Roger Wade

Roger Wade’s passion for positive change is evident in the businesses he chooses to back through his venture capital firm, Boxfund, with investments in early-stage startups ranging from £100k to £1m.

One such venture creates eco-friendly chewing gum that reduces plastic waste and promotes natural ingredients. “There are around 32 billion pieces of chewing gum made every year,” says Wade. “If a piece of chewing gum costs 1-2p to produce it costs £2 to remove them off the ground. Never mind the fact that they contain all these toxins. I want to help entrepreneurs and, with my knowledge, maybe we can get plastic chewing gum banned.”

Another notable investment is in a startup producing sugar-free tinned beans, aiming to provide healthier food options without compromising on taste.

These firms fit with Wade’s vision to leave a lasting impact, fostering a new generation of entrepreneurs who run profitable businesses and, more importantly, share his commitment to making the world a better place. Boxfund embraces the mantra ‘We fund people with great ideas, not spreadsheets.’

It began with Wade backing his own ideas. After considering a career in medicine and working in advertising neither of which inspired him, he set up his own business. 

Wade says he’s always embraced ‘out of the box’ thinking, so it’s little surprise that his various businesses have incorporated the word ‘box’ in their names. The first to do so was British fashion label Boxfresh, which Wade founded in 1989.

“I was working in advertising in America for a short while and I was sending back US sportswear to my friends in the UK. That’s how it all started, and we grew that over the next 15 years into one of the largest streetwear brands in the UK and possibly Europe,” he says.

The company produced customised prints on vintage stock T-shirts and imported US brands like Carhartt, Penfield and G-Star, selling first in London’s Greenwich and Camden markets before opening a flagship store in Covent Garden, where the brand also sold its own lines, before expanding into Japan and the US.

It was only in 2005, when family responsibilities started taking over, that Wade felt it was time to sell. Boxfresh was acquired by Pentland Group that same year. “When I had quite a young family, I decided to exit that business. That decision was based upon the security that I wanted to have for my young family,” he says.

However, it wasn’t long before he found himself drawn to a new startup idea. Building on the success of Boxfresh, Wade launched Boxpark in 2011, the world’s first pop-up mall, constructed entirely from repurposed shipping containers.

The idea for Boxpark came to him late one night. “Many thoughts come in the middle of the night, as I’m very busy during the day and what tends to happen is I have these thoughts at night and would have to write them down,” he says. “With Boxpark I literally had a vision to create a whole mall out of containers.”

The first Boxpark was in London’s Shoreditch, but it wasn’t long before others popped up, including those in in Croydon and Wembley. Under Wade’s leadership, Boxpark offered a unique blend of retail, dining and entertainment experiences. Now the business hosts events, has a loyal community and offers its spaces for Christmas party hire. 

The Covid pandemic was one of the biggest challenges for Wade during his time at Boxpark. At one point there was concern that the business would struggle to rebuild the success it enjoyed before the pandemic, but it became more profitable after Covid.

Wade explains:

“It meant we had to have all our customers registered with us. So now we know every single one of our customers that come to Boxpark. We have around two million people on our database and that's powerful because we can have a conversation with our customers, send invites or give them preferential treatment, which we do through our Boxpark Black Card. So, in the long run, Covid wasn’t that detrimental.”

But in 2022, two years after Covid, Wade stepped down from the role of Boxpark’s chief executive, selling most of his shares in the company to London Development Company (LDC). Wade stayed on as the firm’s brand consultant and non-executive director, and there are plans to expand the business throughout the UK. 

Wade’s contributions to the business world have not gone unnoticed. With Boxpark, in particular, he has received numerous accolades for its unique concept and impact on the retail industry.

When asked what advice he has for others and what he’s learned from people he admires, Wade says it’s important for entrepreneurs to know why they’re in business. “If they’re in it to make money there’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s the way in which you make money that can define you. The next thing I would say is that it’s important to have humility. Don’t think you have all the answers. Create an environment where you listen to other people. Finally, don’t be a follower – be a leader. Don’t be afraid to start new things.”

While he’s achieved financial freedom, Wade explains that he doesn’t want to own extravagant assets such as a private jet or yacht. “I am now 58,” he says, “and I don’t want my gravestone to read ‘here’s Roger who made lots of money’. Instead, I’d like something like ‘here’s Roger who left this world better than what he found it’.”