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New generation: meet the Ethical Entrepreneurs

Role model entrepreneurs reveal how start-ups can make a difference while also making a profit - panel discussion and networking event at the British Library, January 22, 2007.

The 'social enterprise' sector is huge and continues to grow at a dizzying rate. The organic food market, for example, has doubled in size since 2000 and social enterprises as a whole are now estimated to make up some five per cent of the entire UK economy - with a combined turnover of £27 billion.

The new generation of budding social entrepreneurs eager for advice and inspiration should make a date in their diaries for 'Ethical Entrepreneurs: the rise and rise of good business', taking place at the British Library on Monday January 22, 2007. This panel discussion, Q&A and networking reception will feature four of the UK's most successful social and ethical entrepreneurs, offering insights on how to get started, how to strike a balance between profit and social responsibility and where opportunities for the future lie.

The panel includes the people who created some of the most iconic ethical brands of the past decade: John Bird, founder and editor-in-chief of The Big Issue; Richard Reed, co-founder of Innocent Drinks; Geetie Singh, founder and MD of the UK's first organic gastro-pub, the Duke of Cambridge in Islington, and Justin Francis, MD of ethical travel firm Responsible Travel. Panel members will share their own experiences and offer advice to would-be social entrepreneurs who want to emulate their success.

'Ethical entrepreneurs: the rise and rise of good business' is the latest in the 'Inspiring Entrepreneurs' series of talks and events at the British Library, supported by HSBC, 'the world's local bank'. The series last year included sell-out events such as 'The Asian Advantage' and 'Commerce with a Conscience' which featured iconic founder of The Body Shop, Dame Anita Roddick, who has just announced a second round of one-to-one advice sessions at the British Library Business & IP Centre. More details about the Centre's full programme of advice sessions, workshops and events can be found at: www.bl.uk/bipc

Isabel Oswell, Head of Business Marketing at the British Library, said: "The expanding field of social entrepreneurship is one of the most exciting trends of recent years and the ethical boom looks set to continue through 2007. We are delighted to welcome such a glittering panel of business role models to speak at the British Library. We hope people attending the event will also take the opportunity to find out more about the Business & IP Centre's unrivalled range of free business resources, which can help them research, protect, develop and market their business ideas."

For further information please contact: Ben Sanderson at the British Library Press Office (telephone +44 (0)1937 546126, email: ben.sanderson@bl.uk) or Lawrence Christensen (telephone +44 (0)20 7412 7114, email: lawrence.christensen@bl.uk)

Notes to Editors

1. The British Library - is the national library of the United Kingdom. It provides world class information services to the academic, business, research and scientific communities and offers unparalleled access to the world's largest and most comprehensive research collection. Further information is available on the Library's website at www.bl.uk, which currently records almost 2 million 'hits' or visits per month. The London Development Agency awarded the British Library's Business & IP Centre £1 million in May 2005 to help transform it from a successful pilot project into a permanent national resource. A ccess to the Centre is free. Users need a Reader's Pass, for more information visit: www.bl.uk/bipc

2. 'Ethical Entrepreneurs: The Rise and Rise of Good Business' features four panellists who have made their names in social and ethical entrepreneurship:

  • John Bird is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Big Issue and a true pioneer in the social enterprise sector. His own life is an epic adventure: he was born into poverty and experienced homelessness, orphanages, crime and a stint in prison. In 1991, he launched The Big Issue sold by homeless people, which has since become one of the world's most successful social ventures. He has just launched a new Wedge Card which aims to regenerate local communities.
  • Geetie Singh is the managing director and founder of UK's first organic gastro pub, The Duke of Cambridge in Islington. Geetie firmly believes businesses must act responsibly and be led by their values. Her business has been an outstanding success and the pub is regarded as one of the best eateries in London. Geetie is also a member of Ken Livingstone's London Food Board, set up to address London's ecological footprint from a food point of view.
  • Richard Reed is the co-founder of Innocent Drinks, which has become one of Britain's best-loved businesses and the producer of award-winning fruit smoothies. Innocent's objective is to leave things a little bit better than it finds them. To achieve this, it uses only 100% natural products, procures ethically and gives 10% of profits each year to charities in the countries where its fruit comes from.
  • Justin Frances is the managing director of Responsible Travel, the online travel agency that he co-founded in 2001. Previously, Justin was head of Worldwide Marketing for The Body Shop. 'Responsible travel' is travel that benefits travellers, host countries and their environment; and the company is looking to become to travel 'what organic is to the food industry'

3. Forthcoming 'Inspiring Entrepreneurs' events include, on March 7, Mothers of Invention II, which will involve a panel debate and networking reception in celebration of International Women's Month. The event will feature Martha Lane Fox, co-founder of lastminute.com, Dr Gill Samuels, one of the key member of the team that developed Viagra, and Nighat Awan of Shere Khan Restaurants.

4. The enhanced Business & IP Centre, launched last March, offers:

  • Impartial library information experts trained in the needs of SMEs and entrepreneurs to guide users to the full range of resources
  • Workshops and clinics run by British Library and its business partners on subjects including: using intellectual property resources to check if ideas are novel, how to protect your ideas & designs, capitalising on market research resources, financing, marketing and selling skills, and pinpointing customers. Some of these workshops have a specific focus on supporting the needs of women, black and Asian minority ethnic groups, and entrepreneurs with disabilities.
  • Business partners supporting the Business & IP Centre include Business Link for London, Business Plan Services, Camden Business Forum, Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys, Dynamic Asian Women's Network, Everywoman, ideas21, Innovation Central, Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys, London Chamber of Commerce & Industry, oneLondon, Own It, UK Patent Office
  • A networking area for SMEs to meet and network with other SMEs, find out about the Library's full range of services and get inspiration from success stories about products and services conceived by other Centre users.
  • Wireless internet access (WiFi) so users can connect to the internet and access e-mail from the Centre by using the Library's own pay-as-you-go service
  • Large-scale role model events - featuring successful entrepreneurs - to inspire, entertain and guide aspiring entrepreneurs on setting up and running a successful business and for SMEs to network. Previous examples include the sell-out 'Winners: the Rise and Rise of Black British Entrepreneurs', 'Desperately Seeking Finance', 'The Asian Advantage - Discover the Formula for Success', 'Hot Off the Press' and last November's 'Commerce With a Conscience' event.