Help Refugees & Choose Love CEO Josie Naughton's founder journey

Help Refugees & Choose Love CEO Josie Naughton's founder journey

Author: Caroline Diehl May 21, 2020 Duration: 1:17:47

The story of how Founder CEO Josie Naughton ‘accidentally’ launched and grew the charity Help Refugees and its iconic brand Choose Love to become the largest grassroots distributor of aid in Europe is fascinating and inspirational. And it all happened incredibly quickly.

In this in-depth interview we hear Josie’s personal founder story, the challenges and tough times, as well as the impact and successes. She tells us about the key stages she and her team went through to enable rapid growth; the logistics of delivering food and shelter to refugee camps across Europe, raising millions in donations, ensuring due diligence, working with partners, changing attitudes and UK laws.

We also hear how their Choose Love T-shirts, shop and campaigns have mobilised awareness and funds, supported by celebrities from the fashion and music industry.

 “Looking back on it now, we were utterly crazy,” says Josie!

Josie covers so much in this interview, it’s a fascinating listen.


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Social Founder Stories is brought to you by the Social Founder Network, in association with the Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action. You can find out more about CIVA's innovative work, and support them, at www.CIVA.org.uk.


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Follow Help Refugees:

Twitter: @chooselove

Instagram: @chooselove

Facebook: @ChooseLove

And if you can please donate to Help Refugees & Choose Love here

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caroline@socialfounder.org

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Caroline Diehl hosts Social Founder Stories, a series of conversations that go beyond the typical business success narrative. Here, the focus is on the human engine behind social innovation-the founders who channel their entrepreneurial spirit into tackling cultural and societal issues. Each episode delves into the personal journeys of these leaders, exploring not just their strategies for creating measurable impact, but also the less-discussed realities: the moments of doubt, the logistical hurdles, and the resilience required to push through. You’ll hear firsthand accounts of how a passion evolves into a sustainable venture, and how challenges are reframed as opportunities for growth. This podcast sits at the unique intersection of society, business, and culture, offering a grounded look at what it truly takes to build an enterprise aimed at bettering our world. The discussions are candid and detailed, providing both inspiration and practical insight for anyone curious about the mechanics of change. Tune in for stories that highlight the creativity, drive, and profound humanity of those building a more thoughtful future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 10

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