Building a High-Growth Business That Transforms Lives

Last night, we celebrated a truly special moment at the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards, where Goal 17 Mentoring was recognised in the High Growth Category. This marks our third major award in just three weeks.

It’s a moment to pause and reflect—not just on the growth we’ve achieved as a business, but on what that growth represents. For us, this isn’t just about scaling revenue or adding to our accolades. It’s about proving that a business can grow rapidly while staying true to its purpose of making the world a better place.

How Do You Build a Business That Does Good?

At Goal 17, we’ve taken the principles of high-growth businesses—scalability, innovation, and sustainable models—and combined them with a mission that drives every decision we make: transforming young lives through mentoring.

Here’s how we’ve approached it:

1. Building a Scalable Model with Real Impact:
   From day one, we designed our mentoring programmes to be scalable. By creating frameworks that fit into busy schedules, we’ve attracted a growing army of volunteer mentors. These are everyday people stepping forward to make extraordinary impacts in young people’s lives.

2. Collaborating Across Sectors:
   Our work bridges the private, public, and third sectors. By partnering with corporates, local authorities, and organisations like Propel Finance, we ensure that our programmes deliver measurable social impact while helping our partners achieve their own goals—whether that’s meeting ESG commitments or upskilling employees.

3. Innovating for Good:
   High-growth businesses thrive on innovation, and Goal 17 is no different. From developing technology to support safeguarding in mentoring, to crafting frameworks that inspire meaningful connections, we’re constantly finding new ways to improve outcomes for young people.

4. A Community-Driven Approach:
   Our growth has been powered by people—our incredible mentors, supporters, and team. They’ve built the foundation that allows us to expand while staying grounded in our mission.

Growth Isn’t Just Numbers—It’s Lives Transformed

While the “high growth” category might conjure images of numbers and charts, the true measure of our success is in the lives we’re changing. For every young person whose path is redirected through mentoring, for every mentor who discovers a renewed sense of purpose, and for every community positively impacted by these connections, our growth takes on a much deeper meaning.

As Sara Davies MBE, who hosted the event, reminded us last night, entrepreneurship is about more than profits—it’s about using business as a force for good.

What’s Next? Join Us in Growing the Good

Winning awards like this isn’t the end of our journey—it’s a reminder of what’s possible when people come together with purpose. And the best part? There’s room for everyone in this mission.

Whether as a volunteer mentor, a corporate partner, or a supporter, you can be part of what we’re building. Together, we can grow something extraordinary—transforming lives, creating communities of hope, and proving that business can be a powerful force for good.

Thank you to Barclays UK, Sara Davies MBE, and every mentor, partner, and supporter who’s been part of this journey so far. Let’s keep growing the good—together.