Canny Conversations Podcasts

Canny Conversations Podcast

Compelling Conversations with a Cause.

Let's talk, because everything starts with a conversation.

Visit my website at safaraz.co.uk

Safaraz Ali

Safaraz Ali. Social Entrepreneur, Social Impact and Business Investor & Mentor.

Safaraz Ali is a social entrepreneur, having grown up in inner city Birmingham. He is a driven individual with a sense of duty to change lives and do the right thing.

For over twenty years, Safaraz has had a relentless focus in adding value and delivering impact in all that he does. He started his journey as a social entrepreneur in 2000 by founding Pathway Group: an organisation committed to changing lives through skills and work.

As the Co-founder & CEO of Pathway Group, Safaraz is committed to career development and progression through continual learning which is reflected in all aspects of his ethos to business. Working within the Skills arena and the welfare to work sector the group provides career opportunities through traineeships, employability, and apprenticeships programmes.

Safaraz is proud that in the most recent academic year they supported 3832 learners, delivered 9107 qualifications, and help to protect and create over 1000 jobs. Safaraz is a strong advocate of social entrepreneurship to make a difference in people’s lives. Social and profit for purpose business are the main drivers behind everything he does in order to create entrepreneurial mindsets, have a positive impact and change lives.

A Respected Member of the Business Community.

In addition to his role at Pathway Group, Safaraz is a co-founder of Nationwide Care Services a home care business working with NHS Trusts and Social services and presently employing over 800 people across the Midlands.

In recognition of his position within the business and social entrepreneurial community, Safaraz has been asked to judge a number of awards including the prestigious Great British Entrepreneur Awards. Safaraz has also judged the Birmingham Awards, UK Government’s National Apprenticeship Awards, Signature Awards and Nachural Entrepreneurship Awards. Safaraz is happy to undertake these roles in a voluntary capacity as he sees the difference these events make in encouraging entrepreneurship and leadership development and Safaraz has quickly established himself as a role model for SME business owners in encouraging and promoting growth.

Safaraz is the creator of the Canny Bites book series. His goal was to encourage life-long learning within the business community and create something accessible to everyone. Safaraz wanted the ‘Canny Bites’ to be a memorable, practical and adaptable way for busy business people to gain knowledge and advice they could really apply within their businesses and business owners have found his ‘bites’ genuine and refreshing.

Overall, Safaraz is a strong advocate of social entrepreneurship in order to make a difference in people’s lives. Social and profit for purpose business are the main drivers behind everything he does in order to create entrepreneurial mindsets, have a positive impact and change lives.

Safaraz Ali is the author of Canny Bites books, the latest being: Attract, Retain and Grow your people to grow your business. He breaks down what you need to do to get the right people, keep and engage them, develop, and build your team to create a high-performance culture for sustainable business growth.

Safaraz Ali - Canny Conversations
Safaraz Ali

Promoting Talent & Early Careers.

The Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards and the Multicultural Apprenticeship & Employability Alliance, previously known as the BAME Awards & Alliance, is probably Safaraz’s greatest legacy and the work he has done towards the cause has laid the foundations for future generations. Safaraz founded the awards originally in May 2016 with the first event held in November 2016. He realised that British Asians made up only 4.1% of apprentice starts and were severely under-represented as there was a stigma attached to apprenticeships, which were misunderstood by the community, meaning that university was seen as the best and only option. Safaraz knew that change was needed. The aim of the awards was therefore to recognise and celebrate the talent and diversity amongst apprentices from the British Asian community and showcase their achievements. Safaraz’s aspiration was that more British Asians would consider apprenticeships and more employers would provide work opportunities to benefit from their skills. Increasing BAME employment by a further 20% was a government target for 2020 and Safaraz was keen to ‘play his part’.

Bringing Businesses Together.

 

Safaraz created Pathway2Grow with a vision to conduct business networking differently. It is a vibrant network with ambitions to grow and serve business communities and presently operates 10 different events a month under the format of Coffee and Natter, Chutney and Chat and the women’s network – Samosa Saturday.

In recognition of his position within the business and social entrepreneurial community, Safaraz has been asked to judge a number of awards including the prestigious Great British 

 

Entrepreneur Awards. Safaraz has also judged the Birmingham Awards, UK Government’s National Apprenticeship Awards, Signature Awards and Nachural Entrepreneurship Awards and the Innovation Awards. Safaraz is happy to undertake these roles in a voluntary capacity as he sees the difference these events make in encouraging entrepreneurship and leadership development and Safaraz has quickly established himself as a role model for SME business owners in encouraging and promoting growth.

Safaraz Ali is an Honorary Associate and an Entrepreneur in Residence for the Open University. Through his consultancy business TCI Pathway Ltd. Safaraz offers independent strategic advice and investment for private businesses specialising in social care, and the education and training sectors. It offers support and guidance in developing growth strategies, executing them, raising funds for chosen growth strategies, and managing growth.

Safaraz Ali was featured in The Times and The Sunday Times in an article titled: License to Skill. The article begins with the following: He’s the co-founder of a home care company turning over £16 million, CEO of a £5 million a year training business.

View the Sunday Times article here.

Amongst his other responsibilities, Safaraz found time to become a published author writing the Canny Bites book series. His goal was to encourage life-long learning within the business community and create something accessible to everyone. Safaraz wanted the ‘Canny Bites’ to be a memorable, practical and adaptable way for busy business people to gain knowledge and advice they could really apply within their businesses and business owners have found his ‘bites’ genuine and refreshing.

Safaraz believes that all his businesses are dependent on people in all aspects & the biggest challenge is always about attracting, retaining and growing the right people and creating great teams of high performers that have the knowledge, skills and behaviours that make a continuous difference. 

Overall, Safaraz is a strong advocate of social entrepreneurship in order to make a difference in people’s lives. Social and profit for purpose business are the main drivers behind everything he does in order to create entrepreneurial mindsets, have a positive impact and change lives.

Safaraz Ali is the author of Canny Bites books, the latest being: Successfully Scale Up or Exit Your Business. The fourth instalment in the Canny Bites series, ‘Successfully Scale Up or Exit Your Business’ helps business owners and leaders know exactly what they need to consider when growing their business. It’s a workbook and a checklist for entrepreneurs to help put the foundations in place ensuring they have the right toolkits making scaling an easier task.

Safaraz Ali personal website is www.safaraz.co.uk and he is presently focused on building and growing a leadership team around him for the home care business & the training arm.