Entrepreneurial Evening

KGS Friends Entrepreneurial Evening 1

KGS Friends

Entrepreneurial Evening

KGS Theatre

Thursday 10th March 2016, 7.30pm


Welcome to the KGS Friends Entrepreneurial Evening for established, budding and prospective entrepreneurs. KGS is proud of the spirit of enterprise and entrepreneurship that thrives within its student and

alumni bodies. Tonight we hope to learn the secrets of success, share ideas and make useful contacts.

This evening we are delighted to have formal presentations from OKs Sophie Cornish, Peter Harris, Alexander McLean and Richard Dawes. The panel will be chaired by business and management guru Jez Cartwright, after which guests will have the opportunity to chat to a wide range of

entrepreneurs with a huge galaxy of experience over drinks and nibbles. Please read on for further information about our guests.

6.45pm Welcome Drinks, Baxter Gallery

7.30pm Presentation, Theatre

8.30pm Reception, Hawkes

9.30pm Close

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Presentation Panel

After leaving KGS, Jez studied at LSE and then the University of Sheffield before setting up his first business in the world of professional sport. His clients included the England cricket and Great Britain rowing and diving teams as well as Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesborough FC. He returned to London in 1998 to set up a number of small businesses - a private gym business and branding and events businesses - before setting up a coaching and leadership development consultancy, where he works with boards of companies to help them become ever more successful.

Jez has also written a best-selling book – ‘The Handbook for Exceptional People’ - that went to No 1 on iTunes in 2009.

Alexander McLean, African Prisons Project

Through the African Prisons Project, Alexander works to develop the next generation of leaders amongst prisoners and prison staff in Africa. He was named one of “30 Under 30s Changing the World” by TIME Magazine and is a TED and Ashoka Fellow. Alexander began working in prisons in East Africa when he was 18 during his gap year and established the African Prisons Project in 2006 whilst at university. He works with a team of 35 colleagues supported by a strong group of patrons, trustees, advisors and partners including Lords Rowan Williams, Boateng, Verjee and Ramsbotham.

Jez Cartwright


Sophie Cornish is co-founder and director of online marketplace notonthehighstreet.com. Previously both a journalist and marketer, Sophie has co-authored two bestselling books: ‘Build a Business from Your Kitchen Table’ (2012), and ‘Shape Up Your Business’( 2014). She is a shareholder and director of a number of fast-growth UK businesses, as well as being a business consultant and currently The Times Vodaphone Ready Business Mentor.

Sophie was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s 2013 Birthday Honours and has won a number of industry awards.

Sophie Cornish MBE, notonthehighstreet.com

Peter Harris, Hotel Chocolat

Peter was an early member of the Cambridge high-tech community, co-founding Torch Computers in 1981. Co-founder of Hotel Chocolat, he was Finance Director for the first 24 years. He now focuses on the development of the business in both the UK and overseas and has enabled it to be listed on the Sunday Times/Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 on three occasions, including the No 1 position.

Peter has worked as a business mentor for The Prince’s Trust and has helped three businesses to establish themselves. He lectures the MBA groups at Cambridge University and is a judge for CUE (Cambridge University Entrepreneurs). He won the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008.

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Rich has worked in the music industry for 20 years. In 2009 he set up his own entertainment and lifestyle PR company ‘DawBell’ with long-time friend Stuart Bell. Their clients currently include Rihanna, Sir Paul McCartney, James Corden, Harry Styles, Pharrell, Gary Barlow, Take That, Google Play Music, Vevo, Burberry, The LTA and Casio, amongst others (see www.dawbell.com). They have also looked after all the PR for The BRIT Awards since 2011 and have an exceptionally talented team of 26 people working for them. As well as handling PR for their clients, Rich, Stu and his team also advise on crisis management and business strategy.

Richard Dawes, DawBell


Hawkes ReceptionPritesh Pankhania

Pritesh set up his first business at the age of 21, importing Epson printer ribbons from Canada. He has subsequently launched both traditional and e-commerce businesses in the recruitment, IT and health and well-being sectors. He recently sold www.bodymassageshop.com and is currently a Wealth Manager at St. James’s Place Wealth Management.

Paul Short

Paul left Bristol University in 1999 and embarked upon a career in the petroleum industry. In 2011, Paul quit his job with a multinational trading company in Johannesburg to set up his own trading company. Initially specializing in the importation of petroleum products through Mozambique for onward distribution into landlocked countries within Southern Africa, the company has subsequently bought into a local oil marketing company in Zimbabwe and has recently diversified into agricultural investments and exportation from the same region.

Martin St-Gallay

“Being ex-KGS and taught to think for myself, I often come up with solutions to problems. The Locksit, a unique bicycle helmet lock and bike light, was about the 28th idea I had, but one of the better ones, so I thought I’d do something about it.” With no previous experience in designing, protecting or manufacturing, Martin had to rely heavily on contacts he had to make his idea a reality. It was a massive learning curve and one which is still continuing today.Martin has manufactured 1000 of his product, is going through the patent process for 3.5 billion people and is now looking forward to selling it! www.locksit.co.uk

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James Buchanan

James graduated from Staffordshire University with a BA in Art and Design and jumped on a wave of London underground music. Having an idea of the sound he liked, he came up with a tune, pressed some copies using a credit card and started selling them to record shops from the boot of his car. Despite impressive sales and licensing the song to Virgin/Emi and Universal Records, he soon got into consumer debt. Learning how to obtain more credit at lower rates led to various enterprises, including a breakdance event which toured the UK and Europe for about eight years. He then bought a house in London with very little capital and developed it for multiple occupation. A second such project soon followed and James is now looking to build up his property portfolio.

Rob Dann

Rob has an insatiable appetite for the restaurant market-place and has helped launch a number of restaurants in London and New York. In 2012 he took over as Managing Director of Bedales Wines and successfully transformed it into the exciting enterprise it is today. In 2014 Rob founded street food sensation B.O.B.’s Lobster, described as ‘delightfully convenient, bourgeois dining on a paper plate served from a 1957 VW camper van.’

Rachel Barnes

Having taught English and Drama for several years, latterly at KGS, where she was Head of Drama, Rachel set up a business which developed and owned the cocktail bar and events venue ‘Rubicon’ in 2003 with former KGS colleague Maeve Smith. Rubicon traded successfully in Surbiton as a smart destination bar and music and party venue for 11 years, weathering the recession, the no-smoking ban, and both owners having children. They sold the business to Kevin and Bryan Pietersen in 2014.


Rob Dann with the B.O.B’s Lobster Van

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Useful Websites

http://www.shell-livewire.org/

Established in 1982, the Shell LiveWIRE programme offers free online business advice and funding to young entrepreneurs in the UK (Eng-land, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). The Smarter Future Programme supports young entrepreneurs with smart and innovative ideas that meet the energy and resource needs of a fast-growing population. The programme awards a start-up grant of £5,000 each month to one 16-30 year old entrepreneur with an idea that addresses sustainable living challenges through smart inno-vation. Winners are also invited to take part in a coaching workshop with Shell senior business leaders.

http://startups.co.uk/being-a-young-entrepreneur/

Are you a young entrepreneur? Startups.co.uk offers relevant and helpful insights into the world of being a young entrepreneur in the UK today. It provides resources for starting and growing business ideas to help understanding of what it is like to be a young entrepreneur.

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[email protected]

020 8939 8859

www.kgs.org.uk/community/alumni

@KGS_Friends

KGS Alumni

KGS Friends

Entrepreneurial Evening

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Transcript of Entrepreneurial Evening