Tom Griffiths Email and Phone Number
Entrepreneur, innovator, constructive disruptor, social entrepreneur- Sunday Times Top 100 Entrepreneur & Disruptor- Top 100 Most Influential People in the UK Travel IndustryIn his foreword to Tom's second book, Sir Richard Branson said of Tom that "His energy and enthusiasm is infectious"* Early entrepreneurial journey*@ 22: published first book ‘Before You Go’ (backpacking advice)@ 23: Young Travel Writer of the Year@ 24: gapyear.com launched onto one of the world’s first social network platforms (1998)@ 25: Published second book ‘The Virgin Travellers’ Handbook'@ 26: £1.65m VC funding into gapyear.com, grew global brand- 2000-2011 appeared most weeks on TV, radio & print as the global Gap Year spokesperson- 2010 gapyear.com sold to Flight Centre. Exit 2011 - 2013 moved to N.Ireland. Focus on business consultancy (innovation, disruption, fresh direction, digital marketing) & start-ups* Ideas originated by Tom | gapyear.com days *HSBC Gap Year bank account, 'Gap Year' Insurance, £50m UK Government ‘Gap Year’ project funded by Chancellor Gordon Brown MP, Virgin Blue "Why Walkabout when you can Flyabout' campaign, Global Backpacker Hostel Fire Safety Campaign, Gap Year Magazine, The Gap Year Card [first Prepaid Mastercard travel discount card], Fair Trade Volunteering + countless creative campaigns over that decade * 2013 - 2020 | N.Ireland projects *~ 100 day plan re-brand & digital strategiesEnterpriseNI Network digital platform, Sea Source (NI) fishing co-op, NI Fish Producers Organisation, DR Maritime Assets ~ 100 day start-upbrandNI (crowd-sourced collaboration movement for NI), #loveto (UK's largest digital arts campaign 2014/15), DERRYcreatives, MADE in Mourne, Dundonald Art Corridor~ Originator: 90 Minute start-up challenge 100 people, crowd source a business idea, launch the business (logo, website, social, marketing) - start to finish: 90 minutes flat!~ Disruption conceptsMovebuddi: the end of the estate agent, Fresh Catch: sea to plate, Street'AR't: AR street art sales platform* Media campaigns *Campaigned for more than a decade to cut backpacker deaths: Malaria, Hostel fire safety, Travel Insurance, STIs. In NI: 'support artisanNI producers', 'Buy local | support NI fishing families'* Advisor/speaker*- Government advisor to FCO, Home Office (UK)- Keynote conference speaker, flown as far as Australia & USA to liven up the debate2021 | Joined Scott @ Scotlens.com- Launched the #nightlenses revolution & nightlenses.com- Launched myopiachat.org: campaigning for better UK myopia awareness for parents
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FounderNightlenses.Com | Non-Surgical Perfect SightBelfast, Gb
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Co-Founder & CeoNightlenses.Com | Non-Surgical Perfect Sight Nov 2020 - PresentLinlithgow, Scotland, United KingdomNight lenses give short-sighted people perfect sight without needing glasses, day contact lenses or laser eye surgery. Nightlenses.com is a public advice site where you can find your nearest fitter. Currently UK, in 2023/24 we roll out to US, Canada, Australia, NZ & S.Africa (~80 million myopes).Night lenses are the new name for Ortho-K (Orthokeratology) lenses which are growing fast worldwide. UK: 10 million people have myopia (short-sight): 6m use glasses, 4m day lenses, ~200k laser & <20k currently use night lenses. The massive environmental waste of day lenses (730 lenses + packaging binned /year) & being able to see without a lens in your eye, is causing a switch from day to night lenses (2 lenses/yr). Spec wearers choose them to end spec hassles and to be able to see all the time.Safer for police officers, better for elite sports and a game changer for stopping children's short-sight deterioration / cutting their risks of future eye disease - just 3 reasons the #nightlenses revolution is taking off.My teen son's life was transformed by night lenses. Terribly short-sighted, he went from being held back by glasses (couldn't see when they fell off, couldn't play sport, rain on specs ...), to a lad who could see perfectly doing whatever he wanted, including surfing (his passion) without glasses or contact lenses. His myopia stabilised at -4.5D. He now has ~40% decreased risk of eye disease later in life. I couldn't describe them to others or remember the name ("Orthosomething!"). When I could, they sounded 'too good to be true'. There was nowhere to send people to find out more. So Scott (biz partner) and I decided to disrupt the Ortho-K space by re-naming them 'Night Lenses'. There are now 4 maintream options for eyecare: Glasses, Day Lenses, Night Lenses & Laser eye surgery.nightlenses.com was born.To join the #nightlenses revolution, head to nightlenses.comVids below: see how they work + watch people seeing for the first time with night lenses
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Partner & Managing DirectorScotlens Nov 2020 - PresentScotlens is a GP contact lens manufacturer in Scotland. Founded in the early 1970’s by Jack Brown, an optometrist who didn’t like the quality of the contact lenses he was being offered … he decided to make his own! In a granny flat he built in his house. Scotlens was born. Jack was one of the early pioneers of what eventually became GP lenses, and the first in the UK to play with Ortho-K night lenses in the late 1970’s. Scotlens achieved the first CE mark in Europe for an Ortho-K lens.In 2003, Jack’s son Scott Brown, also an optometrist, joined the business. In 2014 he bought it. Like his dad, an innovating entrepreneur obsessed with quality, Scott developed the range of custom fit GP lenses you see today. A small independent manufacturer, proudly punching above its weight with what many state to be the best quality GP lenses in the UK. We don’t disagree.My part of the story? A Scotlens Nocturnal ‘night lens’ changed my son's life (see section above for more about night lenses and my story). Amazed I'd never heard of these lenses, I met Scott in 2019 and we hit it off. These lenses were unknown because they are called Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses. Opticians couldn’t explain them, patients couldn’t understand them. During lockdown Scott and I played with some ideas. I became Scott’s official new business partner in 2021. We decided to write the next chapter: disrupt the global Ortho-K market by re-branding them as ‘Night Lenses’. We launched nightlenses.com and kicked off the #nightlenses revolution!Proud also to launch the #MyopiaChat and #supportINDEPENDENTopticians campaigns.WATCH: Jess below see for the first time without glasses/day lenses with a Scotlens Nocturnal night lens - "I can see!" "I have my eye-sight back!". We transform lives. What an amazing business to be in ... -
Co-FounderMyopiachat.Org Jan 2022 - PresentBelfast, Northern Ireland, United KingdomWhen my son was 9, our optician told us he had 'short-sight'. My wife and I were unconcerned. It's harmless right? "We'll get him some glasses". He then lost 1 dioptre per year for the next 4 years. Aged 9 he loved sports and had tons of confidence. The wheels came off in his life as his sight disappeared - he stopped playing sports and lost confidence.7 years (!!) after first diagnosis and many optician visits we heard the term 'Myopia' for the first time! Not from his optician. It turns out that 'short-sight' is a casual term for a disease called Myopia, that (a) isn't harmless (directly linked to future diseases like detached retinas, glaucoma etc) and (b) can be slowed with lifestyle changes like more time outdoors and less screen time + myopia control devices: glasses with myopia control, day lenses with myopia control & night lenses.My son started to use night lenses age 14. His myopia stabilised instantly, at -4.5D for 5 years now.I met a lad the same age as my son, who was also diagnosed aged 9 and instantly put into night lenses. At 19 his myopia was stable at -1.5D and, without correction, could see right down the eye chart. My son could only just see the top letter without correction. It was then we discovered my son also had >50% increased risk of eye disease later in life than he might have had if we started at first diagnosis. My wife and I were devastated.I can't get his sight or increased risk of eye disease back. But I can ensure that optometrists stop using the term 'short-sight' and that all parents are given a Myopia Chat at first diagnosis, be told what Myopia is, the control devices available and how to manage myopia in non-medical language they understand.The MyopiaChat campaign was created. MyopiaChat.org was born.The campaign provides free, independent, non-commercial advice to parents and ECPs to enable quality Myopia Chats. To help children have better sight, better lives and less risk of eye disease in later life.
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ConsultantBrand, Creative, Media, Marketing, Fresh Direction Jun 2000 - Jan 2021Belfast, United KingdomI work with CEO’s, MD’s & Executive level on company turnaround, global brand & sales growth, "fresh thinking ~ new direction", media/comms strategies (including bringing back in-house) and "high impact > fast result" media & marketing projects. A 'constructive disruptor' I use my own 100 day model to get things done. * Recent client examples [N.Ireland] *[ARTS] Voluntary Arts Ireland: needed fast high impact results to disrupt the NI arts sector. 100 day plan delivered the #loveto campaign (#lovetoDANCE, #lovetoKNIT, etc). Highlights included the Rory McIlroy Pumpkin, Finn McCools Underpants. It achieved millions of social impressions in 12 months.[GOVERNMENT] EnterpriseNI: NI’s largest local enterprise network of 28 business parks. CEO brief: bring them all together under one digital strategy. The 100 day plan delivered a digital platform & connected digital strategy that aggregated content from all 28 LEA’s into one space. [CO-OPERATIVE] Sea Source: NI’s largest seafood ‘sea to plate’ business, a membership co-operative of fishermen responsible for ~60% of the NI catch. The 100 day plan delivered a global brand, high impact marketing film, media strategy & a connected digital strategy to support global sales growth. [COMMERCIAL] DR Group: UK's largest Guard Vessel owner-operator. 100 day plan: delivered a full re-brand, digital shop-front, InvestNI support and European strategy capable of unlocking 7 figure growth.[CHARITY] MADE in Mourne: a fab social enterprise growing the creative economy in the Mournes. 100 day plan started when we peered through the window of the vacant shop. 98 days later the doors opened. >£100k sales in year 1. Brilliant!* Media model *I spent over a decade in the media around the world as a media figure and content provider, generating ~£50m of PR value off virtually zero budget. I teach companies this model, deliver media training and originate creative media campaigns.
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Co-Founder & AdvisorMade In Mourne Oct 2017 - Nov 2020KilkeelMADE in Mourne is a community crowd collaboration project based in Kilkeel, nestled at the base of the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland. It was launched in just 98 days (100 day plan success!) on a crowd fund / community collaboration model. Lead by one of NI's most impressive young entrepreneurs, Jenna Stevenson.GROUND FLOOR | theSHOPThe fabulous ‘MADE in Mourne’ shop sells locally made original gifts, unique home deco arts & crafts and handmade artisan foodFIRST FLOOR | theHUBA creative space complete with meeting rooms, workspaces and an honesty coffee bar for start-ups, small businesses, business folk and community groups to meet, network, collaborate and grow businessesTOP FLOOR | theSTUDIOHome to creative companies, makers and start-ups.A not-for-profit model, the plan is to make the building commercially successful to be able to fund local initiatives, both creative and commercial that help to grow the local creative economy, provide more jobs and help to sustain those who live and work in the Mourne Region.A great example of what can be achieved when a community works together.madeinmourne.com to find out more or follow socially.
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Innovating In N.IrelandConsultant May 2016 - Nov 2020Belfast, United Kingdom“We run 12 Internet of Things conferences globally. When Tom heard we were looking for a UK venue he insisted we fly to Belfast. Tom is an incredible advocate of NI and sells the NI vision with passion and experience. And not being from NI originally has a great independent view” Jane Noordhuis, CEO, Vinelake“NI is an emerging economy that needs vision, a new strategy and fresh thinking. Tom delivers all 3. He challenges views that hold NI back and his macro growth through micro innovation will undoubtedly drive the change we seek” Gordon Gough, CEO, EnterpriseNI“NI needs entrepreneurial government, communities, educationalists and businesses - fifth columnists, constructively challenging the status quo. Our public sector is too institutionalised. We need real entrepreneurs to create genuine innovation with less government empires and talking shops. Tom is a fantastic catalyst using ‘on trend’ models and creative thinking to inspire results beyond capabilities”Derek McCallan, CEO, NILGA“NI arts is a vibrant part of the creative economy and we've embarked on a new path away from an over dependency on Government funding, working together to create a more sustainable model. Tom has been instrumental in making this happen and has already helped us create the UK’s largest digital arts campaign."Kevin Murphy, CO, Voluntary Arts Ireland“We want to show the world that NI has world class talent that punches above its weight, so we need an exciting digital identity and creative output that is recognised and valued around the world. Tom's constructive disruption and high impact creativity is helping to steer NI in the right direction towards a stronger, future economy”Kailash Chada, CFO [RCR Ireland], Ulster Bank
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Originator90 Minute Challenge Apr 2016 - Nov 2020Belfast, United KingdomTHE 90 MINUTE CHALLENGEThis is a live event originated and hosted by entrepreneur, innovator and disruptor, Tom Griffiths. In only 90 minutes those in the room will come up with a business idea or a creative challenge and launch it. The idea is to give people a real life experience of being an entrepreneur, an innovator or disruptor. With so little time and inadequate tools to do the job, participants have to think fast, rely on gut feel and be truly creative to launch an outcome that didn't exist an hour and a half before.OPTION 1: *Crowd sourced idea to live business in 90 minutes*Within 5 minutes everyone on your table will come up with a business idea and between you you'll chose the best idea on the table. 5 minutes later all participants will choose the best idea in the room. 80 minutes later the following will be live/ready: website, email, logo, social media [facebook, twitter, instagram, linkedin], business cards, strategies for sales, social media and marketing, maybe also a TV / magazine advert planned, a jingle, radio advert ... it could even be trading with the first sales in the bag. You'll also get a video of the whole experience. One of you might also walk away with a business that might be worth millions one day! You never know...OPTION 2: *90 minute creative challenge*We build you a challenge in a similar format to above for virtually anything in the creative, business, Government, youth spaces. The 90 minute challenge is fast and furious. It's an exciting event where those involved leave with a fresh view of how to be innovative and creative. This can't be taught, only experienced and enabled. We need a more innovative and creative approach to business and government, folks daring to do things differently, knowing that it's ok to fail, to make mistakes to learn how to do it right. "If you can dream it, you can live it" - you just need to give it a go.
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MentorYoung Entrepreneurs (Ni) Jan 2015 - Nov 2020Belfast, United KingdomIn my spare time I help young entrepreneurs, as others guided me in my youth. We start with the statement "If you can dream it, you can live it" and go from there :O)“I met Tom as a 24 year old graduate with no business experience. Tom has been an amazing help since meeting him, giving me very structured & pro-active advice in several areas including how to grow my business and effectively target my key market. Tom offers fantastic much needed free support”. Nicola Drennan, Nicola Drennan Ceramics“Tom treats you with respect and as an equal despite the age gap and his energy makes him relatable to youth. He's great to bounce ideas off him but he makes sure we execute them, not just talk about them” Thom Dickerson, 21, Founder Gallery Clothing "I've seen Tom in action as a mentor & developer of talent a number of times. He has the ability to quickly assess what's in front of him, and he's not afraid to speak plainly about the ideas put to him. What's great about his input, however, is that he sees each weakness or obstacle as an opportunity to improve, and helps craft clear and practical solutions. This is truly invaluable in the start-up space“ Jenny Holland, US/NI Journalist, starting a business in my 40’s!“I saw Tom speak and knew I needed someone like him to make my business happen. Full of passion, motivation and absolutely brilliant ideas! Tom always encourages divergent opinions and "brutally honest" feedback to achieve the best results". Francisco, 28, Spanish/NI Entrepreneur"Tom helps us all for free and donates hours of his time to help others. He is very active keeping us up-to-date and creating opportunities. He has truly taken me under his wing” Mannix McAlister, 20, Entrepreneur"Starting a business is a tremendous challenge for young people, but also incredibly rewarding. The importance of people like Tom in encouraging & mentoring young people in entrepreneurship should not be underestimated" James Donaghy, 23, Founder of Remote Student
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DirectorBite To Savour Mar 2015 - Jan 2019Belfast, N.IrelandJenna Stevenson, the founder of BITETOSAVOUR, is an amazing, driven, young entrepreneur. She is passionate about NI artisan produce and has created a strong brand and a business with great potential, both within NI and overseas.BITETOSAVOUR | Showcasing N.Irish artisan food & drink- Boxes: Hand-picked, locally sourced, artisan products delivered to your door. C2C, B2B and B2C gifts & thank you's, seasonal boxes, taste boxes (sweet, savoury)...- Retail: An outlet in Made in Mourne, Kilkeel as well as various pop-ups- Support services: to enable artisan producers to launch, market, generate sales and develop their brands.- Campaigns: "Support #artisanNI producers" - Jenna and BITETOSAVOUR fly the flag for the incredible artisan producers here in NI and their amazing products. This sector is important to the economic future of NI and is often where the innovation within the food sector happensbitetosavour.com -
FounderAcorn Incubator Aug 2013 - Jun 2018Belfast, United KingdomThe Acorn Incubator was created to develop great entrepreneurs who could build great businesses. Set up by entrepreneur and founder of gapyear.com, Tom Griffiths, the Acorn Incubator helped entrepreneurs get their business ideas out of the ground. We picked up business ideas at a really early stage - those who needed a vision, a brand identity, a realistic plan to get first sales and a simple strategy to get those shoots up over the first 12-24 months. We supported and matched the entrepreneur’s passion, grit and determination, belief and hard graft. No slackers! The school of hard knocks. It's about not being afraid to make mistakes to learn how to do it right.Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.
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OriginatorNi Creative Cluster Movement Feb 2016 - Feb 2017Belfast, United KingdomThis is an un-funded crowd collaboration movement in the NI creative sector that continues to grow in the regional areas of NI year on year.With only 1.8 million population living within 5.5k sq miles (slightly bigger than New York metropolitan area), with no mineral wealth to exploit (gold, oil, copper…) and with ~65% of GDP from Government spend (~20% in direct subsidies) which will be severely cut over the next 10 years, there is a desperate need for private sector growth and development of the creative economy.The simple plan is to launch open source, collaborative clusters to mobilise grass roots innovation in local/niche sectors. Everything is on neutral space publicly owned tools, sites, forums, hashtags [etc]. Clustering enables people to showcase their talents, to network, find commercial opportunities, take risks and build new. Pipelines into schools and academia ensures a healthy, connected future. Examples of our NI clusters (collectively with thousands of members): DERRYcreatives, ARDStraders, Young Filmmakers NI, MOURNEphotographers, artsNI, KILKEELtraders ...
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Co FounderAugmentedrealityni.Com Apr 2015 - Jan 2017Belfast, United KingdomAugmented Reality NI was a start-up run by fantastic AR specialists based in Northern Ireland. There was also a VR element with virtualrealityNI.com. Sadly it was before its time. Despite some great working demos, the apps required to run it were too clunky for public use and despite getting [literal] jaw-dropping reactions from clients and the public - as things jumped around off boxes, crisp packets, bank cards etc - AR/VR was too early stage and gimmicky for most. Ironically Pokemon Go popped up as it was winding down! [where people realised what we were doing]We're proud of our demos: potential 'world firsts' included a dancing Mr Tayto on every packet of Tayto Cheese & Onion, running a TV advert on a bank debit card, augmenting a racing boat sail that competed at the Olympics (Olympic sponsorship rules meant it could never be shown), an artist time-lapse on a gallery hung painting enabling print sales from the painting itself, augmenting the front of a house for a real estate company and a tourist souvenir food box that played local music / videos and carried narration over words. We also played with Near Field devices to auto-run content and perfected an early prototype of a VR shopping tour, so you could buy products you see in the virtual space by looking at them. Business cards that played videos and popped out 3D product animations were developed and will no doubt become the norm over the years. All great, but a bit too early.I'm still connected to the team who can help you with AR/VR projects as freelancers - so please get in touch if this is of interest. And who knows, this phoenix may rise again...
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OriginatorBrandni Jan 2014 - Jan 2017Northern IrelandBrandNI is a non-political, non-religious, non-prejudicial movement for N.Ireland based on the New Zealand model of 'NZ' - the logo is NI housed in the Giants Causeway hexagon in neutral colours. Whether short for ‘Northern Ireland’ or the ‘North of Ireland’, NI is a symbol of positivity, celebrating the talent, innovation and opportunity embedded in NI.Commercially punching above our weight since 1608In 1608 Sir Thomas Phillips set up the world's first licensed distillery. His Bushmills whiskey exists today. Over the next 400 years people from this tiny part of the planet lead and changed the world - a quarter of the Presidents of America originated from Ulster, Ferguson invented the tractor and 4WD, Lord Kelvin the Kelvin Scale, Sir Hans Sloane of Sloane Square fame even invented drinking chocolate (sold by the Cadbury's Brothers). Our 1.8 million population is only 0.025% of the world's 7 billion population, yet we punch above our weight with our world class golfers (McIlroy - from the world's oldest Golfing Union), musicians (Van Morrison), actors (Liam Neeson, Jamie Dornan), storytellers (C.S Lewis), footballers (George Best), poets (Seamus Heaney), inventors (Pantridge's defibrillator)... the list goes on and on. Over the past 400 years if you add up all the inventions, successes and innovations that have come out of NI, and divide by the population, per capita people from NI are some of the most innovative and talented people on the planet. Yet people from NI don't boast. There is no desire to be known as the best 'in' the world. We're happy being known as some of the best 'for' the world. BrandNI is a movement. Un-funded and owned by no-one, similar to Parkrun. In January 2017 we stepped away and let it run free.
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Entrepreneur In ResidenceNorthern Ireland Science Park Jan 2014 - Jan 2016Belfast, United Kingdom -
Board DirectorYoung Enterprise Northern Ireland Nov 2014 - Nov 2015Belfast
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FounderGapyear.Com Jul 1998 - Sep 2011Recognised as the authority on gap years around the world since 1998, Tom acted as a media spokesperson, Government advisor, conference speaker and consultant in the fastest growing travel industry sector of the first decade of the Millennium. As the 'Gap Year Guru' Tom was regularly invited to comment globally in the media as an expert on gap year, youth and independent travel related issues. For over a decade he invented products, offerings, phrases and concepts which form the skeleton of the £5bn global Gap Year industry today. Author, Economist, entrepreneur, motivator - the creator of the modern ‘Gap Year’ industry - Sir Richard Branson once commented that 'His energy and enthusiasm is infectious'.
Tom Griffiths Skills
Tom Griffiths Education Details
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Economics -
Ipswich School
Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Griffiths
What company does Tom Griffiths work for?
Tom Griffiths works for Nightlenses.com | Non-Surgical Perfect Sight
What is Tom Griffiths's role at the current company?
Tom Griffiths's current role is Founder.
What schools did Tom Griffiths attend?
Tom Griffiths attended The University Of Manchester, Ipswich School.
What are some of Tom Griffiths's interests?
Tom Griffiths has interest in Children, Economic Empowerment, Education, Environment, Poverty Alleviation, Science And Technology, Arts And Culture.
What skills is Tom Griffiths known for?
Tom Griffiths has skills like Entrepreneurship, Social Media, Start Ups, Marketing, Digital Media, Social Media Marketing, Management, Online Marketing, Digital Marketing, Public Relations, Marketing Strategy, New Business Development.
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Tom Griffiths
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Tom Griffiths
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Tom Griffiths
Head Of Marketing For Heatforce | Author Of The Award-Winning Tales Of Splendania Fantasy Series.Greater Cardiff Area2eurocommercials.co.uk, duologi.com -
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