Start-up Stars: From Purpose to Profit

What does it take to build a business that makes a difference - and makes a profit?

Join us for our latest Start-up Stars event, held as part of Green Libraries Week, to hear from a panel of purpose-driven founders who are tackling environmental and social challenges through their businesses.

Our panellists will share their experiences of turning an idea into a viable business, finding the right balance between impact and income, and navigating the challenges of growing a purpose-led venture.

Expect honest insights, practical advice and inspiration from founders who are proving that purpose and profit can go hand in hand!

Start-up Stars is a series of quarterly events where scale-up graduates from the Get Ready for Business Growth programme and our previous scale-up programme share their expertise with aspiring entrepreneurs.

This event is being held as part of Green Libraries Week (GLW), an annual celebration of how libraries support climate action, sustainability and informed conversations around environmental challenges.

This is a hybrid event, taking place in person at the BIPC in the British Library and online.

It will be moderated by Rasheed Ogunlaru: coach, speaker and author. He will be talking in collaboration with:

David Ryan | NEMI Teas & TRAMPOLINE

David Ryan is Growth Director atNEMI Teasand TRAMPOLINE, social enterprise tea brands that combine commercial growth with social impact. Sales across both brands help fund vital hospitality training opportunities for refugees, turning everyday consumer habits into meaningful social change.

Starting his career on the Waitrose graduate scheme, David brings extensive experience from across retail, FMCG, B Corps, and food-and-drink start-ups, including leading commercial operations at Toast Brewing (making the natural career progression from planet-saving beer to social-impact tea).

Davi specialises in helping purpose-led brands navigate the leap from mission-driven vision to scalable commercial success, offering a practitioner’s view on the messy, rewarding reality of scaling an impact business. Off-duty in Kent, he is Dad to two adventurous girls, where daily breakfast negotiations over sock choices keep his leadership skills sharp.

Aneesh Popat | The Chocolatier

Aneesh Popat is an award-winning master chocolatier and the founder ofThe Chocolatier, a luxury artisan chocolate company committed to ethical sourcing and sustainability. A leading talent on the global chocolate scene, Aneesh has worked with royalty, Michelin-starred restaurants, luxury hotels and leading global brands, including Harrods, Fortnum & Mason and Rolls-Royce.

Aneesh has won several accolades, including the Golden Leaf Award from the Academy of Chocolate, and has been recognised as one of the 1,000 most influential Londoners. Alongside his work as a chocolatier, he is an ambassador for Original Beans Chocolate and advocates for ethical cacao production, supporting farmers, wildlife conservation and the protection of nature. His approach is rooted in creating a more sustainable chocolate industry that benefits everyone from cacao farmers to future generations.

Victoria Horwood | Coffee Pod Creations

Victoria Horwood is the founder and designer behindCoffee Pod Creations, an award-winning British jewellery business that transforms discarded aluminium coffee capsules into contemporary jewellery. What began in 2021 as a creative hobby has grown into a successful business, driven by Victoria’s love of making and upcycling, and a growing demand for jewellery that offers an alternative to mass-produced pieces.

Victoria’s work has been recognised with several awards for innovation, and Coffee Pod Creations jewellery is now sold online and through independent retailers. Her business brings together creativity, sustainability and a strong sense of purpose, demonstrating how an unexpected waste material can be transformed into something beautiful and commercially viable.

Kavitha Soundararajan | isifiso

Kavitha Soundararajan is the founder ofisifiso, a London-based sewing and mending workshop business that delivers hands-on sessions for corporate teams and community organisations. What began as a lifelong love of sewing, which Kavitha has practised for 30 years, grew into a business after two decades in software development. isifiso runs mending, upcycling and mindful making workshops and has worked with clients including Linklaters, Channel 4, the Bank of England and University Arts London.

Kavitha’s work sits at the intersection of circular economy practice and mental wellbeing. Her beginner-friendly and neurodiverse-inclusive workshops create a space for people to slow down, reconnect with their creativity and find their way back to themselves through the simple act of making. Her work has received multiple awards for innovation and sustainability, and she was invited to represent sustainable small businesses at 10 Downing Street. Her tagline says it plainly: wellness with every stitch.