Gordon D'Silva

Gordon D'Silva OBE is a pioneering social entrepreneur who helps organisations connect private profit with public good through sustainable, socially responsible business models. Over 25 years, he has innovated award-winning social enterprises including the Michelin-recommended Hoxton Apprentice, advised the UK Government on establishing the Social Stock Exchange, and serves on the board of a social investment company that has raised over £160 million from institutional investors. His keynotes equip business leaders with practical strategies to navigate inequality, technological disruption, and stakeholder expectations, enabling them to embed purpose-driven innovation into their operations whilst maintaining commercial success and strengthening long-term organisational resilience.

When Gordon D'Silva OBE proposed a radical new model for social investment to the UK Government in 2007, they didn't just listen: they adopted it. The result was the Social Stock Exchange, a groundbreaking platform that fundamentally changed how social enterprises could access capital and scale their impact. Over the past 25 years, Gordon has built a formidable reputation as one of Britain's most influential voices in social enterprise, pioneering business models that prove profit and purpose can thrive together. His work includes founding the Hoxton Apprentice, an employment-training restaurant that earned a Michelin Recommendation for five consecutive years, one of the only charity-run social enterprises globally to achieve this distinction. The models he created became prototypes for initiatives such as Jamie Oliver's Fifteen and the Brigade, demonstrating how his innovations reshaped an entire sector.

Gordon's credentials extend far beyond individual ventures. He sits on the board of a publicly listed social investment company that has raised approximately £160 million from institutional investors since 2014, and chairs The Executive Coaching Consultancy, where he applies his deep understanding of sustainable business to leadership development. His expertise has been sought by major corporate brands including Cisco Systems, Barclays Bank, Marks & Spencer, and KPMG, reflecting his ability to translate social enterprise principles into commercially relevant strategies. Recognised as Ernst & Young's London Social Entrepreneur of the Year in both 2003 and 2006, and named one of the UK's top seven social entrepreneurs by the Guardian in 2008, Gordon received an OBE in 2011 for his contribution to the field. He holds a postgraduate degree in Counselling Psychology, an honorary doctorate in Business from the University of West London, and serves as Visiting Professor for Social Enterprise at the University of Northampton.

Gordon's keynotes address the central paradox facing today's business leaders: how to harness the opportunities of an interconnected world whilst navigating an increasingly uncertain marketplace. He equips audiences with practical frameworks for embedding socially responsible innovation into their operations, drawing on real-world successes and failures to illustrate what works. His focus is helping organisations keep pace with technological change without losing sight of their ethical foundations, showing leaders how to strengthen performance by creating workplaces where people thrive. Whether coaching boardroom executives, mentoring young entrepreneurs, or speaking to corporate audiences, Gordon delivers clear, actionable insights that enable businesses to build resilience, meet stakeholder expectations, and create lasting value for both shareholders and society. His message resonates because it reflects genuine experience: he has spent decades proving that purpose-driven business isn't just idealistic, it's essential for long-term commercial success.