'Original Shark' Kevin Harrington Selects Ten Visionary, Trailblazing Founders

Kevin Harrington has backed many visionary and trailblazing entrepreneurs throughout his career. In this selection, he highlights ten standout founders who are redefining their industries.

Edited by Entrepreneur UK Jun 30, 2025

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Michael Browne

Browne Family Wines was founded by Michael Browne and his wife, Sarah, to realize their long-held dream of owning a family winery. Michael's interest in winemaking began in 1997 and developed through hands-on experience in Sonoma, where he worked as a sommelier and partnered with colleague Dan Kosta to launch his first wine. In 2011, Michael established CIRQ Wines, which evolved into Browne Family Wines, producing two brands: CIRQ, a Pinot Noir from Sonoma's Russian River Valley, and CHEV, which features Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from various California and Oregon regions. The winery limits production to maintain quality, selling mostly directly to consumers, resulting in multi-year waitlists. The estate includes a private tasting room and guest accommodations, accessible by invitation. Michael combines craftsmanship and business acumen to sustain a winery known for its focused approach to winemaking, emphasizing regional authenticity and careful attention to detail.

Enrico Levi

INZECTO delivers innovative, eco-friendly pest control products safe for humans, pets, and beneficial insects. With products developed in association with the University of Florida's Entomology Dept., ranked #1 in the world, and with its research co-funded by the Pentagon, its patented technologies provide up to three months of outdoor mosquito control and target both adult mosquitoes and larvae. Just add water to INZECTO Mosquito Traps and/or place INZECTO Chips in water containers where mosquitoes lay eggs to control mosquito populations effectively and safely. Led by CEO Enrico Paolo Levi, visionary entrepreneur and co-inventor of INZECTO products, the company focuses on research and expanding its presence internationally. A revolutionary termite control solution is the latest INZECTO innovation, expected to have an impact on the 10.5 billion US termite control market. INZECTO aims to offer a cost-effective solution for controlling urban insect populations while minimizing environmental impact, addressing global challenges with sustainable innovations.

Ted Gavin

Gavin/Solmonese is a nationally recognized consulting firm specializing in turnaround, restructuring, and strategic advisory services. Founded by Ted Gavin, a Certified Turnaround Professional and certified professional mediator, along with political and non-profit strategy expert Joe Solmonese, the firm helps distressed companies regain stability through operational improvements, financial restructuring, and people-centered strategies. With a unique blend of corporate insight and social values, Gavin/Solmonese delivers practical solutions that restore value, preserve jobs, protect stakeholder interests, and renew viability.

The firm also demonstrates a strong commitment to pro bono service and advocacy, including contributions to legislation that benefits disabled veterans. Whether guiding companies through bankruptcy or leading profit enhancement initiatives, Gavin/Solmonese is grounded in the belief that successful outcomes require both financial clarity and human connection because saving a business often means saving livelihoods.

Daniel Towse

Organizational Zen is redefining enterprise transformation through a plug-and-play AI platform built for speed, clarity, and scale. Based in New York, the company delivers an intelligent SaaS solution that evaluates organizational health and generates real-time, actionable roadmaps to drive operational excellence.

Designed to embed directly into any business environment, the platform captures insights from surveys, workflow audits, and performance data, then uses adaptive AI to surface gaps, prioritize actions, and align teams. Founder and principal architect Dan Towse created Organizational Zen to deliver consulting-level strategy and insight (without the overhead), giving organizations a continuous, data-driven edge.

Whether deployed in a global enterprise or a fast-moving company of any size, Organizational Zen helps teams execute smarter, move faster, and grow stronger. It's not just transformation; it's transformation on demand.

Sveta Banerjee

Impact Investing Solutions (IIS), co-founded by Sveta and Ben Banerjee, is one of Europe's largest platforms dedicated to channeling private capital toward social and environmental transformation. Launched in 2020, IIS leverages over 40 years of combined experience in sustainable finance and impact investing to support mission-driven businesses and restore ecosystems damaged by a century of unsustainable practices. Not only does its media have a viewership of more than 13 million, but IIS also successfully facilitated moving more than Euro 500 million to impactful businesses in the last two years.

Sveta Banerjee, founder and CEO of IIS, is a TEDx speaker, television presenter, and a renowned thought leader in impact investing. With over a decade of experience in Swiss banking and strategic advisory roles at SIIA and the Diplomatic World Institute, she brings a unique blend of financial and impact investing expertise. Beyond her leadership in finance, Sveta is a seasoned trainer, university lecturer, mentor, and active teacher of Atma Kriya Yoga.

Ben Banerjee, President of SIIA and co-founder of IIS, has 25+ years of global experience in sustainable finance. A frequent speaker at forums like the WEF and UNFCCC, Ben also co-hosts the TV show Swiss Impact with Banerjees, highlighting trends in ESG and macroeconomics. His philanthropic roots and international advisory roles underscore his mission to mainstream impact investing.

The IIS, partnering with major multilateral institutions, is redefining finance as a force for good, bridging capital and conscience to build a more inclusive and regenerative future.

Chad and Crystal Berg

Founded by Chad and Crystal Berg, Acacia Groves is transforming the American Dream with affordable, sustainable housing crafted from repurposed shipping containers. After years of success in traditional careers, the Bergs realized that success isn't the same as fulfillment. From that truth came a mission: build homes that empower individuals and develop thriving communities rooted in freedom and purpose.

Acacia Groves blends innovative design with practical functionality, offering customizable, eco-friendly homes that resonate nationwide. Beyond construction, the company fosters a unique work culture that supports workers in launching their own businesses and prioritizes work-life balance.

Chad and Crystal's vision extends beyond housing; they aim to build supportive communities where families reconnect, dreams are revived, and life flourishes on authentic values. Through Acacia Groves, they champion a legacy of love, freedom, and meaningful impact, inspiring a new way of living that prioritizes faith, family, and fulfillment.

Magdalena Hul

My Pelvic Physio is an Ontario-based pelvic physiotherapy studio founded by Magdalena Hul, MSc. The studio specializes in prenatal and postpartum care, as well as treatment for pelvic pain, prolapse, incontinence, and more, supporting people through life's major physical transitions with compassionate, evidence-based care.

A physiotherapist herself, Magdalena's mission stems from her personal journey through two complicated pregnancies and births, including preeclampsia, C-sections, and postpartum complications, experiences that exposed the glaring gaps in women's health care. After being dismissed repeatedly by medical professionals, she became determined to empower others to advocate for themselves, recover fully, and live without shame or silence around pelvic health.

Today, her thriving practice serves individuals seeking not just rehabilitation but education and self-advocacy. My Pelvic Physio promotes preventative care and provides individualized therapy for people of all ages, including those struggling with aging-related issues like incontinence or pain during intimacy.

Rosie Volcano

The Little Volcano was founded by Kit and Rosie Volcano to address a growing workplace crisis: disconnection. With a belief that disengagement stems from a loss of community, they created unconventional, transformational programs that blend emotional intelligence, trauma-informed practices, and radical communication. Their philosophy is simple yet powerful: empowered individuals build stronger communities.

Since 2013, their journey, from Forrest Yoga teachers to internationally recognized coaches, has helped over 12,000 people heal, lead, and connect across generations. Their signature programs include executive coaching, corporate retreats, and communication training that goes far beyond typical team-building. Think walking on hot coals, uncovering unconscious patterns, and learning how to set boundaries without burning bridges.

Rosie and Kit specialize in bridging the gap between self-awareness and workplace performance. Their work has redefined leadership development, helping teams turn vulnerability into strength and burnout into breakthroughs. At the core of their method is a bold invitation: do the inner work first. Through The Little Volcano, the Volcanoes are lighting a fire under corporate culture, one that prioritizes belonging, clarity, and real human connection.

Karim Sekkat

Oxford Engineering Ltd, led by Chairman Karim Sekkat, blends precision, innovation, and a deep-rooted culture of accountability to tackle the high-stakes demands of nuclear manufacturing. Drawing on Karim's skydiving background, with over 220 jumps, including high-risk never jumped before paratrooper dives, the company operates with a mindset where failure is not an option. Oxford Engineering has delivered a key nuclear assembly prototype — a complex, mission-critical component — before competitors with years of head start and customer experience even made it to the first delivery.

Renowned for its meticulous attention to detail, the company leverages bespoke scheduling tools and machine readiness evaluations to eliminate delays and ensure every component is right the first time. With over 20 years of refinement, Oxford's streamlined systems have earned recognition, including two Siemens awards for operational excellence. The firm continues to invest in state-of-the-art equipment and data-driven maintenance strategies, ensuring long-term performance.

Scott McCaghren

Safe Harbor Fiduciary is a Florida-based financial advisory and asset management firm founded in 2004 by the late Don Moore, a self-made businessman known for his integrity and deep commitment to clients. Over the past two decades, the firm has grown steadily, guided by its core fiduciary values and client-first philosophy.

In 2015, Don invited Scott McCaghren to join the firm, sparking a transformative partnership that blended Don's traditional planning strengths with Scott's asset management expertise. After Don's passing in 2020, Scott fulfilled his final goal: growing the firm past $100 million in assets and securing SEC registration. Today, Safe Harbor boasts a 98% client retention rate and continues to expand across 15 states. The firm hosts the Retirement Peace Road Map Podcast, with over 260 episodes, and recently launched a tax-efficient ETF traded on the NYSE.

Safe Harbor serves clients in over 15 states and continues to expand with care and purpose. The firm remains a living tribute to Don Moore's legacy: financial excellence, genuine relationships, and unwavering ethical standards. Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-gb/entrepreneurs/original-shark-kevin-harrington-selects-ten-visionary/494044