Virgin StartUp Changemakers

Meet the founders behind a cult brand revolutionising the fashion industry, one garment at a time. Paynter Jackets began as an experiment over a long-distance relationship. The first jacket they ever produced sold out in 86 seconds, so as experiments go, this wasn't too bad. Becky Thomas and her husband Huw Thomas, created an innovative clothing brand by taking the traditional models of the fashio...

As a founder, how do you stay true to your values and find partners and staff who share them? How do you help new team members create new working cultures which compliment yours? And what do you do when this goes wrong?  Without its people, our businesses aren’t anything. As founders of new startups, you’re the beating heart and soul of your business, and how you build it will reflect your cu...

Multi-award winning founder, Pip Murray, joins Virgin StartUp for an evening of conversation to crack open the secret to creating a successful food brand. This is a recording of an interview which took place in March 2022. To get your ticket to our next MeetUp, visit virginstartup.org/events . We welcomed self-confessed ‘head squirrel’ Pip to our digital MeetUp stage to find out more about her mou...

How can you make social media work for your startup? This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp that took place in April 2022. Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events. – If you’re building a startup then you already know that your social media game needs to be on point. But in the days of 15 minute news cycles, influencers and saturated feeds, how can founders use s...

We're bringing you the final episode of our exclusive series, The Jump, available wherever you get your podcasts. The final episode of Series 1! Meet Cemal Ezel , the inspirational founder of Change Please, who went from City trader to changing the lives of homeless people one cup of coffee at a time. In this episode we find out what inspired Cemal to create change, and how he ended up sat next to...

We interrupt your MeetUps so bring you an exciting new series from Virgin StartUp and give you exclusive access to the first episode. *click here to subscribe to the new feed to hear the rest of the series* Launching a travel startup just before Covid hits. Being inspired by your daughter to launch a business which ends up landing Beyonce as a client. Going from a kitchen table blog to a multimill...

How to start a business in 2022 Will this be the year you startup? There has never been a better time to start a business. Amidst the challenges of the past 2 years, a record number of new startups have flourished. Virgin StartUp helped thousands to fund, start and grow the businesses they're passionate about - and now we want to help you. If you're thinking of starting or growing a business in 20...

We were thrilled to be joined at our December MeetUp for an in-depth and unfiltered conversation with  Heights  founder and podcasting legend,  Dan Murray-Serter . Dan is a multi-award winning serial founder, who has talked openly about failure and overcoming mental health challenges, including suffering from depression, burnout, anxiety and insomnia. Dan co-founded braincare supple...

This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp that took place in November 2021. Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events . -- To celebrate the launch of Virgin StartUp signing up to the Better Business Act , our November MeetUp focussed on how we can all build better businesses and have a positive impact on society and the environment. The drive towards more conscientio...

With a shift in consumer attitude and a focus on sustainability, being a fashion brand today comes with new challenges and more scrutiny. In an industry known for using natural resources and encouraging waste and consumption, we pulled together founders who are leading the change in the industry and creating innovative, cleaner, greener and longer lasting solutions. Covering everything from produc...

Ben Branson , founder of trailblazing drinks brand  Seedlip , leads the lineup of our MeetUp on how to start and scale a food and drink brand, supported by Virgin Money.  Food and drink startups are becoming ever more popular. The appeal and relevance of great products in the foodie world means more and more founders are vying for consumer attention and supermarket shelf space. In a satu...

Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events . Social media is no longer just a trend that founders have to follow, it’s a key marketing channel for any business. As a small and new startup, how do you stand out? And if you manage to build strong connections, how do you keep your content relevant and exciting to continue making customers happy and stay loyal to your brand? Our...

How to put yourself at the heart of your brand. This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp that took place in August 2020. Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events . It’s time to tell the story of narrative in business. Featuring James Hurst, Global Head of Creative at Pinterest, we want to help you tell your brand story. The brands you love all have a story behind t...

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 thin...

This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp that took place in November 2020. Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events. Being a startup founder can be vitalising, rewarding, and ultimately fulfilling - but the job comes with incredible responsibility, long hours, isolation and stress. We all need support in managing our mental wellbeing - and this starts with an hones...

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 futur...

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...

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 b...

This week Ben meets Tropic Skincare founder Susie Ma! Susie was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30, and Tropic Skincare was one of the fastest growing UK companies in 2018. Find out how she got here, and her advice for founders just starting out. Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events are for founders to acces...

This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp that took place in April 2021. Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events . Do you want to build a business that has impact? If so, you’ve landed on the right podcast. At this MeetUp, our host, Virgin StartUp advisor and founder of Rebel Book Club, Ben Keene, spoke to our expert panellists to uncover how you can build a busine...

In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers , Ben Keene brings together the founders behind DAME , Denzel's and creative agency Nice and Serious to explore one of the biggest challenges every startup faces: building a brand that people genuinely remember. From challenger brands disrupting established industries to purpose-led businesses creating loyal communities, this conversation explore...

In this special live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Ben Keene sits down with Simon Sinek , bestselling author of Start With Why and one of the world's leading thinkers on leadership, purpose and business. Recorded live during the pandemic, this wide-ranging conversation explores how founders can lead through uncertainty, build resilient businesses, inspire teams and stay optimistic when e...