Jazz Shapers

Tess Cosad is the co-founder and CEO of Béa Fertility, a startup providing at-home, affordable, clinical-grade fertility treatment. Tess joins Elliot to talk about fixing a broken industry and how she deals with the responsibility of selling hope. 

James Abrahart is the Founder of office solutions companies Interfax Systems and Altodigital and sports management company, Global Image Sports. James joins Elliot to share the big characters and moments that shaped his career, and how dyslexia enables him to see the world differently. 

Elliot speaks to Harry Hyman, Founder and CEO of Primary Health Properties, a UK Real Estate Investment Trust and leading investor in modern primary healthcare premises. Harry talks about the moments that shocked and shaped him, and how his passion for the Arts has led to him supporting young artists in the world of Opera.

Elliot speaks to Maryam Meddin - the Founder and CEO of The Soke, a mental health and wellness clinic with a modern, service-led approach. Maryam joins Elliot to share her incredible story, and how it's driven her to reshape the mental health sector.  

Lord John Bird MBE - An ‘encore edition’ of Jazz Shapers: another chance to sit down with the co-founder of The Big Issue, Lord Bird talks about his enduring ethos of giving people 'a hand up rather than a hand out', and the impact he's now fighting for as a crossbench member of the House of Lords.

Priya Lakhani OBE is the Founder and CEO of Century, the award-winning company developing AI-powered learning tools. Find out all about Priya’s struggle in the education system, advice from her heroes, her passion for learning and lots more.

Sahar Hashemi OBE is the Co-Founder of Coffee Republic, the UK’s first US-style coffee-bar chain, the Founder of Skinny Candy, the low-fat confectionery brand, And the Founder of the Buy Women Built movement, aiming to encourage shoppers to purchase women-built brands, and boost female entrepreneurship. Sahar joins Elliot for a chat on the people and ideas that have shaped her, and on the founder'...

Hamish Grierson is the co-founder and CEO of Thriva Health, a home blood-test and health-check service. Hamish joins Elliot to talk about putting people in control of their own health, and why he feels you don't have to go against the system to disrupt it.

Polly McMaster is the CEO and Founder of The Fold, a British womenswear brand creating empowering clothing for professional woman. Polly joins Elliot to talk about juggling her obsession for fashion with a PHD in virology, and the impact she's hoping her business will have.

Dr Nick Hawker is the co-founder and CEO of First Light Fusion, a lower risk, energy efficient approach to the power-generating process, inertial fusion. Nick joins Elliot to talk about how a shrimp could have unveiled the secret of supplying the world with green energy.

Jacqueline O’ Donovan is the Managing Director of O’Donovan Waste Disposal, the family-run waste management and demolition services company. Jacqueline joins Elliot to talk about becoming a Managing Director when she was just 19 years old, and how her Irish heritage continues to shape her.

Matt Pohlson is the co-founder and CEO of Omaze, an online fundraising platform, supporting causes by offering life-changing prizes. Matt joins Elliot to talk about disrupting the charity model, and the love and optimism (and life-changes) that came from his incredible near-death experience.

David Whitmarsh is the CEO of Standard Gas, the energy-from-waste technology business. David joins Elliot to talk about how a sense of adventure has taken him from the British Army's parachute regiment to co-leading a technological breakthrough with huge potential to help protect the planet.

Serial entrepreneur George Bevis is the Founder of Tide, a financial services platform for small businesses, and the founder of CanDo - a social ventures incubator. George joins Elliot to talk about the optimism and hunger that drove him to ‘fix business banking,’ and indeed he shares his love for jazz and the musicians closest to his heart.

Adam Sebba is the CEO and Co-Founder of luxury travel provider, The Luminaire. Adam joins Elliot to talk about his aim to 'make intellectual travel cool," and how his 7 years as a Captain in the British Army helped shape his approach to life and business.

Damian Bradfield is the Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of WeTransfer, the content sharing platform. Damian joins Elliot to chat about how great creativity comes from intuition, and what that means for him and his business - and indeed for all of us.

James Gordon is the Founder of Digico and the CEO of Audiotonix, creators of digital mixing consoles for Live Sound, Theatre & Broadcast. James joins Elliot to talk about his 'love affair' with music and the power for him of dyslexia; of seeing things differently.

Tim Fung is the founder and CEO of Airtasker, a digital marketplace connecting people who need work done, with trusted, local people who want to work. Tim joins Elliot to tell us why he's the eternal optimist, and of the profound impact that giving people a way to make money has on him.

Serial entrepreneur Mike Welch OBE is the Founder of blackcircles.com and tirescanner.com, the online tyre retailers. Mike joins Elliot to share how running a tyre business from his childhood bedroom (and night-shift work in a local Tesco) led to Michelin acquiring his company for £50 million, and his current role leading one of America's largest tyre retailers.

Serial entrepreneur Charles Dunstone is the co-founder of mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse, and the founder of broadband and TV provider, the TalkTalk Group. Charles joins Elliot to talk about his rebellious nature, his huge respect for the frontline of sales, and the joy he feels when it's his team against the world.

Jasmine Richards is an author and the Founder of Storymix, the children’s fiction development “studio" with a social purpose. Jasmine joins Elliot to talk about storytelling as activism and her journey to tackle the lack of diversity in children's books.

This Saturday, Jazz Shapers is back! And joining Elliot to kick off the new season is Sarah Turner, co-founder of Angel Academe, an angel investment network supporting female-founded tech businesses. Sarah talks about her journey of disrupting the historically male-dominated world of investment, and why creating more diverse environments are for the benefit of all.

Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones MBE is the founder of "The Black Farmer" range of food products. For the last Jazz Shapers of the year, Wilfred joins Elliot to share his remarkable stories of overcoming adversity as he fought for his childhood dream, to own his own farm.

Vanessa Jacobs is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Restory, an aftercare service, restoring Luxury Fashion. Vanessa joins Elliot to share her inspirations and the challenges of starting a business 'too early,' before the rise of circular fashion and sustainability.

Alex Myers is the Founder and Group CEO of Manifest, a creative communications agency. Alex joins Elliot to chat about his childhood dream to be the ‘Saatchi and Saatchi of Yorkshire’ - and why his company has become one of the most awarded creative networks in the world. Jazz Shapers features interviews with entrepreneurs – Business Shapers – who have broken the mould and achieved success in thei...