Dr Mark Esho MBE

Mark Esho is a tech entrepreneur who has transitioned into semi-retirement to focus on resilience coaching, social entrepreneurship, and private investments. His journey is a remarkable story of overcoming significant adversity. At just five years old, Mark contracted polio, which left him paralyzed overnight. Despite being given only a 10% chance of survival, he not only survived but thrived, adopting a positive, can-do mindset that would define his life.

After earning an MBA in Business Administration from De Montfort University in 1994, Mark founded several successful businesses. These include Easy Internet Services, a digital marketing agency; Easy Internet Solutions, a web hosting company; and Dreme, a property investment company. In 2019, he also founded Access Rating, a Community Interest Company (CIC) dedicated to improving accessibility for disabled individuals.

Mark’s dedication to empowering others led to the launch of Ability Connect CIC in February 2023, a project in collaboration with the University of Leicester Business School. This initiative offers training for aspiring disabled entrepreneurs, reflecting Mark’s commitment to social entrepreneurship.

In addition to his business ventures, Mark is an accomplished author. His autobiography, I Can. I Will., became a number one bestseller on Amazon in 2018. His contributions to business and society have been widely recognized; he was highly commended in the IoD Director of the Year (SME) 2016, won the IoD Director of the Year (East Midlands) in 2019, and received the East Midlands Leadership Awards. In 2022, he was honored with an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to business. In 2023, Mark was awarded a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) by De Montfort University.

Now, Mark dedicates his time to running his social enterprises, investing, and public speaking. His life and work embody the principle that it’s not the obstacles you face, but how you respond to them, that truly matters.