A young Scots social entrepreneur has been named in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 Europe list for 2023.
Robbie Tolson is the founder of award-winning Edinburgh-based social enterprise Turn The Tables.
Dedicated to changing lives through the power of DJing and beat making, Turn The Tables aims to help to create positive futures for people of all ages affected by homelessness, poverty, crime and mental illness.
The 29-year-old, a full-time DJ, set up Turn The Tables after being inspired by his time as a homeless shelter volunteer and driven by his experience of losing a friend to suicide.
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Out of thousands of nominations, the entrepreneur was named in the Social Impact category list for Europe, which Forbes describes as “systematically and sustainably transforming education, business and beyond”.
About the recognition, he said: “Experiencing a crowd of people dancing and singing along when you DJ is such a thrilling experience. The feeling of mixing in new songs and having euphoric reactions from hundreds, if not thousands of people is up there with any personal achievement. It’s like scoring a goal, passing an exam or winning a race. It’s this experience I am trying to harness as a powerful vehicle. To help people believe that they are worthwhile, and prove to themselves that they can achieve great things.
"DJing helped me get over losing my friend in such tragic circumstances and I have been able to achieve far more than I ever expected to with Turn The Tables and I truly believe there are thousands of people who need that experience too. The thing about DJing, unlike most instruments or art forms, to perform live and at a high level is fairly straightforward, yes you need to be dedicated to learn and a platform like ours to provide opportunities. But DJing is an untapped giant, waiting to have a big impact in the world of social impact.”
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