Record numbers reach shortlist for Stelios Awards

A record 88 applicants applied to the prestigious Awards, up 10% from previous years. Instagram influencers, fashionistas and bakers were among the hopefuls vying for start-up money from Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of easyJet. 

The top five short-listed entrepreneurs are competing for a share of the largest pot of money yet offered by Sir Stelios: a total of £100,000 in prizes. 

The five on the shortlist have each won £10,000, and are now in the running for a top prize of £30,000. 

Four other lucky finalists will win £5,000. 

The top five shortlisted are:

• Sarah Griffiths, whose Mastery in Motion business offers coaching and empowerment lessons for disabled people to help them create a life that lights them up. Sarah offers online courses and published a book while building her business.
• Steve Holyer and ADI Access, who created RoomMate as an aid to audio-describe environments for blind and visually-impaired people. RoomMate has already been adopted at numerous international airports and railway stations. It was inspired by Steve Holyer’s experiences.
• Mike Wood, a former Paralympian, whose Dinghies for Disabled business aims to help up to 60,000 disabled people get into sailing.
• Sophia Wyatt, who founded a cosmetic business for people with pigmentation conditions and scarring, Sophia Wyatt Aesthetics, from her garage, taking inspiration from her own experiences. 
• Victoria Nelson, who created the first online counselling service for (D)deaf people, and offers fully-signed mental health workshops in person and online.

Media enquiries

For further information and interview requests, please contact: Samuel Buckley on samuel.buckley@leonardcheshire.org or 020 3242 0204. 

For information or interviews with Sir Stelios please email Richard Shackleton on richard.shackleton@easygroup.co.uk or call 07905 779 799.  Alternatively, email Tracy Ghori on tg@stelios.com or call 07900 606 557.

Stelios Philanthropic Foundation

The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation is a registered charity in both Monaco and the UK which backs several charitable initiatives in the UK, Greece and Cyprus. The Foundation gives support in four main areas: scholarships, supporting entrepreneurship with cash prizes, donating money to environmental and other charities and operating a poverty relief programme in Greece and Cyprus — ‘Food from the heart’.

Sir Stelios also joins the group of philanthropists led by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet who pledge to give most of their wealth to charity. Giving Pledge was started in 2010, and now has 168 signatories from 21 countries. Sir Stelios is the first Greek/Cypriot and the first resident of Monaco to join.

Previous winners of the Stelios Awards for Disabled Entrepreneurs

Last year’s winner was Josh Wintersgill, a Bristol-based inventor who created easyTravelseat, a sling to help air passengers with wheelchairs transfer while flying.