Graham, your career spans invention, design, academia, and entrepreneurship. What first sparked your curiosity to create, innovate, and build beyond conventional boundaries?
Honestly? Paper folding. As a child, I was completely obsessed with origami, I’d spend hours making fortune tellers, those paper games where you pick a number and unfold to reveal your future. There was something magical about how a flat sheet could transform into something interactive, something that made people lean in and engage. That childhood fascination never really left me. Years later, when I was thinking about how dull most marketing materials were, my mind kept returning to that simple paper fortune teller. That’s where the interloopmailer® came from, not from any grand strategic vision, but from wondering if I could bring that same sense of playful discovery to business communication. Sometimes the best ideas come from the things that captivated us as kids.
You are both an academic and a practicing entrepreneur. How has balancing theory and real-world execution shaped the way you think about innovation?
I’ve also learned a lot from my students to be honest. Working with Universities like Westminster, Cambridge and Dundee keeps me grounded, young people have a wonderful way of asking ‘why?’ about things you’ve stopped questioning. And when I’m in the classroom, I can’t hide behind jargon or theory. If I can’t explain something in plain English with real examples from my own mistakes, it’s probably not worth saying. The academic world has taught me to think more carefully; the business world has taught me that thinking without doing is just daydreaming. I need both.
Looking back over three decades of entrepreneurship, which early lesson most profoundly shaped the leader you are today?
That it’s okay not to have all the answers. Early on, I thought being a leader meant projecting certainty, having a plan for everything. It took me years—and quite a few humbling moments to realise that the best thing I could do was admit when I didn’t know something and surround myself with people who could fill those gaps. The businesses I’m proudest of weren’t built on my brilliance; they were built on collaboration, on being willing to listen and on learning from getting things wrong.
You’ve been recognized as an inventor with breakthroughs like interloopmailer® and Reggie®. Where do your most powerful ideas tend to come from—problem-solving, observation, or imagination?
They come from noticing there may be a better way. The interloopmailer® started with that childhood love of origami fortune tellers, but it became a real product because I noticed how quickly people threw away conventional mailers. I thought, what if opening the post could feel like unwrapping a gift? Reggie® came from a similarly simple observation. In 2011, I created Reggie® Education, the world’s first app that let teachers take the register on their phones. Then one day I was standing in a car park during a fire drill, watching the paper register literally dissolve in the rain. I thought, hang on, this is a legal requirement and I can’t even read the names anymore. That moment planted the seed for Reggie Firedrill. The concept was ahead of its time, there was no 5G or reliable wifi back then. It took ten years before the technology caught up. When I finally showed Bentley the prototype, it clicked and away we went. I don’t sit around waiting for lightning bolts of inspiration. I just try to pay attention to what’s not working and ask whether there might be a better way.
BUILDING GRAHAM SHAPIRO DESIGN & LASTING ENTERPRISES
Graham Shapiro Design has thrived for over 30 years in an ever-changing digital landscape. What core principles have allowed the company to stay relevant, trusted, and future-ready?
I wish I could say it was all strategic genius, but really it comes down to caring about the work and caring about the people we work with. We’ve been fortunate to build long relationships with organisations like Rolex, Liverpool FC and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and those relationships last because we genuinely invest in understanding what they need, not just what they’re asking for. We’ve also never been afraid to admit when the world is changing faster than we are. GSD® started as a traditional graphic design studio; we’ve had to reinvent ourselves several times to stay relevant. Staying curious and staying humble, that’s about it, really.
You’ve worked with some of the world’s most respected organisations. How do you translate a client’s vision into meaningful visual communication that truly resonates?
Lots of listening, lots of questions and being willing to push back gently when something doesn’t feel right. When The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award chose the interloopmailer® for the “Live a Legacy: A One Hundred Year Celebration invitations,” we spent time understanding what they actually wanted people to feel, not just what they wanted to say. The best work happens when clients trust us enough to have honest conversations, when we can say ‘have you considered this?’.
In an age of automation and AI-driven creativity, what do you believe still makes human-led design and innovation irreplaceable?
Empathy, I think. And taste, though that sounds old-fashioned. AI is extraordinary at generating options and being a help, but it doesn’t understand context the way humans do. It doesn’t know that a particular colour might feel wrong for a brand with a certain history, or that an audience is going through something that changes how they’ll receive a message. Good design requires emotional intelligence, cultural awareness and sometimes just gut instinct built up over years. Technology is a wonderful tool but tools don’t have feelings. People do.
As a CEO and Chairman, how do you foster a culture of creativity, discipline, and originality within your teams?
By trying to create a space where people feel safe to have a go, even if it doesn’t work out. Creativity dies when people are afraid of looking silly. I’ve got things wrong publicly more times than I can count, I think that helps, actually. If the person at the top can admit mistakes, it gives everyone else permission to take risks. I’m lucky to work with brilliant people, including my daughter, who brings energy and ideas I’d never have thought of. The best cultures are ones where different perspectives collide and something unexpected emerges. I try to hire people who’ll challenge me, not just agree with me.
LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION & SHAPING FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS
As Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, how do you prepare students for a business world that is still being invented?
I focus on the stuff that doesn’t change: how to spot a real problem worth solving, how to pick yourself up after things go wrong, how to communicate clearly. Technologies come and go, but those fundamentals stick. Through The Graham Shapiro Foundation’s Enterprise Challenge, we give students chances to try things for real, with actual stakes. You learn more from one failed pitch than from ten textbooks. My job isn’t to give them answers, it’s to help them get comfortable with uncertainty, because that’s what entrepreneurship actually feels like most of the time.
What skills or mindsets do you believe tomorrow’s entrepreneurs must develop to succeed in increasingly complex global markets?
Adaptability, definitely. And the humility to change course when the evidence says you’re wrong. I’d also say emotional resilience, not toughness in the macho sense, but the ability to look after yourself while dealing with uncertainty. The entrepreneurs I admire most are the ones who build things that genuinely help people, not just things that make money. Finding that intersection, where commercial viability meets real human need, that’s the sweet spot.
You serve as an Innovation Ambassador and Professor in Practice across leading universities. How do academic institutions need to evolve to truly nurture entrepreneurial talent?
They need more mess, honestly. More opportunities for students to try things, fail safely and learn from real experience rather than case studies. When I work with the University of Cambridge, Westminster and Dundee, I try to bring in as much real-world chaos as possible, actual entrepreneurs with actual problems, not sanitised success stories. The Self-Leadership Programme my Charity fund at Westminster is about giving students practical mental health tools alongside theory. Universities are brilliant at teaching people to think; they could be better at teaching people to do.
What role does failure play in innovation, and how do you teach young entrepreneurs to view setbacks as assets rather than obstacles?
I share my own failures, frankly. Nothing deflates the fear of getting things wrong like hearing someone further along the path admit they’ve messed up plenty of times. Failure is just information, it tells you what doesn’t work, which narrows down what might. The trick is learning to examine setbacks without beating yourself up about them. What happened? Why? What would you do differently? If you can ask those questions honestly, failure becomes useful. It’s never fun, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the story. You never lose, you learn.
INFLUENCE, IMPACT & PURPOSE-DRIVEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Beyond commercial success, you founded The Graham Shapiro Foundation to support mental health, wellbeing, and young innovators. What inspired this deeply human mission?
I was never a natural do-gooder. The Foundation came from a much more personal place. In 2009, I had a brain spasm due to ‘burn out’, a genuinely frightening moment that forced me to stop and reflect on what actually matters. But beyond that, I’d watched people very close to me struggle with nervous breakdowns, dementia and post-traumatic stress disorder. When mental health issues affect the people you love, you stop seeing it as something abstract. You want awareness, you want support, and you want to do something useful. More recently, just twelve months ago at 56, I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism. Suddenly so many things made sense, the way my brain works, the struggles I’d had that I couldn’t explain. I want other entrepreneurs to know they’re not alone, that there’s no shame in struggling, and that being wired differently can actually be a strength once you understand it.
Why do you believe mental health and wellbeing are critical conversations in entrepreneurship and leadership today?
Because too many of us have spent years pretending, we’re fine when we’re not. The myth of the invincible entrepreneur, always confident, never struggling, has done real damage. Since my ADHD and autism diagnosis, I’ve been open about it and the response has been overwhelming. So many people have reached out to say ‘me too’ or ‘I’ve always wondered.’ We lose brilliant entrepreneurs to burnout, to mental health crises, to feeling like they’re somehow broken because they can’t fit the mould. Being recognised as Young Persons’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Charity of the Year meant so much because it validated what we believe: talking about this stuff openly makes things better, not worse.
How can successful entrepreneurs use their influence to create meaningful social impact without losing business focus?
I don’t think you have to choose. When GSD® works with organisations like The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, we’re doing good commercial work that also happens to support something worthwhile. Reggie® Firedrill is a business, but its whole purpose is making workplaces safer, hopefully saving lives and making the world a bit better. The Foundation isn’t separate from my entrepreneurial life, it’s an extension of it. I think the most sustainable approach is finding where your skills and your values overlap, then building from there. Purpose doesn’t have to be a bolt-on; it can be baked in from the start.
What responsibility do influential business leaders have in shaping ethical, inclusive, and sustainable innovation ecosystems?
A significant one, I think, though I’m wary of sounding preachy about it. If you’ve been fortunate enough to build something, you’ve had help along the way, whether you recognised it or not. Paying that forward feels right. For me, that means championing neurodiversity and mental health, supporting young entrepreneurs who don’t fit conventional moulds, and trying to show that success doesn’t require sacrificing your wellbeing or your values. I don’t have all the answers, but I try to use whatever platform I have to make things a bit easier for those coming up behind me.
LEGACY, INNOVATION & THE ROAD AHEAD
Being recognised among The Most Influential Entrepreneurs Making Waves in the Industry, 2026—what does this acknowledgment represent at this stage of your journey?
It’s lovely, genuinely, though ‘influential’ is a big word that makes me a bit uncomfortable. What it represents, I suppose, is an opportunity. If this recognition means more people hear about the Foundation’s work, or that one entrepreneur reads about my late diagnosis and thinks ‘maybe I should get checked out too,’ then it’s worth something beyond personal acknowledgment. I’ve never been driven by awards, but I’ve learned they can be useful for opening doors and starting conversations that matter.
How do you personally define success now—has that definition evolved from earlier stages of your career?
Completely. When I was younger, success meant proving myself, building something from nothing, winning recognition, landing impressive clients. I’m not going to pretend that didn’t matter; it did. But now? Success is seeing a former student launch their own business. It’s watching the Foundation support mental health charities and knowing that makes a real difference. It’s working alongside my daughter and feeling proud of who she’s becoming. It’s understanding myself better after 56 years and finally making peace with how my brain works. The external markers matter less now. What matters is whether the people I care about are okay and whether I’m contributing something useful.
What excites you most about the future of design, digital entrepreneurship, and innovation over the next decade?
The young people, honestly. Through the Enterprise Challenge and my university work, I meet students with ideas and perspectives that would never have occurred to me. They’re growing up with technology as a native language, but the best of them also understand that technology is only as good as the human problems it solves. I’m excited by Reggie® Firedrill and its potential to genuinely save lives and improve emergency preparedness. And I’m excited that conversations about mental health, neurodiversity and different ways of thinking are finally becoming mainstream. The next decade could be remarkable if we get the human stuff right alongside the technological stuff.
Finally, when people reflect on Graham Shapiro’s legacy, what do you hope they say about your impact as an entrepreneur, inventor, educator, and human being?
I hope they say I was helpful. That sounds simple, but I mean it. That when people came to me with problems, whether they were clients, students, or fellow entrepreneurs, I tried to be genuinely useful rather than just impressive. I hope they say I was honest about my own struggles and that doing so made it easier for others to be honest about theirs. I hope the people closest to me, my family, my colleagues, the young entrepreneurs I’ve worked with, would say I showed up, listened properly and cared about their success as much as my own. Legacy isn’t really about what you built; it’s about how you made people feel and whether you left things a bit better than you found them.
A Personal Reflection on Neurodiversity
At the age of 56, Graham Shapiro received a diagnosis of ADHD and autism, a moment that quietly reframed his understanding of his entrepreneurial journey. What once felt like contradictions intense focus in some areas, difficulty in others, and a tendency to think differently from peers began to make sense. Rather than limitations, these traits revealed themselves as part of how his mind is wired. Speaking openly about this experience is intentional. Many entrepreneurs operate without realising they are neurodivergent, and late diagnosis can be profoundly liberating. By sharing his story, Graham hopes to encourage others to seek clarity, understanding, and self-acceptance if something in their journey has never quite felt aligned.
Distinctions and Professional Recognition
Graham’s work has been recognised across design, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers, the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Royal Society of Arts and a Freeman of the City of London. He is also the patent holder of interloopmailer® and the recipient of the International Business Excellence Award for Inspirational Male Leader. His entrepreneurial impact has been further acknowledged through multiple finalist positions at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
Academic Leadership and Appointments
Alongside his entrepreneurial career, Graham holds key academic roles shaping future innovators. He serves as Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Westminster, Innovation Ambassador at the University of Cambridge and Professor in Practice at the University of Dundee. Through these positions, he bridges theory with real-world application, preparing students for the realities of modern entrepreneurship.
The Graham Shapiro Foundation: Recognised Impact
The Graham Shapiro Foundation has earned national and international recognition for its work in mental health and wellbeing. The organisation has been honoured as Young Persons’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Charity of the Year and Mental Health and Wellbeing Charity of the Year, and has received a Bronze Stevie Award for Non-Profit Thought Leadership. Registered as a UK charity, the Foundation focuses on practical support, awareness and long-term impact.
Notable Global Clients
Through Graham Shapiro Design, Graham has worked with some of the world’s most respected organisations, including Apple, Rolex, Fiat Chrysler, Philips, Samsung, Siemens, Liverpool FC, Porsche, Komatsu, Bentley, Stephen Webster, Clive Christian, and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. These long-standing relationships reflect a reputation built on trust, creativity, and meaningful collaboration.
Inventions That Solve Real Problems
Graham is the inventor of interloopmailer®, a patented interactive direct mail format inspired by a childhood fascination with origami fortune tellers. Designed to transform engagement, it has been adopted by leading global brands. He also created Reggie® Education, the world’s first mobile app enabling teachers to take classroom registers on their phones. This later evolved into Reggie® Firedrill, an emergency preparedness system inspired by a real-world moment when a paper register became unreadable during a fire drill. With advancements in connectivity, the idea matured into a practical solution designed to improve safety and potentially save lives.
Charitable Partnerships and Community Support
The Foundation actively supports organisations dedicated to mental health, wellbeing, and community resilience, including MIND, The Mental Health Foundation, Help for Heroes, Young Minds, Alzheimers Society and CALM. Each partnership reflects a commitment to practical action, empathy, and social responsibility.
