A GLASWEGIAN entrepreneur has won £10,000 and a place as a finalist in the Stelios Award for disabled entrepreneurs 2016.
EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and international charity Leonard Cheshire Disability have included Alex Papanikolaou for his next generation power wheelchair.
The chair has been designed to offer a step-change in reliability, performance and support in the power wheelchair market.
Mr Papanikolaou has cerebral palsy and has used a power wheelchair since school. His disability has not suppressed his wanderlust however and he has visited more than 175 cities in more than 40 countries but said he was continually let down by his wheelchair’s “never-ending breakdowns and lack of service”.
He said: “It was limiting my life, rather than supporting my ambitions. This is what led to my vision of creating a more reliable, durable power wheelchair.”
Papanikolaou said he now enjoys being an entrepreneur as it allows him to be in charge of his own growth, as well as creating opportunities to improve others’ lives.
“I am thrilled to have won this place as a finalist as it is another form of recognition for what started as an idea three years ago and is now growing into something very real! And it is something that is going to change how many wheelchair users live their life.”
The judges said the competition was particularly tough this year, following a record number of applications with business ideas including documentary makers, phone and software application developers, night photographers, vintage ice-cream makers, fashion designers and an accessible playground designer.
Sir Stelios said: “The interest in this year’s award – on our tenth anniversary – highlights the role entrepreneurs can take in helping combat unemployment among our disabled people. The sheer range of business ideas submitted this year will mean me and my team are going to have a challenging but immensely rewarding task ahead of us.”
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