Simon Says

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.