Simon Woodroffe is a British entrepreneur and motivational speaker. What do you do when you’ve  been a roadie, a stage designer and  a TV executive, have got to the age of 40, nearly run out of money and are unemployable with a family to support?  You start a conveyor belt sushi bar.  That’s what  Simon Woodroffe did and letting you into his world and  mind tells you about what he learned along the way and how he stayed on the tightrope to open YO! Sushi, YO! Below, YO! to Go and now a host of  YO! spin-offs with which he hopes to eclipse Virgin and Easy.  Inspiring – and definitely unmissable

Simon Woodroffe is a British entrepreneur and motivational speaker. He is perhaps best known for his role as a 'Dragon' on the first series of the popular BBC television show, Dragon's Den. He is also well known for starting sushi chain YO! Sushi in 1997.

Before the YO! Empire took off, Simon spent 30 years in the entertainment business. His production companies in London and Los Angeles designed and staged concerts for many artists during the 70's and 80's, including Madness, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder and the world's most famous concert in history: Live Aid in 1985.

In the 90s, Simon went into television. He spearheaded the development of television deals to show huge international rock concerts worldwide, including Nelson Mandela concerts, shows for Amnesty International and the Prince's Trust concerts.

During a spell in "the career wilderness" a chance comment by a Japanese business acquaintance gave Simon the direction he lacked, and in 1997, he founded YO! Sushi, a conveyor belt sushi bar. The concept was to make eating a complete entertainment experience and featured call buttons, robot drinks trolleys and Japanese TV. The first restaurant opened on London's Poland Street and became an overnight phenomenon. Today it continues to expand both at home and abroad with 50 sites in 6 countries.

In 1999 Simon won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and in 2001 he was awarded the accolade of Best Venue at the Retailer of the Year Awards. In recognition for his contribution to hospitality, Simon was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2006.

As a result of being asked to share the story of his entrepreneurial success, Simon has developed a strong reputation on the UK and international public speaking circuit. Simon speaks openly avoiding business cliché and audiences find his story extremely inspiring and a catalyst for their own endeavours, be they in a large corporate setting or working at a start-up level.

YOTEL, the world's most radical hotel with rooms of just 10sq metres and space travel inspired interiors opened to the world at London Gatwick Airport in Jul 2007. It is the first hotel in the world to be actually inside an airport terminal. London Heathrow also opened in 2007, followed by Amsterdam Schipol in September 2008. Simon is currently developing more new YO! Brands including YO! Zone: part spa, part café, part bar and part nightclub; and YO! Home: which will provide a futuristic take on the traditional home.

Simon's public speaking has been met with rave reviews. Bob J Silk of Barclays Corporate said of Simon, "If I said that his appearance and presentation went down well, I reckon that would be a tragic understatement; rather we all thought that he really was magnificent!" Karen McGrath of VT Events agrees, "Wow, what an extraordinary, ordinary guy." Similarly, David Twiggy Molecy of the Institute of Directors remarked, "The best speech I have heard in this building in ten years."