In 2015, Cemal Ezel set up Change Please, a coffee company that trains formerly homeless people as baristas. The company also provides wraparound support with housing, finances, and therapy. At first, baristas sold coffee from mobile Piaggio trucks. Now, they serve at concessions inside corporate companies and various WeWork locations.
In 2021, Change Please acquired AMT Coffee. Soon, it will be visible at 55 more locations, including train stations and airports.
Along the way, Cemal convinced Richard Branson to back the idea. Change Please became the coffee supplier for Virgin trains and planes. Around the same time, Sainsbury’s started stocking the brand. Today, Change Please ranks among the UK’s most successful and recognised social enterprises.
“My biggest focus personally is to show we can do business for good. There’s a way to have a triple bottom line and support people at the same time. Representing what is possible in business is the most exciting part,” said Cemal.
Cemal’s journey with Change Please inspires and motivates audiences. He believes in the power of business to change the world through supply chains. He sparks discussions on thinking disruptively and entrepreneurially. He also brings deep expertise on homelessness and real solutions to end it.
