The CIPD work in partnership with Haymarket Media Group Ltd to deliver CIPD Festival of Work

Jacob Hill
Managing Director, Offploy
Jacob is a social entrepreneur and founder of Offploy Community Interest Company. His mission is to reduce re-offending and make society safer by supporting people with convictions into meaningful mentored and sustainable employment. Jacob challenges stereotypes of ex-offenders and aims to create opportunities for those who have been involved in the criminal justice system. He is passionate about promoting resilience and believes that everyone has the ability to recover from setbacks and knockbacks.
Jacob's entrepreneurial journey was not without its challenges. After achieving early success with The Lazy Camper, he found himself in personal debt and made the ill-advised decision to sell drugs at a music festival to pay it off. He was arrested and faced the consequences of his actions. This experience gave Jacob a new perspective on the criminal justice system and motivated him to create Offploy, an organization that supports people with convictions to find meaningful work.
Jacob's leadership and innovation skills were instrumental in scaling Offploy's impact 3x by systemizing and digitizing the organization's paperwork, reporting, and quality management. He went on to form Apogee Development, an organization that provides consultancy services to help other organizations achieve similar growth and impact. Jacob is also a board member of Social Value UK, demonstrating his commitment to increasing the capacity of the social sector to both widen and deepen its positive effect on society.
Jacob is a dynamic and engaging speaker who shares his personal journey with honesty and vulnerability. He challenges audiences to question their assumptions about ex-offenders and to support those who are seeking to turn their lives around. Jacob's story is a powerful reminder that everyone deserves a second chance and that resilience is key to overcoming life's challenges.