ENTREPRENEUR FOUNDATION
Foundation backed by business entrepreneur and philanthropist An initiative launched by Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is showcasing the County’s entrepreneurial excellence. Launched last year, the Entrepreneur Foundation provides training, advice and monitoring to dozens of talented individuals. The idea behind the scheme is to connect budding entrepreneurs with experienced mentors who have been there and done it – successful individuals who have overcome adversity, adapted to new challenges and found innovative ways to grow and sustain their business ventures. The Chamber teamed up with several founders to launch the initiative – people who are business owners and influential decision-makers with philanthropic desires
to give back to the local community by passing on the wisdom of their experiences. One of the founders is Stelio Stefanou, a highly successful British businessman and philanthropist. He’s perhaps bestknown for founding Accord, a public services and building maintenance company which grew to employ 4,000 people before Stelio sold it in a multimillion-pound deal in 2007. He then moved into the world of philanthropy, establishing the charity For Baby’s Sake to help break the cycle of abuse between parents and young children. Stelio explains: “I was struck with the case of baby Peter in Haringey in 2007. Unfortunately, he died after suffering horrendous abuse over a period of several months. Other children have faced similar abuse and I thought that this was a problem that needed to be addressed.
“The foundation is a fantastic way to connect like-minded entrepreneurs and enable them to learn from each other. Many of the entrepreneurs who I’ve spoken to have a really • Stelio Stefanou
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interesting story to tell.”
“For Baby’s Sake [originally called the Stefanou Foundation] empowers parents to break cycles of abuse and tackles the root causes of disadvantage and vulnerability, focusing on very young babies who do not have a voice. We offer adults who’ve suffered in their own childhood a programme that gets to the root cause of their trauma and gives them coping mechanisms that prevent them from repeating behaviours that can cause hurt or fear in their relationship and family. “We started in Hertfordshire and West London, then rolled out the programme in Cambridgeshire and Blackpool. Last year, when the pandemic hit, we launched For Baby’s Sake CONNECT, a service that uses video and phone technologies and enables people from all over the country to access help. This is vital as it provides a lifeline for people who may otherwise not be able to benefit from the service.” With his vast experience in the commercial and philanthropic worlds, Stelio was happy to become a founder of the Entrepreneur Foundation. “It’s great to be involved in something that’s so worthwhile,” he says. “The foundation is a fantastic way to connect like-minded entrepreneurs and enable them to learn from each other. Many of the entrepreneurs who I’ve spoken to have a really interesting story to tell.” The foundation has also built a network of supporters, one of which is Redwood Bank, a passionate advocate of UK enterprise. The company believes in nurturing entrepreneurial talent and empowering people to give them the confidence to move forward and make their dreams a reality.
