Simon Woodroffe Keynote Speaker

Founder of YO! Sushi (1997) and YOTEL (2007)
Original Dragon on BBC’s Dragons’ Den (2005)
Author of YO! MAN (2026) and The Book of YO! (2000/2025)

Simon Woodroffe's Biography

Simon Woodroffe is an entrepreneur and keynote speaker who has built global brands by turning everyday transactions into theatre. Best known as the founder of YO! Sushi (launched 1997) and YOTEL (launched 2007), he blends design, storytelling and ruthless simplicity to create experiences customers remember and teams are proud to build.

From the first YO! Sushi in London to an international footprint, Woodroffe helped introduce conveyor-belt dining to the UK, pairing fast-paced service with playful technology and bold branding. In 1999, his work was recognised with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, alongside major hospitality and retail accolades including the Catey Group Restaurateur of the Year award.

In 2005, Woodroffe joined BBC’s Dragons’ Den for Series 1, bringing a founder’s eye to the realities of funding, focus and execution. The following year he was appointed an OBE (2006) for services to hospitality. Alongside his ventures, he has shared his hard-won lessons in The Book of YO! (published 2000; updated and expanded edition released online in 2025) and YO! MAN (published 2026), distilling what it takes to spot opportunities, back yourself, and scale without losing the spark.

On stage, Woodroffe is direct, energising and practical. He equips leaders and entrepreneurs with tools to innovate, build distinctive brands, and create customer experiences that cut through whether launching a start-up, re-energising a legacy business, or expanding into new markets.

Building disruptive brands that customers talk about

Customer experience as competitive advantage

Entrepreneurial leadership: creativity, culture, pace

Scaling a concept: focus, partnerships, execution

Reinvention and resilience under pressure

He has built disruptive hospitality brands from scratch, launching YO! Sushi (1997) and YOTEL (2007), and shows leaders how to turn a concept into a scalable customer experience.
He translates brand, design and service innovation into practical decisions on product, pricing and operations that help organisations grow without losing what makes them distinctive.
He brings investor-level judgement from BBC’s Dragons’ Den (Series 1, 2005) and the credibility of an OBE (2006), helping teams sharpen focus, funding choices and execution.
His keynote sessions give audiences a clear playbook for entrepreneurial leadership, grounded in the lessons of The Book of YO! (2000), so they can move faster, take smarter risks and deliver measurable impact.