ambitious business leaders
The LDC Top 50 for 2021


Emilie Vanpoperinghe
Founder, Oddbox
The Most Ambitious Business Leader
Emilie Vanpoperinghe
Founder, Oddbox
Emilie founded Oddbox with her husband in 2016 to tackle global food waste and since then the company has grown to deliver more than three million boxes of surplus, unwanted or misshapen fruit and vegetables to customers across the UK. The judges commended Emilie for not only growing a business that is creating jobs and generating economic value, having grown 40-fold since 2018, but for rapidly building a brand that is committed to tackling food waste - one of the biggest contributors to climate change.
Read moreAndy wowed the judges with his unwavering commitment to helping students with disabilities and learning difficulties to have a fulfilling education at university. His firm uses technology to create personalised learning solutions. The judges praised his ambition to continue to remove barriers in education, employment and life.
Read moreChris launched Transmission’s first international office in in San Francisco in 2019. Just three years later, the global marketing agency has 12 offices around the world, helping clients such as Microsoft and HP to sell in complex markets, such as China and India.
Read moreFormer TV presenter Trinny spotted an opportunity to create an inclusive make-up brand, Trinny London. The brand which has become a global e-commerce business in just four years. Trinny’s army of online advocates, “the Trinny Tribe”, have helped the brand to expand to 180 countries.
Read moreRod is the founder of Circular Computing, which takes unwanted laptops and turns them into new ones that offer 97 per cent of the performance of the original for a fraction of the carbon footprint. He is creating a sustainable solution to the world’s growing e-waste problem and now has the capacity to make 10,000 laptops a month.
Read morePraveen is a coder-turned-entrepreneur and his software consultancy has created a community of freelancers to learn from each other. He is hoping to employ 1,000 people within three years and has created a culture of continual improvement, which means his team always has the most relevant technical skills.
Read moreMart and Rob are creating a circular economy for T-shirts. Every item is returned at the end of its life and turned into a new top. Teemill’s factory also uses renewable energy and T-shirts are printed to order, meaning zero waste.
Read moreDr Eric is on a mission to improve the standard of cancer care by providing patients with more accurate, convenient and less expensive solutions for diagnosis and treatment. In just three years, Cambridge-based Endomag has tripled the number of patients it provides with more precise cancer care, from 40,000 to more than 130,000.
Read moreMeet The LDC Top 50
The LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Leaders is dedicated to celebrating these entrepreneurial individuals, many of whom rarely get the plaudits they deserve. This year, they hail from across the UK, from Portsmouth to Dundee and Leeds to the Isle of Wight. Together, they employ 9,500 people and generate annual revenues of £1.2bn. Find out more about our 2021 programme and meet The LDC Top 50 and Ones to Watch.
Watch the video
Highly Commended – Ones to Watch
Eric Mayes
CEO, Endomag
Dr Eric is on a mission to improve the standard of cancer care by providing patients with more accurate, convenient and less expensive solutions for diagnosis and treatment. In just three years, Cambridge-based Endomag has tripled the number of patients it provides with more precise cancer care, from 40,000 to more than 130,000.
Dr Megan Rossi & Jon Walsh
Co-founder & Product Director and Co-founder & CEO, Bio&Me