The 30-Minute Ride That Changed His Life

One of the UK's top black Britons, self-made entrepreneur Tevin Tobun of Gate Ventures charted his business journey by looking beyond the obvious and venturing into the unknown.

- PEACE HYDE

EVERY YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT FOR Education in the United Kingdom (UK) allocates funding to chosen schools to help maintain and improve the condition of their buildings and grounds.

On receiving the funding, the schools invite qualified companies that can execute the project for them, to bid in a competitive tender process. Representing these companies usually are experienced middle-aged individuals in teams of four.

So when 22-year-old Tevin Tobun, fresh out of university, turned up on his own, and with no experience to his name, to respond to a bid worth a staggering £250,000 ($307,000), he stood absolutely no chance of winning – so he had to come up with a gameplan.

“There were about five companies all together pitching. And I was thinking ‘how do you win against these type of guys’? I focused on what was different about me and it was the fact that I was young and determined to make my way. So, when it was my turn, I just dealt with the obvious. I said ‘look, I know I am young and I don’t have the experience the others have but what I am determined is to make sure this is the best project you have ever done; if you need me to be up 24 hours, seven days a week, I will deliver this project on time and on cost’,” says Tobun of that first interaction with business.

Against all the odds stacked against him, he won the bid.

“I went from shocked to excited to confused to overwhelmed almost at the same time.”

That was the breakthrough moment he needed.

Today, he heads up one of the UK’s leading transport and logistics groups with 1,000 employees.