North East startups hangout with Sir Richard Branson

Three of the North East’s newest entrepreneurs were given the opportunity of a lifetime as they quizzed two world-renowned entrepreneurs on their experiences in business.

Whitley Bay’s Jam Jar Cinema, Newcastle health and fitness company Optimal You, and the No1 training academy @ Hair and Beauty by Claire H in Gateshead grilled Virgin boss Richard Branson and Paypal founder Elon Musk at the live Google+ Hangout on Air.

Held at Virgin Money’s Gosforth office, the event was the brainchild of Virgin Unite, Virgin Group’s not-for-profit foundation, which supports the group’s numerous enterprise programmes, including the Start-Up Loans scheme in the North East and Cumbria.

Dan Ellis, Chairman at Jam Jar Cinema said: “Speaking with Sir Richard was a dream come true and he really made us feel at ease. It was reassuring to hear that he was once exactly where we are, just starting out with an idea, a little bit of financial support and a lot of drive.”

Claire Hall, 28, added: “It was really interesting to hear not only from Sir Richard and Elon, but also from other start-ups from around the world.”

Niyc Pidgeon, 25, of Optimal You said: “It was such an incredible opportunity to see and hear both Sir Richard and Elon speak about their own successes in business. I was lucky enough to be able to ask a question about overcoming challenges, which is central to my business.”

Streamed live via Google, an informal chat kicked off the event, which was one of the most successful Hangouts on Air in the history of the platform.

Sir Richard and Elon answered a series of questions about different aspects of business and entrepreneurship. Following this, budding entrepreneurs from around the world, including Colombia, South Africa and the Caribbean, posed their own questions to the pair.

Pete Wood, Virgin Money’s Head of Social Enterprise Projects, hosted the event in Gosforth. He said: “We are delighted to be able to support driven young business minds in new and innovative ways, such as taking part in this special event. We hope this will be the first of many.”

The Start-Up Loans scheme in the North East and Cumbria is delivered through a consortium including Virgin Money, Virgin Unite, The Northern Rock Foundation (NRF) and Project North East (PNE) – with PNE being the consortium partner responsible for arranging and making the loan.

The scheme continues to open doors for entrepreneurs aged 18 to 30 who have a great business idea. With funding still available to start-ups in the North East and Cumbria during 2013, successful applicants can benefit from Virgin Money’s mentoring support and Project North East’s many years’ working specifically with young business people.