Rebel With a Purpose
From Confessions of an Entrepreneur by Carl Swansbury
December 11, 2025 · 1h 5m · Season 2 · Episode 20
About this episode
Carl Swansbury interviews entrepreneur Andy Preston about his philanthropic efforts and business journey.
In this episode of ‘Confessions of a…’, Carl meets with businessman, politician, media commentator and charity campaigner, Andy Preston, an entrepreneur who places philanthropy and community at the heart of his personal ethos. Born in Middlesbrough, Andy has become one of the North East’s entrepreneurs who’s drive and enthusiasm for life and business, has not only made him successful, but helped him be in position to make important contributions to society. An investor in a number of start-up businesses and commercial property schemes, Andy has also had a career in politics, holding the position of Deputy Mayor of Tees Valley for Business Growth and the directly elected Mayor of Middlesbrough. After a career in the RAF, Andy studied at Edinburgh University before working as an international fund manager becoming involved in several charities before founding the Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation in 2011. He launched his second charity, CEO Sleepout, in 2013 to alleviate homelessness and poverty, which continues to hold successful events across the country. Andy went on to launch a charity restaurant in Middlesbrough, The Fork in the Road, providing employment…
People in this episode
Host: Carl Swansbury
Guest: Andy Preston
Topics covered
- entrepreneurship
- philanthropy
- community impact
- politics
- charity
- business growth
Keywords
- entrepreneur
- philanthropy
- Middlesbrough
- charity
- business
- politics
- community
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Middlesbrough and Teesside Philanthropic Foundation, CEO Sleepout, The Fork in the Road
Places: Middlesbrough, Tees Valley, North East, Edinburgh
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