In the spirit of going back to school, we’re looking at five UK-based entrepreneurs championing education. For fundraisers working in this sector, these entrepreneurs highlight how the right prospect can bring much more to your organisation than just funding.
Priya Lakhani OBE
Priya Lakhani started her career as a barrister, but in 2008 she switched paths and launched a fresh cooking-sauce business, Masala Masala. From day one, philanthropy was part of her business model, with a one-for-one ethos that provided vaccinations and school meals in India and Africa.
In 2013, Priya went on to found CENTURY Tech, an award-winning AI education technology company on a mission to provide high-quality education to children around the world.
Sir Rod Aldridge OBE
Sir Rod Aldridge qualified as a chartered accountant. He worked for local authorities before founding the Capita Group in 1984, which he grew into a FTSE 100 company.
Rod is a donor and former patron of the Prince’s Trust, which provides opportunities to develop young people’s skills and confidence so they succeed in employment. In 2006, he founded the Aldridge Foundation to empower future generations by helping disadvantaged young people develop their employability skills.
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon
Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon is a social entrepreneur and computer scientist. In 2013, she founded Stemettes to support girls, young women and non-binary young people in STEM. By 2024, over 73,000 young women and non-binary people had attended Stemettes’ events, with 72% of attendees from historically marginalised backgrounds.
Anne-Marie is also a trustee of the Institute for the Future of Work, which explores the impact of new technologies on work and society.
Sherry Coutu
Sherry Coutu is an entrepreneur and angel investor who founded Founders4Schools in 2015. The charity’s mission is to bridge the gap between education and the world of work by connecting educators with local business leaders and founders and helping students prepare for future careers.
In 2017, Sherry launched WorkFinder, an app that’s tackling social mobility by connecting students with local high-growth companies. She’s also a trustee for National Numeracy, which empowers people to thrive by using numeracy to open up opportunities and access brighter futures.
Peter Jones
Peter Jones, perhaps best known as a Dragon’s Den investor, started his first business selling personal computers at 16. Although it didn’t succeed, he went on to found several successful businesses, including Wireless Logic, which he sold for £38m in 2011.
In 2005, he founded The Peter Jones Foundation, which provides young people and disadvantaged groups with the enterprise skills and experiences needed to better prepare them for successful employment or self-employment. In 2009, he launched the foundation’s flagship education programme, the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy, to teach entrepreneurial skills across the UK.
If you’re looking for an educational entrepreneur to support your cause, prospect research can help you find someone with the affinity, capacity and right connection to do so.
Our team has 27 years of experience providing research, wealth screening, consultancy, regulatory compliance, and training support to charities of all sizes, making fundraising more effective and successful.
To find out how we can help you on your fundraising journey, get in touch with us today.