BROMSGROVE School student Joe Phillips wants to raise awareness for conservation as he attempts to win the Apprentice.
Joe, who studied his A-Levels at Bromsgrove between 2013 and 2015, is currently competing to be Lord Alan Sugar’s next apprentice in the hit BBC show, which is running now.
He said his passion for nature comes from his upbringing, growing up in Zimbabwe, Malaysia and Egypt.
After being heartbroken by deforestation in Malaysia, at 10 years old Joe started his own T-shirt company and donated the profits to help plant trees in the country.
He said: “I always say I’m a zoologist at heart with a natural life for business.
“I’ve always loved the natural world, the more you find out about nature the more you realise you don’t know anything at all.
“Growing up in developing countries where there was huge potential for entrepreneurialism ignited my passion for business.
“My time at Bromsgrove really inspired a real zest for life and creativity with me, it was a fantastic time that really aided my development.”
Joe has developed and launched Surf Balm, a sustainable friendly lip balm, and pitched this business to Lord Sugar.
After applying for the Apprentice following encouragement from his dad, Joe got the call to take an interview while on horseback in the South African river, where he was working as a safari guide, and had to gallop home before conducting it while soaking wet.
He added: “The interview process was incredibly gruelling, I was ecstatic when I found out I was successful but after working in South Africa corporate London life felt a world away.
“I’m proudly dyslexic, I struggled in school but it taught me fantastic life lessons and it enables me to think creatively and out of the box.
“I believe that alongside the authenticity of my eco credentials could give me the edge in the Apprentice.”
You can catch Joe on The Apprentice every Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer.
