The final episode shares a founder story that captures what The Jump is all about: seeing a problem, taking the leap, and building something that changes lives.

Meet Cemal Ezel, founder of Change Please, the social enterprise helping people move out of homelessness through coffee.

Cemal shares how he went from City trader to purpose-led founder, why the first version of Change Please did not work as planned, and what he learned about building a business where quality, impact and sustainability all have to matter.

He also talks about receiving a Virgin StartUp loan, being mentored by Richard Branson on Necker Island, and why founders should start small, stay open to feedback and keep moving before everything feels perfect.

For anyone wondering whether to take the leap, this is a powerful reminder: you do not need to have it all figured out to begin.

Looking for support to start or grow your business?

Virgin StartUp is here to help with funding, mentoring, and a community of founders building businesses across the UK.

Explore resources, access support, and take your next step at virginstartup.org

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Money, supporting founders with brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emilie Vanpoperinghe and Deepak Ravindran started Oddbox after spotting something simple on holiday: fruit and veg did not need to look perfect to taste good. What began as a small subscription box rescuing wonky and surplus produce became one of the UK’s fastest-growing food delivery businesses.

In this episode of The Jump, Emilie and Deepak share how they tested the idea with early customers, built a grower-led model, used a Virgin StartUp loan to bring structure to the business, and handled a sudden surge in demand when Covid changed how people bought food overnight. It is a story about food waste, behaviour change, bootstrapping, logistics, and building a purpose-led business one odd box at a time.

Looking for support to start or grow your business?

Virgin StartUp is here to help with funding, mentoring, and a community of founders building businesses across the UK.

Explore resources, access support, and take your next step at virginstartup.org

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Money, supporting founders with brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

William Adoasi grew up loving watches, but he wanted to build one that meant more than personal success. After leaving a city career that lacked purpose, he created Vitae London, a watch brand supporting vulnerable children through education across Africa.

In this episode of The Jump, William shares how his upbringing in South London shaped his ambition, why his father’s story inspired the mission behind Vitae London, and how a Virgin StartUp loan helped him buy the stock he needed to grow. From selling his first 13 watches to pitching Richard Branson live on stage, this is a story about purpose, product, representation, and building a brand that turns wealth acquisition into wealth distribution.

Looking for support to start or grow your business?

Virgin StartUp is here to help with funding, mentoring, and a community of founders building businesses across the UK.

Explore resources, access support, and take your next step at virginstartup.org

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Virgin Money, supporting founders with brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.