Meet the Future Leaders

The UK is full of amazing young entrepreneurs who have the skills, drive and ambition to build our future businesses and industries, but may need help accessing support to grow and succeed. Our goal is to help these changemakers, which is why we set up Future Leaders.

Future Leaders is our annual programme to help young digital entrepreneurs from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds build the skills and network they need to grow successful businesses.

Now in its sixth edition, the programme provides valuable tools and knowledge including financial support, mentoring, professional development and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs aged 21-30.

This year we received almost 100 applications from some amazing entrepreneurs. We reviewed each candidate and their business and it’s clear that the future of our digital services is in safe hands. Here are the five outstanding people we’ve welcomed to this year’s programme.

Abdirahman Ahmed, Urban Rise

Abdirahman is on a mission to help young people from all walks of life master essential money management skills. He believes everyone deserves the chance to build a brighter future, no matter their background.

His company, Urban Rise, is breaking down the negative views and habits surrounding money among today's youth. By addressing the deep-rooted inequalities in low-income communities, where financial education is often lacking, Urban Rise is making a real difference.

The organisation offers workshops, events and soon, an online resource hub aimed at kickstarting a comprehensive learning platform. So far, Urban Rise has connected with 600 young people and delivered over 100 hours of engaging and informative content.

"The main reason I chose to join the Future Leaders Program was because of the blend of personal and professional growth opportunities. My mentor has pushed me and it's been an incredible experience. I've made significant strides, and the program's structure has helped me clarify my goals and how I want to move forward."

Abdirahman Ahmed

Urban Rise

Abigail Baldwin, Buttercrumble

Abigail is a passionate champion of the creative industry, dedicated to showing how beauty, play and functionality can seamlessly blend. She’s all about delivering inclusive branding, graphics and illustrations that educate and connect people of all ages.

Abigail and her twin sister co-own Buttercrumble - a creative studio that excels in people-first design and co-creation. The company already boasts an impressive client list, which includes John Lewis, Chester Zoo, and Mamas & Papas. Buttercrumble is also the proud author of The Brand Power Manifesto and is gearing up to take their innovative studio global!

"When you set up a business, it's tough. I had no formal training to become an entrepreneur, just passion! The passion gets you so far, but I felt like I'd hit a block that I was struggling to pass. I felt like the Future Leaders programme could offer the boost I needed, and I haven't been disappointed. The programme has provided helpful insights, contacts and know-how. It's helping me step up and reach my goals. In fact, it's pushed me to be more ambitious and gain confidence!"

Abigail Baldwin

Buttercrumble

Hawo Hussein, Third Club

Human connection is something that many of us crave, but it’s not always easy to build those personable relationships in big urban areas like London.

Hawo has recognised this and is working to tackle loneliness and build connections with a digital "what's on" guide, Third Club. Highlighting London’s most exciting events, experiences and hidden gems, whether it’s art shows or rooftop parties, Hawo and Third Club have you covered.

"TPXimpact has a great reputation for helping and supporting early-stage founders to get the best value out of their companies. I feel like I’ve accelerated thanks to the expertise and mentorship I’ve received and I’m learning new things from my cohort members every day."

Hawo Hussein

Third Club

Max Haining, 100 School

After witnessing the tech gap in the third sector, Max is determined to bridge the digital divide and make tech skills accessible to everyone.

Inspired by his desire to learn technical skills during lockdown, Max founded 100 School to create a space for anyone and everyone to learn digital skills. He simplifies tricky concepts into easy, daily tasks that anyone can follow for just 30 minutes a day over 100 days—all for free.

So far, 100 School has empowered 31,000 people worldwide from non-technical backgrounds to gain valuable tech skills through their unique challenge-based learning method.

"As a solo founder, it’s admittedly a lonely journey so I wanted to meet and get inspired by other entrepreneurs working on cool businesses. I believe being around more great people can unlock some great creative breakthroughs that I wouldn’t be able to have on my own. The program is really helping me critically think about our strategy to build a sustainable business in the long term and be introduced to the right support when we've needed it."

Max Haining

100 School

Sobanan Narenthiran, Breakthrough Social Enterprise

Having first-hand experience of both coming from a lower socioeconomic background and the criminal justice system, Sobanan is dedicated to bridging the gap between the tech sector and those seeking a fresh start through a digital-first strategy for rehabilitating prison leavers.

Breakthrough Social Enterprise offers these individuals a 14-week digital pre-apprenticeship program, equipping individuals with essential skills in areas like software development and digital marketing. Through strategic partnerships with leading tech companies, it ensures real-world skill application and smooth employment transitions for its graduates. So far, Breakthrough has supported over 120 individuals on their path to a new start in life.

"The Future Leaders programme enables me to gain time to work on my business as opposed to in my business. Gaining access to experts across TPXImpact who are willing to contribute to Breakthrough Social Enterprise is a real privilege- they've allowed me to see gaps and opportunities that have already made a real impact."

Sobanan Narenthiran

Breakthrough Social Enterprise

Meet the Coaches

Supporting this year’s brilliant Future Leaders is a group of dedicated coaches from TPXimpact. Each candidate has their own mentor to share their experiences and knowledge to help them chart a roadmap to success.

Jessica Ferguson, Senior Partner - Client Services

“What I enjoy most about working with Hawo is her passion and drive for her business. We spend time problem-solving, pivoting and when there are tough challenges I aim to bring people and solutions that can support her to take the next step on her start-up journey! Collaborative problem-solving with brilliant founders is why I love being part of the Future Leaders Programme. ”

Lauren Smith, Senior Delivery Manager

"It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Sobanan over the last few months and I’m excited to see what the next couple of months brings for him and his social enterprise - Breakthrough. Through our conversations, Sobanan has already made fantastic progress on understanding his current service delivery, processes, systems, highlighting gaps in the businesses to enable him to build the foundational operations and capabilities needed to grow. We’ve started to explore, with help from people across TPXimpact, how a longer-term income generation plan will support building alternative revenue streams. Watch this space everyone!"

Claire Henery, Senior Service Designer

“Coaching Max has been a truly rewarding experience! We collaborate to untangle challenges and explore different solutions, allowing me to witness how Max transforms his passion into purpose, which is inspiring to see. I'm proud that TPXimpact offers this opportunity to young people. Max's achievements in founding 100 School make him an exceptional ambassador and role model for all aspiring learners on his platform who strive to drive entrepreneurship, innovation, and in the end, make a difference.”

Christine Browne, Senior Service Designer

“Working with Abigail has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Her unique blend of creativity, ambition, and humility is truly inspiring. The Future Leaders programme is crucial for empowering the next generation of leaders like Abigail, who are not only driving their businesses forward but are also making a meaningful impact in the creative industry. I'm excited to see how she will continue to expand Buttercrumble internationally while staying true to the charming and authentic brand that makes it so special. Helping her navigate these challenges and opportunities has been a joy, and I'm looking forward to supporting her as she takes Buttercrumble to new heights”.

Charlotte Garrud, Senior Technology Consultant

“Working as a coach can be a bit like holding onto a fire hose of creativity, enthusiasm and sheer energy. It’s invigorating and also kind of humbling to see the impact these people have already made and to do what I can to help them focus their efforts not just on the biggest impact but on making sure they are building something that can grow to match their ambition. Ambitious is certainly the best word for describing Abdirahman, but he matches this with a level of insight, organisation and an ability to network par excellence that leaves little doubt that he’s going to get where he’s going and a long way beyond.”

We live in a world teeming with young entrepreneurs who have the talent and ambition to shape the future of our industries. If you’re one of them and want access to support to help you unleash your business potential, you can register your interest in next year’s Future Leaders now. Find out if and how you can get involved.