Business Gurus
Details of the Business Gurus taking part in CBBC's Pocket Money Pitch.
Published: 11 January 2016
I think it's really important to encourage the youth of Britain to be entrepreneurial and to follow their dreams.
Details of the Business Gurus taking part in CBBC's Pocket Money Pitch.
Levi Roots
Reggae Reggae Sauce founder and chef. Food Guru.
Levi grew up with his grandparents in Jamaica until he was 12. He recalls that “I didn't get pocket money as such, we didn't need it. We'd get fruits instead!” At 12, he started school in the UK and was already showing a flair for business: “Anyone who went to school with me in Brixton said I was entrepreneurial from a really early age. I used to buy packets of biscuits and sell them one by one for a small fortune in the playground!”
In 2007, Levi Roots sang a reggae song about his Caribbean sauce on Dragons' Den. He received a £50,000 investment and hugely successful product launch.
Levi has written five books, presented a cookery series on BBC Two, hosts a music show on BBC Radio 2 and in 2015, Levi opened his first restaurant.
Levi wanted to take part in Pocket Money Pitch because “my son loves CBeebies and CBBC, so I partly wanted to do something he'd be able see. I also think it's really important to encourage the youth of Britain to be entrepreneurial and to follow their dreams.”
Myleene Klass
Fashion designer and businesswoman. Fashion Guru.
Musician, presenter, author, businesswoman, columnist: in 2008, Myleene became a designer of her own range of baby clothes, which has been extended to kids up to five years old and is now an international brand found in 29 countries. In 2012, she launched a successful celebrity clothing line with a UK catalogue retailer.
Jamal Edwards MBE
Founder of SBTV. Social Media Guru.
Digital entrepreneur Jamal Edwards is a major industry force and one of Britain’s hottest young entrepreneurs. Jamal has always been entrepreneurial: “I always remember I used to cook fried dumplings and take them out on my estate to sell, or I used to set up a shop on my bunk bed, working out how much money I could make off buying toys at a certain price and adding money on top to make a profit.”
Jamal was just 15 when he launched his online music channel in 2006. He was still working part time in retail while his channel grew in popularity to become the destination for upcoming urban artists in London. He now reaches a subscriber base of over half a million, with over 330 million views; he has curated stages at festivals, filmed politicians and royalty, and was awarded an MBE.
He took part in Pocket Money Pitch because he believes that “it is important we encourage young people to be entrepreneurial. But that doesn't always mean you start a new company - you can be entrepreneurial working for a company. It's a way of thinking rather than just what you do in my opinion.”
Michael Acton Smith OBE
Creator of Moshi Monsters. Toys and Games Guru.
Michael Acton Smith is one of the UK’s most successful gaming entrepreneurs and a supporter of new technology initiatives. From a young age, he showed his entrepreneurial potential: as a boy he “created lots of crazy business ideas, from BMX stunt shows to making a computer games magazine.” In his late 20s he started his first business, an online gadget retailer. In 2004, he moved into the area of online games. Moshi Monsters became an award-winning game with over 75 million users around the world, and has become best-selling toys and games.
He is taking part as in Pocket Money Pitch because “Britain needs more entrepreneurs, and I love encouraging the next generation to make their business ideas come true. The show sounded like a brilliant idea that I would have loved to enter if it was on air when I was young.”
Rob Law, MBE
Inventor of the Trunki suitcase. Products and Inventions Guru.
Rob Law is the inventor of ride-on suitcases for children. He came up with the idea in 1997 when he won a university competition to design a piece of luggage. In 2006, he appeared on Dragons' Den, and while did not gain investment, he shot to prominence in the public eye.
Today, his company distributes to 97 countries worldwide and over 2.8 million have been sold to date. He received pocket money from his parents when he was growing up and started working at 14 years old to earn his own money so he could buy records and cassettes. Rob wanted to take part in Pocket Money Pitch “to help inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and designers.”
Hussein Lalani
Co-founder of 99p Stores. Retail Guru.
When Hussein was young, he earned his pocket money doing household chores or gardening, and spent his hard-earned money on radio-control cars. He is taking part in Pocket Money Pitch to “encourage children to understand the value of money and how hard it can be to make money.”
At 26, Hussein started his first business marketing his own brand of cosmetics and products based out of Dubai, selling to Middle East and Africa. In 2001, he co-founded a discount retail chain. He expanded to 250 stores across the UK and sold the business in September 2015 for £55 million. He is now starting another retail venture in Tanzania.
Claire Gavin
Head of Innovation at Pets at Home. Animal Innovations Guru.
Claire Gavin has 20 years’ experience in retail and is Head of Private Brands and Innovation at the UK's largest specialist pet retailer. She is responsible for product design, and regularly searches the world for inspiration and to find the newest and most innovative ideas to bring to the pet owners of the UK.
Claire regularly holds pitching events to help budding entrepreneurs and innovators present their store, and gives guidance on how to bring them to market. She wanted to be part of Pocket Money Pitch because “I understand how close and highly engaged a child's relationship with animals can be. I believe this enables them to create innovative solutions and concepts that us adults are maybe more held back from doing - so I was really excited to see the level of their innovative thought.”
Sarah Jane Thomson
Founder of children's national newspaper First News. Online Business Guru.
Entrepreneur Sarah Jane has founded and run a number of media and technology businesses. In 2006, she co-founded the UK’s largest children’s newspaper.
When she was young, Sarah Jane was always having ideas: “I wanted to invent the next big thing and I started working and earning my own money as soon as I could. I worked every weekend and all my school holidays.”
She started her first company while on maternity leave. It was a media information business which helped to gauge the success of advertising campaigns. After three years, the company was floated for £30m and Sarah Jane became one of the first women in London to become a CEO. Her other companies provide technology and support services to businesses and a social networking hub for companies. Sarah has been awarded a number of awards, including Media Boss of the Year, and was an Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.
John Graham
Founder of Go Outdoors. Sport and Adventure Guru.
John Graham was born and brought up in Snowdonia, North Wales, and became a passionate hill walker and climber from a young age. His father died when he was 11 years old, and when he was 16 his mother decided to move to Southport in Lancashire. John chose to stay in Snowdonia. He spent the next five years living a very adventurous lifestyle, sleeping in barns, bus shelters and public toilets, working for foresters and builders, and climbing every spare minute.
John had left school with no qualifications but got a job at a climbing shop. When the company went into difficulty, he and his partners bought out the business. With his passion for the outdoors and learning about commerce and retail in the shop, it became a huge success. They quickly expanded and re-branded. They now have 54 stores in the UK.
