Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top London based Founder operating in the Business Development space. If you think a Founder is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Emmet Keeffe
Operating Partner, Founder Insight Ignite of Insight Partners
Emmet B. Keeffe III is the Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Irise. In the early 1990’s Emmet set two goals – to start a software company that would achieve $1 billion in revenue and to start a Formula One team. In the late 1990’s, Emmet and Maurice Martin co-founded iRise with a vision to transform how business and IT stakeholders would communicate about requirements for custom and packaged business software. In 2000, Emmet and Maurice invented the market for “Software Visualization” and have built iRise into the world’s leading provider of enterprise visualization for business software. Over the last 20 years Emmet has applied his philosophy of “the network is the business” to become one of the most well-connected CEOs in the software industry. As CEO & Co-Founder of iRise, Emmet has leveraged his network to close over $60 million in investment funding and drives leadership of sales, marketing and business development at iRise. Prior to co-founding iRise, he built a top-selling region at NetDynamics, a pioneer of the Web application server market that was later acquired by Sun Microsystems. Earlier in his sales career, Emmet earned over 15 national sales awards, including being named “National Top Performer” by NetDynamics, Auspex Systems, Diasonics and Minolta. In 2005, Emmet founded the “iRise Executive Roundtable Series” with a vision to deliver world-class content and networking with no selling which has been attended by hundreds of CIOs from the world’s largest global companies. Since the program’s inception, he has delivered roundtable partnerships to iRise with TRG Motorsports in the Grand Am Series, PKV Racing in the Champ Car Series, KV Racing Technology in the Indy Car Series and most recently with the Lotus F1 Team in Formula One. Emmet is a Strategic Partner at Lotus F1 Team and supports the sales organization in their efforts to bring new sponsors into Formula 1. In addition, Emmet is a Founding Board Member of the Corporate Coalition at Peace One Day, an organization focused on institutionalizing an international day of cease fire and non-violence on September 21st of each year. Outside of his role at iRise, Emmet is passionate about his family, driving Radical SR3 race cars, running, skiing, music, travel and entrepreneurship. Emmet earned a B.A. in Political Economies of Industrial Societies from the University of California at Berkeley and lives in London, England.
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About Insight Partners, iRise: Insight Partners is a private equity firm that invests in growth-stage technology and software companies.
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Demis Hassabis
Co-Founder & CEO of DeepMind
DeepMind is a neuroscience-inspired AI company, bought by Google in Jan 2014 in their largest European acquisition to date. Demis is now Vice President of Engineering at Google DeepMind and leads Google’s general AI efforts, including the development of AlphaGo, the first program to ever beat a professional player at the game of Go. Demis is a former child chess prodigy, who finished his A-levels two years early before coding the multi-million selling simulation game Theme Park aged 17. Following graduation from Cambridge University with a Double First in Computer Science he founded the pioneering videogames company Elixir Studios producing award-winning games for global publishers such as Vivendi Universal. After a decade of experience leading successful technology startups, Demis returned to academia to complete a PhD in cognitive neuroscience at UCL, followed by postdocs at MIT and Harvard, before founding DeepMind.
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About DeepMind: DeepMind aims to research and build safe artificial intelligence system to solve intelligence, to advance science and humanity.
Shane Legg
Co-Founder & Chief Scientist of DeepMind
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About DeepMind: DeepMind aims to research and build safe artificial intelligence system to solve intelligence, to advance science and humanity.
Vincent Lambert
Founder & CEO of Orbit Partners
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About Bigpoint, Orbit Partners: Orbit Partners facilitates personalized and private discussions between corporate leaders.
Co-Founder and Partner of Alpha Wave Global
Navroz D. Udwadia is the Co-Founder and Partner of Falcon Edge Capital. He was an investment professional in Eton Park’s Emerging Markets team in London. Mr. Udwadia graduated from Columbia University in the City of New York with a BA in English & Political Science and received an LLB in Law at the University of Oxford. Navroz also received an NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Award and Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar Award.
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About Alpha Wave Global: Alpha Wave Global is a global alternative asset manager that offers a variety of investment products.
Juan Lobato
Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Ebury
Juan Lobato is a tech entrepreneur based in London. He is the co-founder and co-CEO of Ebury, one of European fastest growing fintechs. Furthermore, he is an investor in over a dozen tech companies across the UK, Europe, and the US
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About BaseKit, Ebury: Ebury is a financial services company designed to empower small and medium-sized businesses that want to trade internationally.
Salvador Garcia
Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Ebury
Salvador has led the creation and growth of Ebury. His passion and expertise in Financial Services has enabled Ebury to become one of Europe’s most successful fintech businesses, offering SMEs the financial products required to grow across international boundaries.
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About Ebury: Ebury is a financial services company designed to empower small and medium-sized businesses that want to trade internationally.
Ben Cuthbert
Co-Founder and CEO of Celer Technologies
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About Celer Technologies: Celer is a financial software company that creates modular systems that have the flexibility to meet today’s dynamic business environment.
Spyro Korsanos
Founder & Managing Partner of Fuse Venture Partners
An award-winning corporate advisor, investor and dealmaker, Spyro Korsanos is the founder and Managing Partner of Global Venture Partners. Global Venture Partners invests in the consumer internet sector and provides strategic advice and corporate finance for technology ventures. Since 2014, Spyro has led over 40 e-commerce transactions, valued at $2bn, which have created more than €1bn in capital gain. As a global development advisor, Spyro has been instrumental in the impressive growth of Delivery Hero, foodpanda and various Rocket Internet-backed businesses. Global Venture Partners has recently invested in Kurly, the Korean online grocer, and pet tech platform Felcana, based in the UK. Spyro was awarded TMT Rising Star in 2017. Previously, he held corporate strategy and investment roles with Sky, Liberty Global and Cable & Wireless. Spyro started his career as a corporate lawyer at Gilbert & Tobin and holds an MBA from INSEAD.
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About Fuse Venture Partners: FUSE VENTURE PARTNERS Investors in, and advisors to, investors and ventures in the high-growth internet space
Gianluca D’Agostino
Co-Founder of The Techshop
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About AppQuality, Artemest, Bango, Contents.com, Direttoo.it, Emotion Network, Endeavor, Fanbytes, Italian Angels for Growth, Mukako, OnMobile, The Techshop: The Techshop is a venture capital and private equity firm that invests in B2B digital startups.
Evren Kacar
Founder, CEO of DAN Global
15 years of experience in digital marketing and agency business. Established Synergy, one of the first generation of digital marketing agencies in 2002. In line with the rising trends, Co-founded Boomerang Social Media Agency in 2010. Managed both agencies and supported the development of digital marketing industry in Turkey with DijitalAjanslar.com which began as a local network for digital agencies in 2013. Witnessed the rise of the digital age. Gained deep experience in all areas of digital marketing, working with global brands and Turkey’s most respectable brands since 2002, as the definiton of web agencies became interactive agencies with web 2.0, and digital agencies as of today. Established DAN Global in Turkey to provide online platforms, industry knowledge and various tools to support digital marketing agencies and global community of marketers. Expanded his business to the UK in 2017, and established DAN Global (UK) Ltd. in London which owns and operates the Digital Agency Network (DAN), an all-in-one platform to discover the best digital marketing agencies in the world.
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About DAN Global, Digital Agency Network: DAN Global provides online platforms, industry knowledge and various tools to support digital agencies and global community of marketers.
Denise Xifara
Co-Founder and Investor of GMG Ventures
Denise Xifara is a co-founder and investor at GMG Ventures. Prior to that, Denise co-founded Nupinion. She has a Ph.D. in statistical genetics and MMath in mathematics and statistics from Oxford University.
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About GMG Ventures: GMG Ventures is an early stage venture capital fund that invests in companies related to media-tech.
Federico Travella
Founder & CEO of Novicap
Federico Travella is the CEO and co-founder of [Novicap](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/novicap), an online invoice marketplace. He also acts as an advisor to the European Commission. Early in his career, Travella took up project manager roles at both Zanui.com.au and The Iconic before moving on to be the managing director of Rocket Internet in 2012. After leaving Lazada as its EVP, he founded the company Kaymu. Travella holds a master’s degree in marine geology from Ghent University, while he also studied business at the University of Navarra.
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About Novicap: NoviCap is an online platform that allows businesses to receive early payments for outstanding invoices.
Rob O’Donovan
Co-Founder & Chairman of Charlie
Rob O’Donovan works as Chairman and Co-founder for The Eleven.
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About Charlie, The Eleven: Charlie is the HR software for small teams with big ideas.
Ben Gateley
COO & Co-Founder of Charlie
Ben Gateley works as Co-founder for The Eleven.
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About Charlie, The Eleven: Charlie is the HR software for small teams with big ideas.
Jason Kingdon
Co-Founder of Telectic
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About Blue Prism, Telectic: Telectic applies artificial intelligence (AI) to interpret the Web and discover insights about the professional world.
Iain McLaren
Co-Founder of Telectic
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About Telectic: Telectic applies artificial intelligence (AI) to interpret the Web and discover insights about the professional world.
Omid Pakseresht
Founder and CEO of GOODFOLIO
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About GOODFOLIO, TRAMONEX: Goodfolio is a social conscious invest platform that allows individual users to put their cash into businesses that share their moral views.
Thomas Depuydt
Managing Partner & Co-Founder of SmartFin
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About iMinds, SmartFin: SmartFin operates as an early stage venture capital fund with a focus on companies developing smart technologies.
Robert Lynch
Co-Founder of Old.St Labs
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About CityMunch, Old.St Labs: Old.St Labs is a consultancy and development business that designs and builds digital products for start-ups and innovators.
Daniel van Binsbergen
CEO and Co-Founder of Lexoo
Daniel van Binsbergen Before founding Lexoo, Daniel worked for over 5 years as a lawyer at an international law firm (De Brauw), first in Amsterdam, then in London. He’s always up for a game of squash, and is easily excited.
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About Lexoo: Lexoo is a lawyer comparison marketplace that helps businesses choose a lawyer with confidence.
Chris O’Sullivan
Co-Founder and CTO of Lexoo
Chris has been developing websites and apps for more than 10 years – with companies such as Forward Partners, Aegis Media, and the BBC. He loves playing board games and drinking cocktails – ideally at the same time.
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About HitMeUp, Lexoo, What I want for Xmas: Lexoo is a lawyer comparison marketplace that helps businesses choose a lawyer with confidence.
Karen Kwong
Founder and CEO of RenOC
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About RenOC: RenOC provides psychology-based insights that help individuals for their business success.
Al Ramich
Founder and CEO of SmallGiants.Agency
Al founded SmallGiants from a passion for taking small companies and building them into giants of their fields. Al is also a founder and CEO at deep-tech startup Loomi.ai. Previously leading digital innovation at Toshiba, Samsung, Vodafone and helped grow IHS Markit digital strategy from a startup to a global $40B giant.
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About Forbes Agency Council, loomi.ai, SmallGiants.Agency: Small Giants is a marketing and business development agency for architecture, engineering, construction & commercial real estate companies.
Shilen Patel
Founder of Rebellisk
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About Rebellisk: Rebellisk supports drinks founders and startups with no and low Alc strategy, mentoring, and investment.
Antoine Baschiera
CEO and Co-Founder of Early Metrics
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About Early Metrics: Early Metrics is the first startup rating agency.
Sebastien Paillet
President and Co-Founder of Early Metrics
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About Early Metrics: Early Metrics is the first startup rating agency.
Chris O’Brien
Co-Founder and CEO of Optial
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About Optial: Optial is a successful global supplier of Enterprise-wide EHS, Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC).
Jianguo Lin
Founder of Impression Technologies
Jianguo has been the driving force behind the development of the HFQ process and has developed significant know how in the processing of hot and warm formed aluminium & steel . He currently heads the mechanics of materials division at Imperial, and previously was at Birmingham University.
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About Imperial College London, Impression Technologies: Impression Technologies is leading the path towards lightweighting solutions in automotive, aerospace and consumer product sectors.
Ryan Hall
Founder – Chief Growth Officer of The Zeitgeist
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About The Zeitgeist: The Zeitgeist helps brands, start-ups, and creative businesses understand their growth agenda and succeed at scaling up.
Denis Lonergan
Director & Co-Founder of Somnus Scientific
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About Somnus Scientific: Somnus Scientific develops a suite of products to measure blood propofol concentration in real-time and without blood sampling.
Charlie de Rusett
CEO & Founder of Idea Drop
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About Idea Drop, Yellowball: Idea Drop helps organisations capture, curate and action the best ideas from their people.
Samm Green
Co-Founder and Director of Few&Far
Samm Green is the co-founder and director at Few & Far.
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About Few&Far: Few&Far helps companies stand out, build teams, and set the foundation for growth.
Tatty Bullard
Co-Founder & Strategy Director of Ginger + Ginger
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About Ginger + Ginger: Ginger + Ginger provides consulting services to improve brand marketing and advertising.
Anouk Agussol
CEO and Founder of Unleashed
Anouk Agussol is the CEO and Founder of Unleashed.
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About Unleashed: Unleashed works with early-stage start-ups and scale-ups to build a better and more successful business.
Christina Richardson
Founder & chief-firestarter of Weare3Sixty
Christina Richardson is the Founder at 3sixty. She attended Durham University in 2000.
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About 3sixty, The Nurture Network, University College London (UCL), Weare3Sixty: Weare3Sixty is an impact-driven company on a mission to inspire founders to be their most effective, high-performing selves.
Susan Rahman
Co-Founder, Chief Product Officer of onkho
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About KWSR & Co, onkho: onkho helps accountants delight their clients and grow their business
Emanur Rahman
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer of onkho
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About onkho: onkho helps accountants delight their clients and grow their business
Dave Jangid
Founder of Capium Ltd
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About : Empowering businesses and accountants, through one platform
Sanjay Bhiraju
Co-Founder of Capium Ltd
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About : Empowering businesses and accountants, through one platform
Tushir Patel
Co-Founder of Capium Ltd
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About : Empowering businesses and accountants, through one platform
Steve Grob
Founder of Vision57
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About Vision57: Vision 57 is a consulting firm specializing in capital market business and marketing strategy.
Simon Kelton
Co-Founder & Director of pepperhq
Simon is a relentlessly determined, passionate and ambitious entrepreneur, writer, film producer and angel investor with twenty-five years of broad-ranging creative and business experience. With an exceptional international network of friends, colleagues, investors and commercial contacts, Simon is able to combine his visionary creativity and communication skills as a professional writer to guide and sell his companies strategic goals and products. He has founded, financed and managed eight companies in entertainment, technology, publishing, event management and the snowsports industry. He has Master’s Degrees from Oxford, Stanford and UCLA and is a member of the British Academy of Film and TV. As a professional writer, Simon has published two books, written more than thirty screenplays for Hollywood including the British hit comedy EDDIE THE EAGLE starring Hugh Jackman and produced by Matthew Vaughn, and penned numerous articles for the likes of TIME, the Daily Mail, Sunday Telegraph, Harpers and Queen, and Worth.com. An avid and competitive sportsman, Simon represented Oxford University at golf, is a member of the Royal & Ancient G.C. and the Queen’s Club, has ski guided for the Ski Club of Great Britain, and taken part in the British and World Extreme Snowboarding Championships.
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About pepperhq: The Pepper platform supports white label apps for mobile payment, discovery, digital loyalty, social media marketing, and actionable data.
Paul Foulkes Arellano
Founder of Circuthon Consulting
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About Circuthon Consulting: Circuthon Consulting is a circular economy management consultancy that provides training and coaching
Scott Erwin
Founder and CEO of HireHand
Scott Erwin is the founder and CEO at HireHand.
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About HireHand: HireHand is an intelligent and fuss-free staffing platform for food businesses.
Tony Fish
Founder/Managing Director of AMF Ventures
I focus on how the future of corporate governance, decision making and judgement will be affected by complex data at the board. My focus leads me to imagine a board meeting in 2025, and the implications and unintended consequences. Tony thrives in complex, ground-breaking & uncertain environments; bringing proven judgement and decision-making skills with cross-sectorial experience. He has a track record of sense-making and foresight; his enthusiasm and drive are contagious & inspiring – definitely a maverick and unintentional rule breaker. He has founded, co-founded, sold and listed many businesses but remains passionate about new ways of creating value which has the capability of scaling fast, are at an early stage and creates value for many people.
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About AMF Ventures, Mashup Event: AMF Ventures was founded in 2002 by Tony Fish. AMF Ventures work on a variety of intellectually challenging assignments conducted in a
Jake Li
Co-Founder, COO & Data Scientist of Kuan Intelligence
Jake Li, PhD is Co-Founder, COO & Data Scientist at Kuan Intelligence.
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About Kuan Intelligence: Kuan Intelligence is a cross-border payment platform for E-Commerce backed by Blockchain Technology.
Yan Zhang
Co-Founder and CTO of Kuan Intelligence
Yan Zhang is Co-Founder and CTO at Kuan Intelligence.
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About Kuan Intelligence: Kuan Intelligence is a cross-border payment platform for E-Commerce backed by Blockchain Technology.
Jim Clifford
CEO & Founder of Sonnet Advisory & Impact
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About Sonnet Advisory & Impact: Sonnet Advisory & Impact provides consultation services and solutions to impact-driven businesses.
Sarah Aramesh
Co-Founder, Director of Josla
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About Josla: Work Movement uses power of people and business to create opportunities for everyone to achieve happiness, equality and success from their W
David Greenberg
CEO & Founder of Eave
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About Eave: Eave (formerly EarTex) is a startup developing the next generation of hearing protection and communication technology.
Sheeza Shah
Founder, CEO, Podcast Host of UpEffect
Sheeza Shah is using technology to launch and fund companies improving the planet and human lives. As Founder and CEO of UpEffect, Sheeza combines her background in Computer Science with her passion for social entrepreneurship to work with revolutionary founders on UpEffect, a crowdfunding and support platform to launch products doing good in the world. So far she has helped companies impact 10,000 lives in 7 countries.
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About UpEffect: UpEffect is a crowdfunding platform for companies dedicated to improving lives and the planet.
Simon Cole
Consultant, CFO, COO & Co-Founder of Molewood Consulting
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About Apparier, Molewood Consulting: Molewood Consulting is a private equity firm that provides management consulting and staffing services.
Jesper Green
Co-Founder & Head Of Product of Converdiant
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About Converdiant: Converdiant helps businesses to increase their website revenue through easy-to-use conversion rate optimization tools
Alison Phillips
Co-Founder of The Say Do Company
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About MM-Eye, The Say Do Company: The Say Do Company helps business leaders increase profit by placing sustainability at the core of their customer proposition.
Matt Baxter Reynolds
Founder of It’s What’s Next IT
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About It’s What’s Next IT: It’s What’s Next IT provides managed IT support services to small and medium-sized businesses.
Blaise Grimes-Viort
Founder & Managing Director of Is The Answer
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About Is The Answer: Is The Answer designs sustainable culture-driven networks and empowers people to deliver revenue, brand value, and product innovation.
Neil Herron
Founder and CEO of Grid
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About Grid: Grid connects city businesses, services, people and technology.
Paul Donnelly
Founder and CEO of Teknov8
Paul Donnelly is the founder and CEO of Teknov8.
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About Teknov8: Teknov8 provides managed IT services to help businesses accelerate business activity and boost efficiency.
James Burgess
CEO & Founder of Application Perfection
James Burgess is the CEO and founder of Applications Perfection. Prior to founding the company, James spent three years at The Travel Corporation as a head of product and operations from the year 2017 to 2018 and as a technical delivery manager of 360 engagement from the year 2015 to 2018.
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About Application Perfection: Application Perfection specializes in developing applications for Salesforce.com.
James Burgess
CEO & Founder of Application Perfection
James Burgess is the CEO and founder of Applications Perfection. Prior to founding the company, James spent three years at The Travel Corporation as a head of product and operations from the year 2017 to 2018 and as a technical delivery manager of 360 engagement from the year 2015 to 2018.
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About Application Perfection: Application Perfection specializes in developing applications for Salesforce.com.
Melanie V. Eusebe
Co-Founder & Chair of Black British Business Awards
Melanie V. Eusebe is an entrepreneur and strategist. She is a Co-Founder and Chair at The Black British Business Awards. Aside from being the chair of BBBAwards, she was also the Executive Producer for the Women of the World Festival, a global gender equality festival. She also works as a news contributor at BBC. She graduated from University of Toronto with majors in Philosophy, Political Science, and French.
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About Black British Business Awards: BBB Awards is an awards program that celebrates achievements of black people in British business.
Melanie V. Eusebe
Co-Founder & Chair of Black British Business Awards
Melanie V. Eusebe is an entrepreneur and strategist. She is a Co-Founder and Chair at The Black British Business Awards. Aside from being the chair of BBBAwards, she was also the Executive Producer for the Women of the World Festival, a global gender equality festival. She also works as a news contributor at BBC. She graduated from University of Toronto with majors in Philosophy, Political Science, and French.
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About Black British Business Awards: BBB Awards is an awards program that celebrates achievements of black people in British business.
Tania Seary
Founder & Chairman of Procurious
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About Procurious: The online business network for a new generation of procurement & supply chain professionals.
Taimoor Khan
Founder of Cardory
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About Cardory: Cardory is revolutionary new age digital business card solution, register your interest today.
