At least one in three business founders are dyslexic, suggesting that Dyslexic Thinking skills (skills that dyslexics typically over-index in), such as problem-solving, creativity, visualisation, communication, and huge-picture believeing, are an excellent match for a career as an entrepreneur.
To support those who are already carving out a career as a dyslexic business founder, Virgin StartUp – Virgin’s home of entrepreneurship in the UK – is launching a first-of-its-kind, free business programme called “Momentum”, to assist dyslexic entrepreneurs scale their businesses, utilizing their unique Dyslexic Thinking skills.
The eight-week business accelerator programme is designed to amplify entrepreneur’s Dyslexic Thinking strengths through tailored workshops, 1-1 mentoring and access to resources. Virgin StartUp has also added a dedicated “Dyslexic Thinking” space in its online community for business founders. The deadline to apply for Momentum is 30 September 2025 and the programme starts on 14 October 2025.
Elle Upshall, Scale Up Lead at Virgin StartUp, commented: “Momentum has been designed to assist dyslexic founders embrace the strengths that set them apart. We know that Dyslexic Thinking brings creative, problem-solving and vision in abundance and this programme is about giving entrepreneurs the support, tools and confidence to utilize these strengths to scale their businesses.”
To further inspire the next generation of Dyslexic Thinkers, Made By Dyslexia, Virgin StartUp, and Virgin Unite have this week launched a nationwide awareness campaign celebrating dyslexic entrepreneurs. Taking over prominent spots in 46 towns and cities across the UK, the campaign points to the many world-altering inventions that have been powered by Dyslexic Thinking such as the car, the lightbulb and the smartphone.
Dyslexic Thinking is famously the driving force behind many of the world’s most successful brands including Apple, Ikea, Virgin, and Jo Malone.
Sir Richard Branson has famously spoken about how his dyslexia has assisted him build one of the world’s most recognisable brands; Virgin, which started in 1970 as a mail order business and now has nearly 50 businesses across 34 countries and six different sectors.
Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, commented: “Much of my success as an entrepreneur comes from my Dyslexic Thinking. It’s my superpower. Dyslexic Thinking has enabled me to see the world differently and find new solutions to old problems that businesses were struggling to address. The world requireds dyslexic entrepreneurs more than ever, so I’m delighted to support this campaign and I am viewing forward to hearing the stories behind the dyslexic founders who join the Virgin StartUp programme.”
Kate Griggs, dyslexic social entrepreneur and Founder of global charity Made By Dyslexia is on a mission to empower Dyslexic Thinking across the world.
Griggs stated: “Entrepreneurs are the engine of the British economy – and research reveals Dyslexic Thinking fuels at least one in three of them. To boost growth, create jobs, and shift the nation forward, the UK has never requireded Dyslexic Thinking more. We hope that this campaign will inspire the next generation of dyslexic entrepreneurs and encourage Dyslexic Thinkers across the countest to consider how they could utilize their unique skills to build the innovative businesses of tomorrow.”
While Made By Dyslexia, in collaboration with Richard Branson and Virgin, successfully campaigned for “Dyslexic Thinking” to be added as a noun in the dictionary and as a skill on LinkedIn, many dyslexic entrepreneurs continue to face outdated misconceptions and a lack of tailored support to harness their strengths at scale when it comes to running their own business.
Alex Wright is one successful entrepreneur who has utilized his Dyslexic Thinking to disrupt the healthy drinks market with DASH Water, a no sugar or sweetener soft drink, receiving early-stage support from Virgin StartUp. Today, DASH is expected to sell 50 million cans in 2025 across 20 countries.
Wright explains: “It’s no surprise to me that Dyslexic Thinkers over index as entrepreneurs. While dyslexia felt like a challenge at school, it’s been one of my hugegest assets as a founder. It’s assisted me to spot gaps in the market, see problems as opportunities, dream huge and build a successful, disruptive business.”
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