Start-up Day 2025

Brothers Joe and Nikki Wicks have built The Body Coach into a movement that has transformed millions of lives. Joe, an MBE-honoured fitness coach, bestselling author and TV personality, inspires through his workouts and books, while Nikki, CEO and Creative Director, drives the vision and strategy. Together, they champion authenticity, hard work, and a mission to make health and fitness accessible to everyone.

Brothers Joe and Nikki Wicks have built The Body Coach into a movement that has transformed millions of lives. Joe, an MBE-honoured fitness coach, bestselling author and TV personality, inspires through his workouts and books, while Nikki, CEO and Creative Director, drives the vision and strategy. Together, they champion authenticity, hard work, and a mission to make health and fitness accessible to everyone.

Martha is the founder and CEO of the stationery brand Martha Brook. As a passionate champion of small businesses in 2024 she founded Business Secrets Club, growing it to a community of 100000 members in 18 months. Martha sits on the British Library Advisory Council and is an Ambassador for the British Library’s Business & IP Centre.

Richard works for the global market intelligence and research agency, Mintel. Richard manages Mintel’s financial services, consumer lifestyles and media research teams in the UK. Richard works closely with Mintel's clients and has featured prominently in major publications including the Financial Times, BBC and The Guardian.

Rasheed Ogunlaru is a leading life coach, motivational speaker, and business and leadership coach. Rasheed is a delivery partner for the British Library’s Business & IP Centre and author of Soul Trader – Putting the Heart Back into Your Business.

Roni Bandong-McSorley is the founder of RoniB’s Kitchen, a producer of Filipino sauces, condiments and preserves in the UK. Inspired by her Filipino heritage, Roni has brought Filipino flavours to British tables, and her products have won Great Taste and Great British Food Awards.

Will Mayes is the founder and CEO of Layrd Design, an award-winning design studio based in Cambridge. Will is an interior designer and leads Layrd with an emphasis on sustainability and creativity. Layrd’s projects span from tech start-up workplaces to hospitality for the UK’s leading sports teams. Will has been nominated for various awards and won Creative Entrepreneur of the Year for the East of England at the FSB Awards in 2023.

Rodrigo Orrantia Gomez is the founder and Director of Art Cargo, an arts logistics business specialising in expert handling, bespoke crate fabrication, and specialised art transport and storage. Rodrigo founded Art Cargo in 2018, following a successful career in curation and governance. Rodrigo also works as a business mentor to support a new generation of entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses.

Amber Kotrri is a British fashion entrepreneur and designer, founder of House of Zana™. Amber’s work focuses on craftsmanship and elegance, and she blends traditional techniques with contemporary design. Amber has gained international recognition for defending her trademark against global retailer ZARA.

Marc has worked across the media industries as a Founder, CEO, Director, Strategist and Creative Director. Marc is the co-founder and chair of Global Entrepreneurship Network UK and the organiser of Global Entrepreneurship Week UK.

Jeremy O'Hare is the Research and Business Development Manager at the British Library’s Business & IP Centre. He presents the Centre’s series of intellectual property workshops and one to one clinics working with a diverse range of businesses from all sectors, especially helping those who are at a start-up and growth level.

David B Horne is Founder of Add Then Multiply, a consultancy working exclusively with business founders who want to grow fast. He has raised more than £110 million in funding and bought or sold 32 companies. His award-winning book, Add then Multiply, is an Amazon number one bestseller.