Robert Ashton

Robert Ashton

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR AND ENTERPRISE ADVISOR
Robert Ashton is often described as the barefoot entrepreneur. He knows that understanding your vulnerabilities can make you stronger and more effective. He is a very human speaker, quick to connect with his audience, helping them see their opportunity.

Hes a successful social entrepreneur, founding Swarm Apprenticeships in 2013 to empower young people with attitude, using enterprise qualifications. He can speak from experience about the loneliness of being a pioneer, as well as his success at winning investment and recognition.

Robert has written 20 books, mostly on business and entrepreneurship, but some in the self-help genre. He sees entrepreneurship as a skill that can enable individuals, organisations and even whole communities to take control of their futures.

Driven by a strong sense of social justice, Robert works with charities, schools, housing associations and corporates. His project work can see him talking with rough sleepers one day, and Government ministers the next. He illustrates his talks with stark, real life stories about those hes met.

Robert takes his audience on a journey of exploration. He introduces uncomfortable truths with sensitivity and compassion. He enthuses, empowers and entertains, illustrating sometimes grim realities with humour and hope. In tough economic times he highlights opportunities audiences will realise they can achieve.

Mental health is another topic about which Robert speaks. Hes been Trustee of mental health charities, an NHS Mental HealthTrust Governor and is currently a Trustee of health and social care watchdog Healthwatch.

Robert is also very open about his own experience of living with depression and can speak with authority about the importance of managing mental health in the workplace.

Motivating, inspiring, hard hitting and often moving, Robert Ashton knows you don't need to cross oceans alone or climb mountains to change the world. You need to be braver and confront whats happening right now on your doorstep.

Robert is a Fellow of the RSA, member of Mensa and a charity Patron and Trustee.

You read more about Robert Ashton on his website:
www.robertashton.co.uk/
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Price from: £ 1,000

Keynotes

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Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship as an attitude, that can help people and their organisations succeed in any field. How innovation can help any organisation wrestling with the fast changing business landscape.
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Social enterprise

Social entrepreneurship and how social impact can differentiate any organisation with bottom line benefits.
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Mental health and wellbeing in business and the workplace

Mental health and how being well at work is not about having a great employee support programme, but a culture that embraces difference and supports people to be themselves, which of course also benefits the employer!

Reviews (5)

Dr Richard Hull 18. July 2017
I invited Robert to speak to the students on our MA in Social Entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths because I had heard him speak at a conference and was very impressed with his style. He is instantly engaging with his audience, very easy-going and relaxed and it is very apparent that he speaks from deep and very personal experience. Ho moves through his material with ease and a very appropriate mix of personal story-telling and analysis. Our students were highly impressed, and Robert was immensely helpful with the research of one of the students. I will definitely be booking him again :-)
Bella Brodie 15. March 2017
If you want a speaker who will add more impact than most, Robert's your man. He has a unique brand of insight which will help you view the world a different way after even just a couple of hours. He will undoubtedly challenge your own perception of how to do things and you'll see opportunities for success and positive change where you only saw hurdles previously. He also brings humanity and ethics into the business world and that can not only make it a better space to be, but it's also a catalyst for positive change and understanding on a wider scale. Listening to Robert's fresh approach won't just have an immediate impact, it will last, simply because it involves unleashing your own mind's potential, unlocking closed doors and removing restrictive thought patterns, and once you know how to do that even the sky is no limit!
Janet O'Keefe 15. March 2017
Robert has been a constant support and inspiration to me while I have been developing the concept of the SEN Revolution and writing my books Towards a Positive Future and The Ordinariness of Impairment for which he has contributed the forward and final chapter. His style is straight forward and direct and always thinking outside the box. I hope one day he will be a speaker at my one day events www.senconference.co.uk
Chris Reeve 15. March 2017
Robert simply inspires and always has done. Provokes thought and promotes action. I saw him speak at an apprenticeships event a few years ago and I came out of it refreshed and ready to attack! He always has the time of day for you and makes an extra effort to stay behind after the talk to answer questions and set up meetings. Added a huge amount of value and was certainly worth my ticket fee.
Harry Harris 13. March 2017
I have witnessed Robert speak on several occasions. It is always a delight to be taken on a journey of passion, purpose and belief, all delivered in a manner that brings the subject to fabulous full colour.

A speaker who captures the very essence of being a social entrepreneur, and brings this brave new world of business to life. If you have a chance to see Robert in action, grab it.

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