Flintshire-based start-up Young Entrepreneur Start Ups has been named as the Start Up for Good winner at the 2025 Wales StartUp Awards.
Founded in 2024, Young Entrepreneur Start Ups is on a mission to equip teenagers—especially those failed by or outside traditional education—with the tools, confidence, and mindset to build a life of freedom through entrepreneurship. The programme is designed to be inclusive, neurodivergent-friendly, and trauma-informed, offering both practical business skills and deep personal growth. The company offers full scholarships to disadvantaged teens and is already transforming lives across the UK and beyond.
Michelle Foulia, co-founder of Young Entrepreneur StartUps, said:
“Winning the Start Up for Good Award is deeply personal for me. As a teen who grew up in care and walked out at 16 with no qualifications and undiagnosed ADHD, I know how hard it is to navigate a world that doesn’t see your potential. This award is for every young person who feels unseen or left behind. It’s proof that with the right support, and resources, they can shape their own future. Our next step is to grow our reach, expand our scholarship programme, and continue building a global movement that empowers teens to become confident, purpose-driven, world changing entrepreneurs—no matter their background or path in life.”
Supported by a wide range of partners, including Airwallex, Big Ideas Wales, Bodlondeb, Business Wales, Cardiff Life, Coffi Lab, Join Talent, M-Sparc, Mentera, Town Square, and V-Rum, the UK StartUp Awards were established to highlight the success of start-ups across ten UK nations and regions and to celebrate the achievements of entrepreneurs in all sectors of the economy.
According to Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, creator of the UK StartUp Awards, a surge in start-up ambition reflects a new generation of entrepreneurs who are not only identifying opportunities but are also building innovative, resilient businesses that are shaping the future of the regional economy.
He said:
“Entrepreneurs across Wales are reshaping the economic landscape, turning bold ideas into thriving ventures and ambition into meaningful impact. That’s why we created the StartUp Awards, to celebrate the individuals who are building something from nothing and making a real difference in their communities. Across the country, from coastal towns to city centres, Welsh entrepreneurs are developing everything from cutting-edge digital solutions to sustainable food brands and green energy businesses that are all grounded in a deep sense of place, purpose, and national pride.”
“I’m delighted that Young Entrepreneur Start Ups has won their category at the awards and I’m looking forward to having them join the ‘best of the best’ from Wales competing at the UK final later this year.”
All regional winners in their category will now progress to the UK StartUp Awards final, taking place at Ideas Fest on September 11 – dubbed the “Glastonbury for Entrepreneurs” – along with the winners from nine other nations and regions.
