Oli Barrett MBE

A serial founder, Oli Barrett co-created Tenner (the UK’s largest schools enterprise challenge), Volunteer It Yourself (the social venture which has helped thousands of young people to fix their own youth clubs) and the TOTS (Turn on the Subtitles) campaign to improve children’s literacy.

He co-founded StartUp Britain, which was launched by the British Prime Minister, leading to the creation of PitchUp Britain (with John Lewis and Sainsbury’s) and PopUp Britain, with the opening of shops around the UK. He co-founded The Rainmakers (an innovation and incubation venture) and co-created eleven international trade missions including WebMission and the Clean and Cool Mission. Oli hosts The Lens podcast with Business in the Community, which pairs senior leaders with future leaders, to discuss the future of work. The Connector Unit, founded in 2016, forges valuable and creative connections across a range of sectors and industries.