A Durham graduate has been named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for 2022. The Forbes list celebrates the brightest young entrepreneurs and leaders making a positive impact on the world. Former Engineering student Will Smith has been named on this year’s list for his work as co-founder of the U.K.'s leading green online banking app Tred, which aims to help customers live more sustainably.
Tred’s first product is a green debit card that helps people make their everyday spending more sustainable. The company donates 10% of the revenue it makes from transactions to tree-planting projects, telling users what the carbon emissions are and lets them go carbon-neutral every month by offsetting their monthly emissions. Tred has raised $1.2 million since launch and has 30,000 customer signups to date.
Will says:
“Durham is a big part of why Tred exists. I met Pete, Tred’s other co-founder, whilst studying Engineering; our earliest consumer surveys were only possible with the support Durham provided; and there are now valuable Alumni networks that we're linked into. It's a cliche, but to any current student, make sure you nurture the connections you make here at Durham - you never know where they could take you! Being selected by Forbes as a '30 Under 30' is a huge vote of confidence in our product and the progress we've made so far, which wouldn’t have been possible without the team we’ve built and the support we’ve received.”
Careers and Employability support
Tred was supported in its early days by our Careers, Employability and Enterprise service, who support students and graduates to explore ideas and launch new ventures.
This includes startup coaching sessions, workshops, funding and access to specialist advice and mentoring support.
Crowd funding
Tred is currently running a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the future development of the company. Future plans include the launch of an Android app and the introduction of tracking features to allow customers to track the impact of their total spend even if they don’t bank with Tred. This will allow users to track the carbon footprint of their spending and make more sustainable buying decisions in every day life. They are also hoping to offer personalised tips and track the positive impact made by individuals. The last crowdfunding campaign run by Tred led to the employment of 13 new team members and it is hoped this next campaign will allow them to grow the team even further. This round of crowdfunding closes at midnight on 24th June 2022.
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