp advisor and founder of Rebel Book Club, Ben Keene, spoke to our panellists to find out exactly how they went full-time with their startups to hopefully inspire you to do the same.

Featuring:

• Ed Currie and Andy Coxon, co-founders of sustainable deodorant brand, Akt
• Daisy Tinker, co-founder of independent marketplace, A South London Makers Market
• Steph Giordano, founder of cake business, Baked by Steph

Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events are for founders to access invaluable advice and network with like-minded entrepreneurs. Find out more at virginstartup.org

Thanks to the support from Virgin Money, we’re able to make our MeetUp events free to attend, providing thousands of early-stage founders with the support they need to start and scale businesses in the UK.

Virgin Money are here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

#virgin #virginstartup #startups #founder

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.