Their journeys often involve overcoming challenges, taking risks, and innovating within competitive industries, which gives them unique insights into what drives business success. Entrepreneurs bring practical insights into running a business, from scaling operations to managing finances and leading teams. Their experiences of both failure and success offer valuable lessons that resonate with audiences. Beyond practical advice, they inspire with their resilience, creativity, and problem-solving skills, emphasising the importance of persistence, adaptability, and vision. As keynote speakers, entrepreneurs provide a clear understanding of the strategies and mindset needed for success, motivating attendees to pursue new ideas, overcome challenges, and innovate in their own ventures. Some of our top entrepreneurs are known for popular TV shows like Dragon’s Den and The Apprentice, lending them credibility and adding expert knowledge that resonates with audiences. Their personal stories of triumph and adversity provide valuable lessons for navigating the competitive business world, making them an excellent choice for business-oriented events.
With access to a wide range of accomplished entrepreneurs, including those with notable media presence, Great Business Speakers can match you with a speaker who aligns with your event’s objectives and audience. Whether hosting a corporate seminar, conference, or virtual event, we ensure you have the right expert to elevate your event and deliver key insights for business growth and success.
Discover our Entrepreneurs below, or contact the team at Great Business Speakers to enquire or book. +44 1753 439 289
Sian Gabbidon is a renowned British businesswoman, motivational speaker, business consultant, and the first black female winner of BBC’s The Apprentice, following her series 14 success.
She started her business, Sian Marie, from her bedroom and built it into a global brand with seven-figure retail partnerships, demonstrating her ability to turn a vision into a thriving business. She also co-founded Twenty Twenty Digital, one of the UK’s fastest growing e-commerce agencies.
She now shares her story as an in-demand speaker and presenter on all aspects of business stat-ups to a wide range of audiences. Sian is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners, sharing her journey and expertise to help others achieve their business goals.
Shona Hirons is an award-winning resilience coach and motivational speaker with years of experience in law, physical wellbeing, mental health, and business coaching. She was awarded the Future Fit Training Inspired Award in 2019 for her achievements in fitness and nutrition and was named the Best Mental Health Provider in Somerset just two years later.
Working in law for two decades ended suddenly when she had a work-related breakdown. This stressful period led to a life-changing accident, leaving her with brain damage and needing major facial reconstructive surgery. This was shortly followed by a cancer diagnosis. The combination of these terrible things gave her the wake-up call she needed.
Feeling low, Shona used her recovery period to rebuild her resilience and self-belief, consider what she valued in life, and think about what she wanted to do with her career. First developing strategies to help herself, she now runs Mindset in Motion Ltd and has helped clients in over 55 countries.
Her aim? “To improve the wellbeing of people and businesses throughout the world”.
With a penchant for the quirky, extravagant and avant-garde, Shaun Clarkson has shaped the face of the British hospitality scene since first introducing Absolut Vodka to the UK more than 25 years ago.
Today, he is recognised as one of the world’s leading authorities on interiors, furniture, brand and experiential design. He’s a dealer and a collector with a passion for vintage and re-invented furniture, curiosities and antiques, and recently featured as one of the dealers on the hit Channel 4 antique show Four Rooms.
Louise George is a multi-talented, passionate, and creative entrepreneur. She has been an actor and broadcaster for over 20 years and is currently writing her first screenplay for a TV series.
She’s also been an entrepreneur for over 15 years and a transformational speaker and certified coach for over a decade, specialising in and practising mBIT (multi-brain integration), Meditation, Self-Concept and the law of Assumption, Neuroscience, and Transformational Coaching. These are all woven into Lou’s programmes under Manifestation FREQ, which have been featured in publications such as Vogue and on the covers of Forbes and LA Magazine.
Seth Godin is a best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur, business expert and keynote speaker. As well as being the creator of one of the most popular global blogs, he has written over 35 critically acclaimed books.
He puts his money where his mouth is, having founded several successful companies, Squidoo, Seth Godin Productions, Do You Zoom, The Carbon Almanac and Yogodyne – the latter was sold to Yahoo in 1998.
Seth is now a highly in-demand keynote speaker on leadership, marketing, and the importance of change and ideas.
His expertise saw him inducted into the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame in 2013, followed by the Marketing Hall of Fame in 2018, becoming the only person in both.
Sarah Beeny is best known for her property expertise, which she frequently shares on popular television programmes, such as Renovate Don’t Relocate (2019-20), Help! My House is Falling Down (2010-11) and Restoration Nightmare (2010-11).
She is also an esteemed entrepreneur, business owner, TV presenter, author, and cancer campaigner.
Sam Saadet was a candidate on The Apprentice 2024 and is the founder of The Mummy Movement, an online pre-and post-pregnancy fitness programme.
Her her knack for business earned her the playful moniker “Del Boy” among friends – a play on her ability to sell, her eye for a bargain and her Essex charm.
With a successful career in recruitment, Sam Saadet’s life took an extraordinary turn with the arrival of her twin daughters. Sam discovered a newfound passion for fitness during her pregnancy – a commitment to nurturing herself in preparation for the joys and challenges ahead.
It wasn’t just about physical health for Sam; fitness became her sanctuary, a lifeline for navigating the turbulent journey of postpartum life. Recognising the profound impact of exercise on mental well-being, Sam embarked on a mission to share her journey and expertise with fellow mothers.
Lord Digby Jones is a crossbench Peer in the UK House of Lords, international businessman, media commentator, TV presenter, author & public speaker.
A lawyer by profession, he was Director General of the Confederation of British Industry (2000-06) and Minister of State for UK Trade & Investment (2007-08).
He has published two books, Fixing Britain – the business of re-shaping our nation (2011) and Fixing Business – making profitable business work for the good of all (2017).
Digby, a renowned business advocate, speaks around the world on all aspects of global trade including the wider political and societal scene.
Liz McKeon is the Beauty Business Expert. Empowering women in business, many of her clients are small to medium enterprises, and as a business expert she often helps them to double their turnover and exceed their targets. She also works with large chains and CEOs of international distributors, mentoring and supporting women to excel in business.
She is also a fully qualified expert witness and regularly attends legal cases, offering her expert insight into the cosmetics and beauty industry in a legal capacity. She is also an ambassador for Shear Haven anti-domestic violence salon training in the UK and Ireland.
She is also a renowned public speaker, and her unique gift for storytelling sees her speak at many of the industry’s top events, trade shows, and Women In Business events. Her expertise regarding business has resulted her in being a panellist and keynote speaker for some of the beauty industry’s biggest brands, delivering on a spectrum of business topics, keeping attendees entertained whilst being incredibly inspiring and motivating.
Roberta Lucca – known as Beta – is a highly successful entrepreneur and co-founder of the BAFTA-winning games company Bossa Studies. Bossa is now amongst the 1% top performing start-ups in the UK in terms of annual sales, which is not bad for a company that only started in 2010.
Named in Forbes magazine’s Top 50 Women in Tech list, Roberta is a popular keynote speaker who entertains her audiences with her trials, tribulations and triumphs as an entrepreneur and a leader.
Rob Moore lives and loves entrepreneurship and property investing and is the host of the successful UK podcasts, The Disruptive Entrepreneur, and Money. He is on a mission to change the way people think about business and aims to support people around the globe through the Rob Moore foundation.
Rob Moore co-founded Progressive Property – the UK’s leading property training company – and Unlimited Success with his business partner, before becoming the host of the wildly successful podcast The “Disruptive Entrepreneur” and now The “Money” Podcast, listened to in 192 countries worldwide. This has grown into a complete digital agency: Progressive Media.
A self-made multi-millionaire by the age of 30, having risen to riches from being heavily in debt in his 20s, Rob has retired and un-retired countless times, each time creating a new innovation, vision, book or entire company.
Rob and Paul Forkan are social entrepreneurs & founders of the global travel brand Gandys. Having built the company from a simple flip flop brand based out of a Brixton flat they are now known for their designs on an entire range of products and have been featured in almost every major UK publication and news channel.
The Gandy Brothers has funded the construction of two children’s homes to date with two more being built and many to come.
Rita Clifton is in demand as a speaker all over the world, both as a brand practitioner and as a business leader. She regularly speaks and runs workshops on a wide variety of topics including leadership, innovation and disruption, corporate reputation, women in business and sustainability. She covers all aspects of branding, including personal and nation branding, branding in the digital age and how to build a world class brand.
Rita Clifton started her career in advertising and quickly progressed to become Vice Chairman and Strategy Director at Saatchi & Saatchi during its most successful period. She then moved into brand strategy when she became London CEO, then Chairman, of leading global brand consultancy Interbrand, and led a highly diverse and talented team.
Reece Donnelly is a Scottish Actor, Entrepreneur, and Business owner.
In 2017, Reece founded the highly successful Theatre School of Scotland, and the Theatre College of Scotland not long after. In doing so, he became the youngest college owner in the UK, at the time. Students of his college have gone on to land roles at Disney, Netflix, and the BBC.
A familiar face to some, Reece appeared on the 2023 series of The Apprentice, becoming the first Scottish candidate in over a decade.
In 2018, he made The Sunday Mail’s Young Scot Awards final.
Ralf Schumacher is a former racing driver from Germany and younger brother of Michael Schumacher, the seven-times Formula One World Champion. Ralf and Michael Schumacher are the only siblings to each win Formula One races.
Ralf first drove in Formula One with Jordan Grand Prix for the 1997 season, winning his first Grand Prix in 2001. In a racing career that lasted 11 years, Ralf drove for Jordan, Williams and Toyota teams wining a total of six grand prix races.
After leaving Formula One, Ralf joined the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) in 2008 and later retired from motorsport at the end of 2012 to enter a managerial role within DTM, mentoring young drivers.
After his retirement from racing, Ralf went on to become a commentator for Sky Sports Germany, open a restaurant and make his own wine brand.
With over 30 years of experience in event management, Raj Somaiya helps plan, design, and executive events such as weddings.
As the CEO of Silverfox Events, Raj has organised events all over the world, from Monaco to Italy, to Majorca to India, and Dubai to Canada.
Rachel Watkyn is an award-winning entrepreneur, businesswoman, keynote speaker, and sustainability advocate.
She started Tiny Box Company from a bedroom in her parent’s home, and went on to receive investment on Dragons’ Den. She is the winner of the 2010 National Small Business Recycler of the Year, the 2020 NatWest Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the 2020 Rural Business Award, and the 2021 Entrepreneurial Business of the Year Award.
Now a popular keynote speaker, Rachel’s mission is to encourage female entrepreneurs to follow their passions and fulfil their dreams.
Piers Linney is an entrepreneur best known for his appearance as one of the ‘dragons’ on the popular television programme, Dragons’ Den (2013-2015). He is also an investor with experience across a range of sectors, including additive manufacturing, media converged communications, and technology.
As the founder and CEO of Moblox, a next generation technology and business tools platform for small business owners in the UK, Piers is a keen champion of entrepreneurship and SMEs. He has first-hand experience of the challenges and obstacles that face businesses as a founder, advisor, director, and investor.
In 2018, Piers was named in the top 20 of the Financial Times list of the Top 100 Minority Ethnic Leaders in Technology, and named one of the Top 100 BAME Leaders in Business.
In 2023, Piers founded Implement AI, a next-generation technology partner that aims to support SMEs in understanding and implementing AI strategies.
Penny Power OBE is a UK entrepreneur, international public speaker, author, and community builder.
In 1998, ahead of LinkedIn and Facebook, Penny Power and her husband created “Ecademy,” a platform which connected business people to one another with strong values around deep connections, honesty and the culture of “friendship first”. It grew to include 650,000 business members across 52 countries.
Approaching business in a highly personal way, she performed her first Public Speech in 2001 to BT, with the topic of Emotional Wealth and its impact on Financial Wealth.
Penny has always approached business in a highly personal way. Culminating in her authoring her book in 2019 Business is Personal which shares the importance of respecting that our personal life and attitudes impact our business life and visa versa.
Paul Iske is a professor at the School of Business and Economics at the University Maastricht in the Netherlands, focussing on Open Innovation and Business Venturing, as well as co-founder of numerous innovative and ingenious companies.
His years of experience have seen his work awarded the Banking and Finance Innovation Award in 2008 and a nomination in 2014 for Corporate Innovator of the Year at the Accenture Innovation competition.
As well as being a genius thinker on innovation and business, Paul is a highly popular and in-demand keynote speaker, event host, and moderator.
Paul Craven is a London-based specialist in the area of Behavioural Economics and the Psychology of Investment. The founder of Paul Craven Partners Ltd, he is dedicated to helping his clients enhance their business communications, decision-making and sales skills.
Paul is also an independent adviser on the Akzo Nobel (CPS) Pension Fund and the British Steel Pension Fund.
With over 30 years of investment experience, with Schroders (1986-2003), PIMCO (2003-2007) and Goldman Sachs (2007-2013), he is the perfect speaker to help motivate your employees, incorporating his business knowledge into insightful masterclasses which are suitable for teams of all sizes, however large or small.
Paul Adamson is a visionary business leader, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker who transformed his love for the seas into a remarkable business journey.
Following his career as a professional sailor, Paul began his remarkable transformation by becoming a pivotal figure in the revival of Oyster Yachts, an iconic British luxury yacht manufacturer. Faced with administration, he led the business into a period of exceptional growth, securing £185 million of new sales, despite the challenges of a global pandemic. This growth put Oyster Yachts back on the map and secured the business for the long term.
Paul’s expertise extends beyond the marine industry. He has supported a number of global businesses develop transformative change and performance programs, with clients including Valeo Foods Group, The Shed Distillery and Henri Lloyd.
In 2022, Paul Adamson’s life journey took an unexpected detour with the diagnosis of Follicular Lymphoma, an incurable blood cancer. The diagnosis, while a test of his fortitude, did not hold him back in any way. Demonstrating resilience, leadership skills and optimism, Paul bravely faced the challenge and is now in remission.
“I listened to Pam’s talk and must say it was absolutely inspirational. It was really motivational – thank you”. – Innovus BMS
Known to many as Paddington Train Crash survivor ‘The Lady in the Mask’, Pam Warren’s extraordinary experiences are so much more than that one incident.
Swanning from owning a multi-million turnover financial services company, surviving the crash with life-changing injuries, running a strategised UK-wide rail safety campaign (and winning), living with PTSD, and successfully rebuilding her life, she is the epitome of resilience and motivation.
Pam offers audiences, not just inspiration, but actual strategies to employ to overcome their own challenges. Her passion is to get everyone to fall in love with change.
Oliver Peyton is a renowned restaurateur and the founder/chairman of Peyton and Byrne Limited.
He owns over a dozen eateries throughout London, many in landmark locations such as The National Gallery, The Wallace Collection and St James’s Park, which have been as much applauded for their architectural achievements as their gastronomic standards.
