Wrexham Business Entrepreneurship Network’s (BEN) first ever Dragons’ Den event took place on Friday March 28th and was a resounding success. More than 150 hopeful entrepreneurs and experienced business leaders and organisations attended Glyndwr University Racecourse Stadium, where they shared their insights into how to start and run a successful business. Eight of the most promising entrepreneurs were asked to pitch to the panel of dragons, and will now attend a fortnightly Enterprise Club run by Coleg Cambria with meetings held at the Wrexham Library, where they will receive mentoring for the next 12 months.
The Wrexham BEN was set up by Askar Sheibani, CEO and founder of Deeside-based Comtek and Business Entrepreneurship Champion, and this Dragons’ Den event took place following an earlier successful initiative in Flintshire. Supported by Coleg Cambria, Glyndwr University, Communities First, local businesses, Wrexham Council and the Welsh Government, the event aims to increase the number of new businesses in and around Wrexham.
“It was great to see so many future entrepreneurs at the Wrexham Dragons’ Den,” said Askar Sheibani. “The key to a strong economy is to stimulate economic growth and prosperity within local communities, we’ve already had great success with initiatives like this in Flintshire, and it’s encouraging to see that Wrexham also has an appetite for entrepreneurship.”
“The Dragons’ Den Event showed that community spirit is in good supply in Wrexham, and working together is exactly what we need to get Britain’s economy turning in the right direction,” said Ian Lucas MP for Wrexham, who attended the event. “There is a wealth of experience contained in businesses across the country and it is critical that we tap into this to make the companies of the future a success.”
“Innovation and entrepreneurship are critically important, and it’s fantastic to see these qualities being nurtured in young people in our region,” said Ken Skates, who attended the event in his capacity as AM for Clywd South.