When I say what I do, people always remark how "brave" it is. It always strikes me as odd. There are soldiers risking lives for their country and doctors fighting disease abroad, yet in a trendy Soho office, surrounded by Apple MACs and never more than three minutes from the nearest Pret A Manger, I am considered brave. Perhaps enterprise is brave. But I'm not alone; with the advent of social media, crowd funding and the potential of viral content, now is the time for creative careers. We don't need The Apprentice to tell us. What follows is a 15-strong list of inspiring young Jews who are striking out - doing things differently, starting their own ventures, and pursuing passions…
1. The Grabble Guys
Daniel Murray
and Joel Freeman
Founders of Grabble App
Age: Both 28
Background: Daniel and Joel both went to UCS and Nottingham University. The boys were brought up near Hampstead and haven't flown too far - Daniel, who comes from a fashion manufacturing background, lives in Camden, and Joel, the son of lawyers, lives in West Hampstead.
The big idea: Daniel and business partner Joel quit their jobs after the success of their daily deals website. They ventured into social commerce, and started Grabble- a "Tinder for fashion" app where users swipe through products - to the left to discard them, or right to "grab" them for later. The app has taken off and they now work with over 1,500 retailers, employ 13 members of staff in Shoreditch, and were featured as one of the best new apps in 34 countries, having raised more than £1 million in seed funding. Plans for 2015 include a big announcement for London Fashion Week, and a launch in America. Daniel won the 2014 Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
2. The Burger Boss
Joseph Grossmann
Owner of Patty and Bun
Age: 28
Background: Joe went to Latymer Upper School and studied at the University of Leeds. The only restaurateur in the family - his father is an orthodontist and his older brother works for a property fund. He lives in Notting Hill.
The big idea: Anyone who's anyone in the London foodie scene will have heard of Patty and Bun; their first branch, just by Selfridges, always has a 10-person-deep queue -and they serve up burgers, fries and delicious milk-shakes to London's hipster crowd day in, day out. This year saw the opening of a second Patty and Bun near Liverpool Street Station, and the chain's ambitious young restaurateur Joe Grossmann has plans for opening a couple of new Patty spots in Central London in 2015, as well as few with "a unique twist". Keep an eye out for the Patty and Bun truck, which has graced London food markets all summer.
3. The Bling Brothers
James and Richard Gold, Lewis Blitz
Co-Founders of
Skinny Dip
Age: 28, 26 and 27
Background: All three of the founders of Skinny Dip went to Immanuel College and the University of Birmingham. Brothers James and Richard grew up in Hampstead and now live together in St John's Wood where Lewis, originally from Bushey, also lives with his wife.
The big idea: You might have seen these bright and brilliant accessories in Topshop. Founded in 2010, Skinnydip is an accessories company that aims to outshine all the drab on the market. Their flashy, bold accessories, such as jewelled phone cases and trendy iPad covers, have graced major stores and the cover of fashion magazines. After working from home for six months, the Skinnydip design studio was set up; the boys appeared on Dragons Den in 2012, and, although receiving three offers, decided to go it alone. It clearly paid off: find the perspex clutch bags and metallic spiked headphones in high street retailers such River Island and Selfridges as well as Topshop.
4. The Currency Guru
Daniel Abrahams
Co-Founder at CurrencyTransfer.com
Age: 27
Background: Daniel went to Highgate School, and grew up in North London. He graduated from the University of Manchester with a First in International Management.
The big idea: This British serial entrepreneur seems unstoppable. In 2010, Daniel spotted a gap in the market for fair currency exchange, launching comparison websites MyCurrencyTransfer.com and MyTravelMoney.co.uk in the same year, which allow users to get multiple exchange-rate quotes. His third product, CurrencyTransfer.com, was launched last February and has already been praised by Wired magazine. He's successfully helped customers transact over $500,000,000, saving visitors $11 million in hidden fees along the way, and, now based in Tel Aviv with a tech and enterprise community around him, we're excited to see how this online marketplace for competitive international payment quotes takes off in 2015.
5. The Fashion Tycoon
Rebecca Phillips
Founder of Rebson
Age: 28
Background: Rebecca went to Frances Holland School, and studied geography at Leeds University. She's the fourth generation to join the fashion industry in her family and lives in West Hampstead.
The big idea: Rebecca decided to launch her own fashion line, Rebson, in November 2014 after three years working as a buyer at River Island, learning the ins and outs of manufacturing, retail and trade analysis. Rebson, a high-end but affordable designer brand, has already been a hit with celebrities for its focus on timeless statement pieces. The brand launched with a pop-up shop on South Molton Street which was attended by national press, key fashion bloggers and influential buyers; there are plans in 2015 to expand to other items for future seasons.
6. The Next President
Hannah Brady
UJS President-Elect
2015-6
Age: 21
Background: Originally from Newcastle, Hannah went to Central Newcastle High School and completed her BA at Kings College London, including a year at the University of Toronto. She is studying for her MA at UCL in Jewish Studies.
The big idea: You've probably heard her name. Hannah, the incoming (and first ever disabled) UJS president, isn't scared of making noise; Hannah founded the Rethink2014 campaign against Israel Apartheid Week and, having been only fully identified as disabled for the past 18 months, started the UJS Disabled Students Network. Brady will focus on cross-communalism in the Jewish community in 2015, hoping to bring together different streams of Judaism together - watch out for her working manifesto Braiding for a Better Future in 2015.
7. The Model Sisters
Lucy and Sophia Greene
Co-FounderS of
Anti-Agency and Founder of 5th House PR
Ages: 27 and 29
Background: Lucy and Sophia attended Lady Margaret School. Lucy studied English Literature at Bristol, and Sophia Design and Marketing at London College of Fashion. A creative family, their mother is a jewellery designer and father was in fashion. They live in Notting Hill.
Ones to Watch: These sisters seem to do it all. At only 27, Lucy co-founded the Anti-Agency in 2013; a casting agency for non-conventional models with a focus on handpicking models with personality, style and talent. Having gained national press attention for their work, including the front cover of the Evening Standard magazine, this year they've cast for Saint Laurent, Topshop, I-D Magazine and NYLON. Sophia started 5th House, her own creative agency for PR in 2011. The luxury PR agency has taken off, becoming a consultancy for fashion talent, with clients such as Felder and Felder and Mochi.
8. The Property Mogul
Charles Curtis
Director at Finn
and Company
Age: 28
Background: Charles, from North London, went to UCS and graduated from Oxford Brookes in 2008 with a degree in Real Estate Management.
The big idea: Charles joined Finn & Co in 2010, and in five years has contributed to over £300 million worth of deals. He specialises in sourcing off market commercial investment opportunities for clients who include property institutions and high-net-worth individuals. Charles has done a lot for young people in the industry as founder of Young Surveyors - The Next Generation, a society for young professionals to meet, network and socialise. The society has more than 2,000 members.
9. The Editorial Star
Jessica Diner
Editorial Director at Birchbox UK
Age: 30
Background: Jessica went to Haberdashers' Aske's and Warwick University where she studied French Literature. She grew up in Hampstead Garden Suburb and now lives in Maida Vale with her husband.
The big idea: Former Beauty Editor at British Vogue, Jessica has been making a name for herself in publishing for years. Jess started as an intern at Vogue, and worked her way up to Beauty Editor, covering international fashion shows. She recently made the move to Birchbox UK, a monthly beauty subscription service, to cut her teeth with online editorial, and find out more about the beauty business.
10. The Diamond Boys
David and Raphael Abramov
Junior Traders at Morelle Davidson
Ages: 24 and 22
Background: David, one of triplets, went to UCS and studied Geography at UCL, while Raphael, the middle of three siblings, went to JFS and undertook a year of army service in Israel before starting work. Cousins David and Raphael both live in Hampstead Garden Suburb.
The big idea: These cousins are proving that antiquity and modernity can go hand-in-hand. As junior traders at Morelle Davidson, a prestigious fine jewellery company that focuses on gem-set and natural pearl jewels which their fathers built together, they're making a name for themselves as the next young jewellers to watch. The boys joined at the same time as the company opened its first gallery on prestigious Maddox Street, having been almost exclusively trade for 30 years, and set to work re-branding, bringing the business into the 21st century with a new website, and pushing sales through online.
Tackling an old-fashioned business with modern ideas, the new blood helped achieve a big increase in sales; and they hope in 2015 to cut a niche being an antique jewellery business with a successful online operation.
11. The Hot-Shot Lawyer
Henrietta Ronson
Criminal Defence Solicitor at Tucker Solicitors
Age: 27
Background: Henrietta went to Queens Gate School, and graduated from Leeds University with a 2:1 in History before obtaining a diploma in Law from the BPP Law School in 2009. Half-sister to the famous DJ Mark Ronson, Henrietta lives in London.
One to Watch: Henrietta was in the papers a lot in 2014 - for all the right reasons. Having dealt with a number of high-profile cases in 2014 - including those of Premier League footballer Titus Bramble, acquitted of indecent assault; teacher Jeremy Forrest, charged with abduction; and rapper Aggro Santos, acquitted on two rape charges -she's making a mark in the law world. She's been involved in this year's phone hacking scandal, and continues to assist in representation of former newspaper executives at the News of the World and Trinity Mirror. She's dealt with everything from serious fraud to murder, and we can her career is set to go from strength to strength in 2015.
12. The Young Heartthrob
Gregg Sulkin
Actor and Director
Age: 22
Background: Born in London, Gregg went to Highgate School, and had his barmitzvah at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. He now spends most of his time in America filming.
One to Watch: You've probably already heard of Gregg Sulkin; the doe-eyed actor made his television debut at the tender age of 10 on TV's Doctor Zhivago, and with well over a million adoring fans on Facebook, has melted hearts of teenage girls everywhere. A North London boy, who attended Highgate School, he's starred among the likes of Helena Bonham-Carter and Catherine Tate in feature-length films. His current role in hit series Faking It on MTV has sparked his meteoric rise to fame, with modelling jobs and limited edition T-shirts alongside his on-screen career. Expect big things from the 22-year old star in 2015.
13. The Investment Inspiration
Victor Lee
Vice President at Patron Capital
Age: 28
Background: Victor went to UCS and studied History at Oxford Brookes before going into finance. He lives in Knightsbridge.
One to Watch: Victor is Vice President at private equity fund Patron Capital, which manages €2.5bn of capital for Institutional investors. He's been involved in some of the company's most successful transactions and was key to the launch of the company's new £200m social impact property fund with Legal & General, one of the first of its kind in the UK - aiming to make a financial return while achieving a positive social good at the same time.
Not just a financial mogul, Victor has been helping charitable causes in London - he organised A Perfect Day street festival, attended by 15,000 people, which raised over £15k for Swiss Cottage School for children with special needs.
He has run four marathons, raising over £40k for Sparks charity and was one of the lead members of a team that completed the 3peaks challenge (climbing the tallest mountain in each of England, Scotland and Wales in 24 hours) raising over £60k.
14. The International Artist
Charlotte Posner
Artist
Age: 27
Background: Charlotte studied at King Solomon High School, followed by the Chelsea College of Arts. She's from Essex originally, but now lives in Marylebone and paints in East London
One to Watch: Charlotte is a London-based artist who creates highly detailed, beautiful work from her East London studio. Graduating from the Princes School of Traditional Arts in 2010, Charlotte has gone on to be a Saatchi Competition finalist, and exhibitor at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. She's exhibited internationally, in Japan, Lahore, Hong Kong, New York, and Singapore, and was featured on the BBC Culture Show. Her latest series explores desire in its many forms - and in 2015 she will be in the studio, working on new commissions and launching her very own jewellery range in collaboration with Alex Mika.
15. The Global Filmmaker
Jacob Perlmutter
Filmmaker, Musician and Photographer
Age: 25
Background: Jacob, who comes from an arts and psychotherapy family, went to King Alfred School and JFS before studying Arts at Bournemouth University. He lives in North London and is currently writing a film with his father.
One to Watch: Jacob broke into the creative industry at only 15, working as a music photographer during his GCSEs. The filmmaker has created films for brands such as Kodak, and travels the globe to shoot his work. His first photo-essay, 88 Days, was shot in America and is a comparative piece exploring the country through the eyes of Robert Frank, a Swiss-Jew some 50 years after Frank made the trip. In 2014, Jacob travelled to Brazil to record his debut album Meanwhile, in Rio, working with rising star Brazilian producer Diogo Strausz. Together, they created a pop-up recording studio in the basement of a mansion, to use as a hub for everyone to contribute to the record. This year will be big for Jacob; he's currently polishing his debut feature-length screenplay, which he will shoot and direct in 2016.
