Alex McCallion, Co-founder of Greater Change

Alex McCallion is an Oxford graduate (Jesus College, Economics and Management) and co-founder of Greater Change, helping to provide a way of giving smarter to the homeless. The app will allow people to give to someone who is homeless directly and know the gift is spent effectively. In order to implement this the project is being crowdfunded on the University’s platform.

What is your background? What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?

I have always loved entrepreneurship and can’t remember a time when I did not want to grow up to be one! I started by selling donuts in school aged 11!

What is your definition of entrepreneurship?

Observing problems but not just accepting them.

How and when did you know your idea was good enough to develop it?

What made me realise this kind of idea could work was how many different types of people and organisations were excited by it when I told them about it around a year ago. The idea has come on a long way since then!

What would you say are the top 3 skills that needed to be a successful entrepreneur? Why?

I’m not sure it is a skill but I would say the key thing is just endless enthusiasm for what you do. Being able to sell your dream such that other people get on board with it. Problem solving.

What is your favourite part of being an entrepreneur?

There really is never a dull moment! Every day is so different.

What individual, company or organization inspires you most? Why?

I really love Watsi. They have taken this application of Tech for good and made it work so well in a different area of charitable giving. They enable you to directly fund the healthcare of people who cannot afford it in less affluent countries.

If you had 5 minutes with the above indiv/company/org, what would you want to ask or discuss?

I have no idea what I would prioritise as there would be so much to learn from them! I would probably spend the 5 minutes trying to make sure we were able to talk for longer than 5 minutes at some other point!

What would you say have been some of your mistakes, failures or lessons learned as an entrepreneur?

I think my biggest failure/mistake was for a long time not noting things down during or after conversations about the project. There are so many good ideas and cool things that are forgotten without notes!

How have you funded your ideas?

Crowdfunding!

What is good about being an entrepreneur in Oxfordshire? Bad?

Having the University and such an entrepreneurship focused Business School here is awesome! It means there is a lot of help available to Entrepreneurs through the University.

If a new entrepreneur or startup came to you looking for entrepreneurship resources, where would you send them? (Anything Oxfordshire especially!)

The first place I spoke to someone properly about implementing the idea was the Entrepreneurship Centre in Oxford. They have been great so I would have to say there!

Any last words of advice?

If you have an idea talk to people about it! There are so many people willing to help out and help you refine your idea!