Ryan was one of our first batch of The Talent Tap students. He remains in touch with The Talent Tap and he recently wrote the following:
My name is Ryan Littlefield, I attended the very first The Talent TapScheme in 2012 after graduating from Wellington Academy Sixth Form. Whilst on The Talent Tap, I interned at Balderton Capital as well as a start up company called PledgeMusic.
After the two weeks of the The Talent Tap Scheme in July 2012, my whole outlook on where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do in my future career path changed. I was massively inspired by the businesses, how they worked and how their success has progressed. This gave me a massive encouragement to not be afraid to go out there and start something for yourself. To not be scared to start something new, even if people put me down about it. When I got back from London I began to think about my future and made a promise to myself that I would start a my own company and see where it would take me – if it failed, at least I could say I tried and if it succeeded; well that speaks for itself.
Nick, Rupert and the team gave me large amounts of support and advice which was the catalyst for me to venture into my own business. Whilst at University, I started a company called LondonMint Agency, 5 years later the company manages 27 DJs, with a monthly audience of 31,000 and operating in two offices in Portsmouth and Perpignan, South of France. After four years I sold a majority share of LondonMint Agency in order to start EsportsForce which highlights a recruitment gap within the $1billion dollar e-sports and gaming industry. Since launching we have established ourselves as the industry leading and only dedicated e-sports recruitment firm working with the global e-sports and gaming companies.
I strongly believe that without The Talent Tap scheme, my drive and aspiration to invest, build and develop as an entrepreneur wouldn’t be that which it is today. Working within companies like Balderton was one of the greatest experiences and provided you something education just cannot teach alone. In an age where it is becoming increasingly difficult for students and graduates to get relevant work experience, I can only thank the whole team at The Talent Tap and Wellington Academy for providing me with an opportunity to get ahead of the rest.
