Andy Ayim is an author, investor and product lead. He's formerly the managing director of Backstage Capital London which invests $100,000 to support women, people of colour, and/or LGBT people. Prior to Backstage, Andy has worked in a range of product roles in companies such as World First which was acquired by Ant Financial for $700 million.

He's really passionate about creating pathways into tech and upscaling people from low-income backgrounds. He serves currently on the board of YSYS, Flipside and Mixtape Madness, a startup that he co-founded with his brothers and friends. And in 2018, Andy received the accolade of being named as one of the FT’s Top 10 Most Influential BAME Tech Leaders in the UK. Listen to his chat with Sanjay Parekh:

01m:08s – How Andy got to Backstage Capital from his early beginnings.

04m:23s – Why is Andy so passionate about bridging the gap between underrepresented peoples and the tech world?

06m:22s – What the differences are between the US and the UK in terms of diversity and inclusion.

12m:05s – What Andy’s personal work philosophy is.

16m:05s – How does Andy get the confidence to be his ‘whole self’ at work.

18m:40s – What some of Backstage Capital’s goals are and why has it been brought to London?

21m:16s – Why Andy wants Backstage Capital to eventually go out of business.

25m:24s – What’s the best way to interact with Andy and what Andy’s looking for as an investor?

29m:25s – How Andy guides people who are considering a career as an intrapreneur or entrepreneur.

33m:20s – How Andy uses his journal as google analytics for his thoughts.

35m:47s – Andy highlights some of the great companies that have gone through the Backstage process.

46m:56s – How would Andy advise others to make sure that they have meaning within their business?

48m:59s – What's next for Andy and Backstage Capital?

Andy has left Backstage Capital since this podcast was recorded. Find out more about Backstage Capital by visiting www.backstagecapital.com or by emailing London@Backstagecapital.com. You can find all the companies mentioned at: https://backstagecapital.com/accelerator/cities/london/.

You can find Andy at AndyAyim.com.

The Business of Meaning Podcast would love to hear from you either via Twitter @BoFMeaning or via email at Sanjay@TheBusinessOfMeaning.com.

My guest today is Tom Old. Tom is a social entrepreneur and sustainability leader. In 2014, he established two businesses Just Move In and Big Clean Switch, which are both B-Corporations. In 2016, Tom spent three days training with Al Gore in Manila as part of the Climate Reality Program. He has since been an active member of Climate Reality and some talks and events across the country. He’s been to the COP 21 in Paris in 2015, which is the famous International Climate Agreement, and is well connected in the world of business and sustainability. He's a believer in pragmatic positive change and believes that establishing the right strategy is not just a necessity for the planet but necessary for the businesses that want to evolve and stay relevant in the 21st century.

The areas we covered include:

What Big Clean Switch is trying to achieve.

The types of organisations Tom works with at Big Clean Switch.

The impact that the Paris climate talks had on Tom.

How behavioural economics is behind Just Move In.

Why service is so important to Tom and how that enables him to deliver on bringing sustainability into every day tasks.

The business case for purpose driven businesses.

Why both businesses are B-corporations the impact on how he runs the companies.

How working with IKEA is helping to change the narrative on sustainability

The impact that Al Gore and the organisation Climate Reality has had on Tom and his work.

The business case for purpose: HBR/EY Report - mentioned in the podcast.

You can find out more about Big Clean Switch at https://bigcleanswitch.org/ and Just Move In at https://www.justmovein.co/. Tom can be found at LinkedIn here.

I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. If you like the podcast, please leave a review on iTunes. If you've got a direct feedback, we'd love to hear from you either via Twitter @BofMeaning or via email at Sanjay@TheBusinessOfMeaning.com. Thank you.

Asesh is the Co-Founder of Salary Finance. Salary Finance is on a mission to change the lives of working people by helping them become debt free and save towards their financial goals. Asesh is a former management consultant. He is a strong advocate of business with social purpose.

The areas we covered include:

What Salary Finance is trying to achieve.

The core business model of Salary Finance.

Why people aren't particularly good at managing their money.

Salary Finance’s suite of offerings.

Why there is a strong link between people's personal financial health and their mental health.

The real issues around poor financial education and lack of tools for people to save and pay off debt.

What is the culture at Salary Finance and how does Salary Finance live their values and encourage creativity.

What's next for Salary Finance.

What is Asesh’s advice to other business owners or entrepreneurs that want to have more meaning to their work.

You can find out more about Salary Finance and Asesh at www.SalaryFinance.com or on Twitter @salaryfin.

I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. If you like the podcast, please leave a review on iTunes. If you've got a direct feedback, we'd love to hear from you either via Twitter @BofMeaning or via email at Sanjay@TheBusinessOfMeaning.com. Thank you.