Entrepreneurs gather to inspire next generation

Yorkshire’s national newspaper is staging the panel debate as part of MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival, which is billed as the UK’s premier event for enterprise.

Our panellists are Sarah Dunwell, the founder and chief executive of Create, the social enterprise catering company, Jonathan Elvidge, co-founder and managing director of Red5, the gadget shop chain, Darren Forshaw, a founding partner of Endless, the private equity investor, and Richard Kaye, the founder and chief executive of the Fired Up Corporation, the manufacturing group.

They will debate enterprise and entrepreneurialism in Yorkshire and take questions from the audience.

The festival is pitched at start-ups, high-growth firms and established businesses looking for new ideas and takes place from September 21-24.

Senior figures from Government, including Business Secretary Vince Cable and Business Minister Mark Prisk, are scheduled to appear alongside nationally-renowned entrepreneurs such as Luke Johnson, founder of Risk Capital Partners, Peter Jones, star of Dragons’ Den fame, and Julie Meyer, founder of Ariadne Capital.

Mr Prisk said: “MADE is a great showcase of the entrepreneurial culture in this country and it is a fantastic opportunity for entrepreneurs to share ideas and knowledge, and help inspire the next generation of business owners.”

Sarah Dunwell used to run her own outside catering firm but in 2007 decided to launch a new business in Leeds called Create to help homeless people gain experience in food preparation, administration, IT and retailing.

Create has gone on to open two cafes and a fashion boutique in Leeds and last year launched a programme with Bradford-based Morrisons to help homeless people into supermarket jobs.

This month the company opened its first restaurant, designed and overseen by Richard Walton-Allen, the award-winning chef and staffed by trainees from Create’s employment academy.

Jonathan Elvidge is the creator of the original Gadget Shop, founded in 1991. He later co-founded Red5, described as “a place where anyone could get their hands on great and innovative gadgets, and at affordable prices”.

The Hull-based chain sells products including miniature remote controlled tanks with infa-red laser cannons, 80s retro iPhone cases and robotic arms. It has more than 20 stores across the UK. Darren Forshaw used to be an accountant specialising in restructuring work on behalf of major professional services firms, but decided to branch out on his own with business partner Garry Wilson in 2005.

They won support from David Newett, a multi-millionaire Yorkshire businessman, and set up Endless, a private equity house specialising in turnaround work.

The company’s successful investments, which include retail supplier Peter Black International and Sheffield heavy engineer DavyMarkham, have helped deliver market-beating returns for backers.

Jonathan Kaye started his first business, Armco Security, in 1990 and moved into fireplace manufacturing in 1999, which led to the founding of the Fired Up Corporation.

The company “took the plunge” and established manufacturing operations in China and now sells cooking appliances, including rice cookers, to Chinese consumers.

The Huddersfield-based group also owns John Corby Ltd, maker of the eponymous trouser press found in hotels around the world.

The Yorkshire Post Business Editor will chair the debate.

This year’s festival has three themes: inspire, disrupt and accelerate.

Organisers hope to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into reality.

They also want to promote the importance of independent thought, arguing that “successful entrepreneurs have disruption in their DNA and thrive on rejecting the status quo”.

And they claim the festival will give entrepreneurs the tools they need to increase business growth.

Other speakers include business angel Doug Richard, barrister turned curry sauce manufacturer Priya Lakhani and tonic maker Marcus Waley-Cohen.

Don’t miss the big debate

To register for the Yorkshire Post Business Breakfast visit www.madefestival.com – and hurry because places are limited.

The free event takes place from 8.30-10am on September 22 at Mercure St Paul’s Hotel in Sheffield.

Other highlights of the festival include appearances by Captain Gopinath, the Indian low-cost air travel entrepreneur, David Erdal, an expert in co-ownership business models, Herb Kim, the digital entrepreneur, Martyn Dawes, founder of Coffee Nation, Ian Williamson of technology-led plastics business Carclo plc, and past contestants from TV’s The Apprentice, Claire Young, Melody Hossaini and Paloma Vivanco.