Former ‘Dragon’ on ‘Dragon’s Den’, Founder of The YO Company, Including YO! Sushi & YO!tel & International Business Best Selling Author of ‘The Book of Yo!’

Simon Woodroffe is the founder of YO! Sushi and YO! Everything Else. YO!tel, YO!Japan, YO!Zone and YO!Home.

Simon originally spent 30 years in the entertainment business producing shows for the likes of Rod Stewart and Ozzy Osbourne. In 1985 his company designed the stage for Live Aid, the biggest charity music event in history. Later that year he left the increasingly technical stage design industry, in his words…. before I got found out, and went in search of a business that was closer to the end consumer.

In 1997 he started YO! Sushi and planted the seeds of a brand that has been called the new Virgin. YO! Sushi aimed to have 100 restaurants worldwide by 2010, establishing it as a leading global brand

YO! To Go is licensed to UK grocery store Sainsburys. YO! Japan is a clothing line with its flagship off of Carnaby Street, London and is stocked in a number of retail stores across the UK, with a branch in Italy.

YOTEL!, Simon’s long awaited hotel concept has now emerged as a low cost, city centre, highly innovative alternative to the conventional hotel with the first hotels opened at London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports in 2006. A further YOTEL opened at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport and in 2009 YOTEL won the Business Accommodation of the Year at the Business Travel World Awards.

YO! Zone a brand new spa concept is also in development.

Simon Woodroffe is a former Catey winner for Group Restaurateur of the Year and also Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He also won over 20 awards for his businesses. Simon was a part of the CBI Ambassador for Entrepreneurship program and advised the government’s Small Business Service and Enterprise Insight. He also worked with NFTE (Nifty), a program supporting entrepreneurship in schools.

The Book of YO! was an International business best seller.

Simon Woodroffe brings the YO! Factor to your business and people through an extension of the themes and topics he speaks about. He will also work with you to deliver a training session or series that addresses your exact needs. In his usual YO! style of no nonsense, no cliché Simon will help identify the challenges you face and help find solutions that will make a real impact in your business.

Why Hire Simon Woodroffe?