Simon Woodroffe OBE

Founder of YO! Sushi, YOTEL and YO! Home

Simon Woodroffe OBE is the creator of YO! Sushi, the conveyor belt sushi restaurant chain. Simon was an original Dragon in the premiere series of BBC’s Dragons’ Den. He then launched YOTEL, the world’s most radical hotel and is now working on YO! Home, his re-invention of the city apartment and more YO!

"Find out what you’re good at doing and spend 95 per cent of your time at doing just that"

Topics

Using Innovation to Win New Markets
Getting to YO! Or How I got my YO!
YO! Superbrand
Unlocking Creativity
A Nation of Entrepreneurs?
Marketing and Positioning
Corporate Social Responsibility

Languages

He presents in English.

How he presents

A very entertaining, thought-provoking speaker, with his practical advice on creativity and innovation in business. He has an energising presence and his presentations always leave audiences feeling truly motivated.

Publications

2001
Yo! Sushi
2000
The Book of Yo!

Talk to us about Simon Woodroffe

In Detail

His early career was spent on the road with the likes of Rod Stewart and The Moody Blues before becoming a stage designer. After a spell in television, he conceived and launched YO! Sushi, the concept turned eating into a complete entertainment experience with first restaurant opening on London’s Poland Street and became an overnight phenomenon. He continues to develop new YO! brands. YOTEL, Simon’s solution to boring and expensive hotels in central New York, Singapore’s Orchard Road, followed by Miami, London, Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Dubai Business Bay with more still in the pipeline across 6 countries and 3 continents. Simon’s re-invention of the city apartment YO! Home launched at London’s 100% Design in and is still in development.

What he offers you

As a result of his entrepreneurial success, Simon has developed a strong reputation speaking openly and avoiding business clichés. Audiences find his story extremely inspiring and a catalyst for their own endeavours be they in a large corporate setting or working at a start-up level.