Speakers

Brent is Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Founders Forum Group (global community of founders, corporates and businesses to support founders at every stage), Founders Factory (global venture studios, seed programmes and accelerator programmes) and firstminute capital ($500m seed fund with global remit, backed by over 130 unicorn founders). He is also co-chair of Enterprise Britain - a movement of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and investors who feel compelled to act now to build a better future for the UK.

Previously, Brent co-founded Made.com in 2010. He left before it went public in 2021 at a valuation of $1.1bn. Brent also co-founded lastminute.com in 1998, where he was CEO from its inception and sold it in 2005 to Sabre for $1.1bn. Brent has backed 12 unicorns at Seed stage. Technology businesses Brent has co-founded have raised over $1.2bn.

Founders Forum Group has started Founders Intelligence (entrepreneur-powered consultancy - acquired by Accenture), Founders Keepers (technology executive search firm), Founders Pledge ($10bn pledged, $1bn moved to charities - a community for entrepreneurs committed to finding and funding solutions to global challenges), 01 Founders (a network of free-to-access coding schools with a job guarantee), Founders Law (full-service tech law firm), and Founders Makers (creative partner to leading challengers and corporates). The group also now includes London Tech Week as a joint venture and recently acquired Tech Nation and its family of brands to support entrepreneurs.

Brent sits on the advisory board of The Tessa Jowell Foundation and is an Ambassador for the GREAT Britain Campaign Private Sector Council. He was also a founding member of the Male Champions of Change, has been an advisor to four UK prime ministers, and in 2015 was awarded a CBE for his services to entrepreneurship.

Previously, Brent was Chairman of the Oxford Foundry advisory board from its inception, and The Royal Foundation Taskforce on the Prevention of Cyberbullying for The Prince of Wales, and further former board roles include The Royal Academy, TalkTalk, TimeOut, The Guardian Media Group, Shazam Entertainment, Eton College, Imperial College Innovation Fund, UAL and The Economist.