Patron
Serial entrepreneur Ben Way, became Social Firms UK's first patron in October 2008. As one of the UK’s best-known young entrepreneurs and one of the first dot com millionaires, Ben is an inspiration to those developing Social Firm businesses in how to maximise market opportunities.
Ben started his first business in 1995 on his 15th birthday, making him at that time the youngest company director in the UK. Aged 17 he was paid £25 million for his technology ideas. Just some of his business activities include joining Brightstation Ventures in 2007, a VC fund with $100m to invest, and launching the pro social website, HorsesMouth and a new postal operator, Viapost.
Ben has advised both the UK and US governments, multinationals and global academic institutions in technology and trends. He is currently MD of The Rainmakers, an innovations and corporate venturing company (www.makingrain.com)