YOUNG BIRMINGHAM BUSINESSPEOPLE ON THE ‘35 UNDER 35’ SHORTLIST
Henrietta Brealey, 30, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce
Henrietta Brealey took over as chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce in April, becoming the youngest person and only the second woman to perform the role in its 208-year history.
She joined the Edgbaston-based chamber in 2012 as a policy assistant while still studying at university and later completed a master’s in public management.
After expansion and mergers in recent years, she now oversees a business body covering large parts of greater Birmingham and Stafffordshire, its Asian and Commonwealth chambers and young people’s arm Future Faces.
Jack Cornes and Harry Smith, 22 and 23, HausBots
Jack Cornes and Harry Smith are the founders of HausBots, a robotic device which can climb walls of different materials and carry out tasks such as painting or inspection without the need for scaffolding.
Entrepreneur Jack and mechanically minded Harry met at school in Rutland and developed their first robot prototype in Harry’s garage at home.
The pair, who moved to their own office in Birmingham in 2018, have secured private equity investment and have the long-term aim of stopping as many feet leaving the floor while maintaining buildings and infrastructure.
CJ Lloyd Webley, 27, The Black Pounds Project
CJ Lloyd Webley is the founder of The Black Pounds Project which was launched last year and recently took on its first cohort of West Midlands-based businesses.
Its aim is to mentor and help blackowned, small businesses in the region which have been severely hit and are at risk because of the pandemic, supporting entrepreneurs at any stage of their growth journey to access resources and mentorship.
He is also a playwright, runs the Sorrel Park Theatrical initiative and hopes to inspire artists and entrepreneurs, particularly from underrepresented communities.
Chris Meah, 32, School of Code
Chris Meah is the founder of School of Code, a free boot camp held in Birmingham which teaches software coding and helps its students into a career in technology.
He started the company in 2015 while finishing his PhD in computer science after recognising there was a lack of diversity among the people who were trying to get jobs in the tech sector.
The programme welcomes people from a very broad range of backgrounds and works with hiring partners who pay an employer pledge when they hire someone from the course.
Reena Salhan, 28, Green Sisters
Reena Salhan co-founded Green Sisters with her sister to provide healthy, vegan, gluten free and allergen friendly foods.
The company makes Indian staples such as samosas, bhajis and chutneys for a range of dietary issues and its product stable is free from 14 different allergens.
Reena was inspired to launch the venture after her own family’s experiences of food allergies and, alongside a home delivery service, she is often spotted catering for Birmingham’s corporate events community.
Kray Treadwell, 29, 670 Grams
Kray Treadwell is a chef and the founder of boutique Birmingham restaurant 670 Grams, named after the weight of his daughter who was born four months premature.
He defied the pandemic to launch the 16-cover venue last August which serves meals inspired by Europe and Asia.
Kray, who previously worked at another famous Birmingham restaurant Purnell’s and was a finalist on BBC series Great British Menu, was crowned Young Chef of Great Britain and Ireland in the 2021 Michelin Guide.
Josh Winfield, 28, NatWest
Josh Winfield is the Midlands and East of England regional ecosystem manager at NatWest and has been working within the start-up and innovation sector his entire career, founding his own record label at the age of 15 before exiting six years later.
He has worked for a number of start-up companies including music tech firm ROLI in its product and events team where he led it through B series funding.
Since 2017, Josh has been working with NatWest as a business coach before leading the team that launched the bank’s ‘Business Builder’ programme - a digital, free accelerator for new and fledgling businesses.
Jeanette Wong, 31, The Clean Kilo
Jeanette Wong is a director of The Clean Kilo, heralded as Birmingham’s first zero-waste supermarket when it opened in the city’s Digbeth district in 2018.
The company, which she runs with her partner Tom Pell, strives to be plastic free, with customers bringing their own containers and bags to stock up on products.
They have since launched a second site in Bournville and battled back from the effects of the pandemic on small retailers to stay in business.
They estimate the two stores save more than 300,000 pieces of plastic going into landfill every year.