Impact Central Leadership Podcast

It's another brand new episode for a brand new week, people! Join Gordon and SL this week as they tackle another big issue (what's new?) -  mental health in schools. A timely and heartbreaking conversation as we face further weeks of school closures and isolation for many, our guests Aaron John and George Metcalfe talk to us about their social impact startup Tranquiliti, and how they are working with schools and families to change the education system, driven by their own experiences with mental health issues. Shockingly, 1 in 10 children and young people are affected with mental health issues, and an incredible 70% have or did not receive interventions from an early enough age. Tranquiliti uses technology to make children's voices heard, to offer insights and solutions to those in need of help. Aaron and George have been in the entrepreneur game for two years and have an amazing product, but it hasn't always been smooth sailing. The founders talk us through the ups and downs of the first few years of business, battling the need for stability, the struggles and benefits of working in a team, and a ton of other gems they have learned along the way. Tune in this week for another inspiring founder story, give them a follow @tranquiliti and let us know what you love about them!

Happy Monday and a happy start to 2021 to all our listeners! Gordon and SL are back with an exciting episode, talking all things environment. As we enter a new year, many of you - like us - will be reflecting on what our new habits and goals might look like for 2021. For lots of people, environmental issues weigh heavy on the heart and they might be looking for ways now to contribute to change, whether it be single-use plastics, food waste or ethical choices. But how do you make a dent when the issues feel so mammoth? This week's guest has got you covered. Rachael Castell talks to us about her impact business, OurPledge, which helps businesses go green, brings zero waste solutions to local shops and helps shortcut the process for consumers of shopping sustainably and ethically. OurPledge is the only crowd-pledging platform with a focus on sustainability and ethical consumerism. Rachael talks us through her journey as a founder, what it's like tackling big issues by making small changes, and getting people on board with your vision. Tune in this week for an inspiring chat from an awesome entrepreneur!

In the final episode of 2020 (goodbye to that, thank you very much!) Gordon and SL tackle a big, tricky subject - addiction. Not the most festive of topics, we'll grant you, but an important one that often goes under the radar, with a lot to unpack. 🤭 We speak to impact entrepreneur Tom Fenton, founder of Amber Light, who has found a tech solution to addiction that also has a personal side. His idea came about from a personal addiction and lack of support there is for those battling with it. Amber Light is an app which takes that 'battle' idea and creates a gamified app , allowing people to track their habits - whether it's porn, alcohol or junk food - and find support and accountability with a community of people who have been there or are still there with you. 🔶👾🔶 Tom talks us through his process of seeing a need and building a successful business on it, designing a user experience, his journey through our Impact Central accelerator and his advice for those just starting out on the entrepreneurs (often lonely) journey. You don't want to miss this inspirational episode! We'll be back in January with more incredible founders! Wishing all our community and listeners a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year, finding the joy where we can in the midst of the madness. ✨

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Gordon and SL start this week's episode with a conversation about the season for shopping, and how that often brings up discussions of waste, fast fashion and 'unconscious consumerism'. This week's guest can speak to that issue like no other - Esther Knight is the founder of Fanfare, a sustainable British fashion brand that sets out to create powerful, positive change in the fashion industry. Esther takes us behind the scenes of the industry, from first sketch to clothing rails, and talks about the struggle of being a Northerner trying to get into the fashion world! Esther's journey from assistant buyer a Barbour to a successful entrepreneur with a purpose at the coalface of change in the industry is an incredible one. Hear about her reaction to being told way too many times "well, that's the nature of fashion" and instead asking the question "what happens when you empower people?". Esther is an inspiration and we're thrilled to be able to share her story, her learnings and her encouragement to our community this week!

"Are we there yet?" ⏳A question that both folks with kids who have ever travelled anywhere and founders of startups have in common. Gordon and SL kick off your week with a chat about the realities of entrepreneur life - failures, risk, roadblocks and, most importantly, the need for patience. A frustrating quality to have to cultivate when you are passionate about an idea and raring to go from day one. Two founders who can massively relate are husband and wife team Joel and Annika Wallington of Recognised, a two year old social impact start up which is all about making products which look good and do good. 👏 Joel and Annika talk about their honestly incredible journey from an origin story involving a dream five years ago to the success they see today, and everything in between. They talk about the importance of remembering that not everyone has to get your vision - for every one person who encourages you there may be one hater (a category of which Gordon is absolutely clear he was never in!). Take the good, take the bad, but move forward. Recognised is an amazing jewellery brand which brings together amazing causes and beautiful products, to spark conversation, raise awareness and funds for some of the greatest issues our world faces today. Worth checking out if you haven't ticked everything off your Christmas list yet! 🎄 Start your Monday off right by hearing from this inspiring couple! ✨

Happy Monday!  Gordon and SL start off your week with a discussion about how technology and creativity are not the polar opposites some expect them to be in the start-up world,  and that there are some amazing entrepreneurs bringing both worlds together. We spent some time in conversation with two of those entrepreneurs,  Ben Ashby and Agnes Daniel, founders of Arts Revolution - a company committed to bringing exceptional quality music and arts education to all children, regardless of background, using innovation and technology . Ben and Agnes are big believers in the power of creativity and music to unlock potential, provide community and encourage good mental health and brain development. Grab a coffee and tune in to start your working week inspired! ⚡️

Gordon and SL kick off this week's episode with a candid discussion on why better founders build better startups, what it means to be a holistic founder, what it means to have a growth mindset and how that all feeds into the Impact Central programme many of their startup founders are on now. And this week we're also chatting KNICKERS! Bear with us... We're hearing from the inspiring serial entrepreneurs Primrose Matheson and Vanessa Barker, co-founders of Bedstraw & Madder, a clothing brand challenging the way clothing is made, focussing on plant-dyed, chemical-free textiles and sustainable fashion - including a range of organic, farm-to-fibre underwear. Primrose and Vanessa are also passionate about keeping ancient crafting techniques alive like handloom weaving and embroidery, and paying fair wages to those producing these amazing garments. Listen up and get inspired by these two amazing founders as they talk about dealing with failure, thinking differently and tackling the world's problems through creativity.

This week, we're in conversation with Julian Boaitey from Yendy, talking about how he went from door-to-door salesman to founder of a social impact start-up producing women's beauty products. Julian's mission for Yendy is to connect 16 million small-scale producers in Africa with the global organic beauty market. Yendy sell raw and natural skincare products, produced via an ethical supply chain through close partnerships with suppliers, women's groups and NGO's on the ground. Grab a cuppa and enjoy hearing Julian's startup journey, top tips for overcoming doubt as a founder, his thoughts on conscious consumerism and his plans for the future.