Steven Bartlett

19 year old Steve lives to run his start-up technology company having been drawn to an entrepreneurial path from a young age. Impressively, at the age of 14, he began building up what was to become the largest youth events company in the South West with a per annum turnover in the tens of thousands. This precocious ability was displayed admirably, both when Steve reached the last stage on the Junior Apprentice and his subsequent success in other business competitions across the UK.

Steve, initially, took the traditional path and relocated to Manchester to study business management last year (2011). Although excited about the prospect of learning, he dropped out five months into the course owing to an innovative, original, business idea he was determined to make a reality.

Subsequently, Steve travelled around the UK several times and struggled to support himself in order to meet with skilled professionals and prospects. He says it was his faith that kept him going through this difficult time and that it was testament to a level of commitment he had never felt before. Despite even sleeping rough in pursuit of making his ideas happen, Steve now has closed deals with large international companies, as well as an investment from the founders of what was the UK’s largest social network at one point! He also has attracted two other investor/mentors who are highly recognised in the technology and marketing industry respectively.

Although Steve decided against university, he still beliefs studying and formulating ideas about this sector has been crucial to his success and that the practical experiences he has gained during the last 12 months have been ‘unforgettable’ and, indeed, invaluable compared to study-based learning and he was determined to get out there and make his own mistakes and learn from his own experiences! Seeking inspiration from the likes of Steve Jobs, Steve feels he is young and has nothing to lose and that failure is part of his journey as an entrepreneur. He strives to live his own dream on his own terms and to earn a living from a subject he is hugely passionate about.

He was recently dubbed the UK’s next creative pioneer and was given a chance to speak in front of some of the largest companies from Silicon Valley, including Facebook, at a prestigious London conference. After a nervous wait, the teenager took to the stage and within minutes he had the audience captivated in an extraordinary way. His passion, youthful enthusiasm and beaming smile radiated through the room. When asked if he would like to pitch any other ideas to the audience full of investors, he said “I have other ideas of course, I can’t walk through the street without thinking of new business ideas, but having a plan B will only distract me from my plan A and right now Wallpark is my Plan A and my only plan”. He exited the stage to the biggest applause of the day, leaving the audience brimming with motivation. He is definitely one to watch for the future and is quickly building a name for himself in the young entrepreneur community.