Winners of the #GenNextAwards

Top young business talent in East Midlands crowned at

Generation Next Awards 2022

From a trio of young entrepreneurs behind a rapidlygrowing digital marketing start-up to a communityfocused sales executive, some of the region’s top young business talent was recognised at the Generation Next Awards 2022 in July.

Ten awards were handed out at the event hosted by East Midlands Chamber, which launched the Generation Next network two years ago to bring together young professionals and business leaders aged 18 to 35.

Keeping in step with the young theme, street food, cocktails and a DJ set from BeauJack formed part of the informal celebrations at Bustler Market, in Derby, on Thursday July 14 for the first in-person Generation Next Awards, held in association with headline partner University of Derby.

Emma Roberts, who went from being a volunteer at Derby Community Parent Programme CIC to managing director, won the Future Leader Award after navigating the not-for-profit through a challenging pandemic period to secure long-term funding and diversify its engagement work.

Other big winners included Art Lindop, Kieran Flynn and Alex Mills, founders of Derby-based digital marketing agency Alphageek, who won the Breakthrough Award and Entrepreneur of the Year. Taylor Gee, sales executive at Leicester-based 360 Autoleasing East Midlands, won the Volunteer Award for his commitment to community work.

Radio presenter Kaylee Golding hosted the event, which also featured keynote speeches from Generation Next chair Emma Baumback, last year’s Future Leader winner Kate Walker, who makes affordable and customisable prosthetics for children via her Loughborough-based start-up ExpHand Prosthetics, and Chamber president Lindsey Williams.

East Midlands Chamber director of resources and Generation Next lead Lucy Robinson said: “After being unable to celebrate the inaugural Generation Next Awards in person last year, it was great to bring so many fantastic young people together for this event.

“These awards demonstrated how much unbelievable young talent exists in businesses across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire – from start-up founders disrupting their industries all the way down to apprentices fresh out of education.

“It’s important not only to celebrate their achievements, but also to showcase what we can offer in our region so that businesses of all shapes and sizes recognise why we must continue to invest in our young people, who will be the next generation of business leaders.”

THE WINNERS

Future Leader Award

Sponsored by University of Derby Emma Roberts – Derby Community Parent Programme CIC

35 | NICHE Customer Service Award

Ben Wilkinson – MHA MacIntyre Hudson

Excellence in Innovation and Technology Award Diversity & Inclusion Award

Fred Gough – University of Derby

Apprentice of the Year

Sponsored by Loughborough College Ruby Birks – Purpose Media

Sustainability Award

Sponsored by MHA MacIntyre Hudson Jack Hall – Scenariio

Volunteer Award Creative Award

Sponsored by PPL PRS Dan Poynton – On Poynt Creative

Breakthrough Award

NICHE FEATURESponsored by Nottingham University Business School Art Lindop, Kieran Flynn and Alex Mills – Alphageek

Entrepreneur of the Year

Sponsored by Fraser Stretton Property Group Art Lindop, Kieran Flynn and Alex Mills – Alphageek

WINNER – TAYLOR GEE

WINNER – FRED GOUGH KATE NEMETH AND LUCY ROBINSON WINNER – ALPHAGEEK

Generation Next Creative Award winner Dan Poynton, founder of Leicester-based graphic design and branding agency On Poynt Creative, explains his entrepreneurial journey and why his city is a great place to start up and grow a business.

“Back in 2020, Covid-19 cut short the travelling trip of a lifetime to South-East Asia – a journey I’d embarked on to re-evaluate my creative career. I was forced to return to England, and with no design agencies hiring due to the pandemic, the ambitious voice inside my head became restless, driving me to build an outlet for my creative passion.

I began illustrating cricket, football and tennis posters to sell on Etsy – art I’d have wanted on the wall as a 10-year-old lad. This side of the business, still flourishing today, has over 10,000 cross-platform sales. But my dream was always to build a client-centric, ultra-creative branding agency and, two years later, this is exactly what we’ve managed to achieve.

Every day, the agency will design brands and campaigns that clients are proud to call their own. We realise, when it comes to consumer decisions, the end customer is shallow – comparable to swiping away prospective partners on a dating app simply based on a visual first impression. So, we guarantee head-turning concepts, care about what we produce, and deliver on time, on brief – and On Poynt.

We are fortunate enough to welcome clients to a “penthouse-style” office at the LCB Depot in Leicester’s Cultural Quarter. Leicester boasts a fantastic community of business-minded individuals, all working hard to encourage growth within the area. It has been an optimal location to grow On Poynt, with excellent transport links to London and thriving links across the Midlands. We are very proud to “hang our design hats” in Leicester.

WINNER – DAN POYNTON

Across a diverse, eclectic portfolio, we have worked with fantastic, ambitious clients that reflect our personal mission – to challenge convention at every turn and produce ideas truly unique and cutting edge. We branded People’s Captain, a beer brand brewing positive mental health; we continue to work with Leicester’s professional sports clubs to support their marketing and merchandise offerings; and enhanced project work for retail design agency Quantum 4.

We were fortunate enough to be awarded the Creative Award at the Generation Next Awards, as well as being finalists for Entrepreneur of the Year and Breakthrough Award. It was extremely humbling and gave myself reason to reflect on how far the business has come in a short two years.

Generation Next is a fantastic advocate for young businesses making noise in the Midlands. Being part of the initiative is fantastic to help grow a small business with the help of experienced, business-savvy mentors, as well as networking events – opportunities we have found essential to promoting our services.”

To find out about joining Generation Next, visit generationnextemc.co.uk/memberships.