Simon Woodroffe
The Next Big Thing > Authors > Simon Woodroffe
Simon is an author, BBC Two’s Dragons’ Den TV panellist, rock and roll
stage producer, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and founder of
YO! Sushi restaurants. He left school at 16 and became a roadie then
stage manager and lighting technician for many well-known bands.
In the 1980s he was a stage designer with Rod Stewart and a string of
spectacular shows from Motorhead to The Moody Blues. In 1985 he
was a stage designer for Live Aid.
In 1997 Simon opened the first YO! Sushi in London. Within a week there were queues around the corner. In 1999 he won the Ernst and Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2000 the Catey UK Group Restaurateur of the Year. In 2003 he sold a majority stake in YO! Sushi to his management team. This gave him the time and funds to concentrate on creating more YO! brands – YO! Japan, a clothing range, YOTEL, micro-size hotel rooms inspired by luxury travel, and recording ‘How I Got My YO!’ with The Blockheads. He is currently drawing up a spa concept, YO! Zone, a cross between a spa and a night club on a grand scale.
Simon has created a board and management team for YO! Ltd and launched YO! How, a training and development consultancy for entrepreneurs. He has featured in a number of TV programmes including Dragons’ Den and Who Wants To Be A Restaurateur, and is planning more TV concepts based around entrepreneurship and business as the new rock and roll. He is also working on a series of radio/podcast interviews with other business celebrities.
Simon actively supports budding entrepreneurs, and is one of five entrepreneurs to advise the government on economic policy.
In 1997 Simon opened the first YO! Sushi in London. Within a week there were queues around the corner. In 1999 he won the Ernst and Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2000 the Catey UK Group Restaurateur of the Year. In 2003 he sold a majority stake in YO! Sushi to his management team. This gave him the time and funds to concentrate on creating more YO! brands – YO! Japan, a clothing range, YOTEL, micro-size hotel rooms inspired by luxury travel, and recording ‘How I Got My YO!’ with The Blockheads. He is currently drawing up a spa concept, YO! Zone, a cross between a spa and a night club on a grand scale.
Simon has created a board and management team for YO! Ltd and launched YO! How, a training and development consultancy for entrepreneurs. He has featured in a number of TV programmes including Dragons’ Den and Who Wants To Be A Restaurateur, and is planning more TV concepts based around entrepreneurship and business as the new rock and roll. He is also working on a series of radio/podcast interviews with other business celebrities.
Simon actively supports budding entrepreneurs, and is one of five entrepreneurs to advise the government on economic policy.
