Shaa Wasmund

One of Britain's most highly regarded digital entrepreneurs - Sháá Wasmund – full of personality and a zest for life - is a major player in the digital space . She has set up multiple businesses and was pivotal in launching the Dyson brand from its humble beginnings. Author of the #1 Bestselling book, Stop Talking and Start Doing – Shaa was the bestselling Business author in WHSmiths for 14 months in a row.  As founder and CEO of Smarta, she helps over 500,000 SME’s a month. The IoD voted Shaa as one of the best-connected people in the UK.

A graduate of The London School of Economics, Shaa’s entrepreneurial career had an unusual start. She made a name for herself by winning a competition in Cosmopolitan magazine. Her prize was to interview World Champion Boxer, Chris Eubank, and to write an article about it for the mag. By the end of the interview, Eubank had offered her a job promoting his next fight. At the age of 22 Shaa found herself in charge of planning and promoting the biggest boxing match ever to take place in the UK; with a live audience of 48,000, and 18 million watching it on TV.

In 1994, Shaa founded her first business, a PR and Marketing company, with James Dyson as one of her first clients. The part she played in establishing Dyson as one of the best known brands in the world, afforded her various awards including Cosmopolitan Business Woman of the Year. After 5 years, and with Dyson a household name, Shaa began looking for a new challenge.

By now the internet was firing her passion for the opportunities that lay ahead, and when she met Sir Bob Geldof, Shaa jumped at the chance to become a founding director of his online travel company, deckchair.com, and was placed at the hub of the internet revolution.

After a year with deckchair.com, she took the courageous step to pursue her own venture and in 2000, raised the necessary (and substantial) funds to launch www.mykindaplace.com, which she eventually sold to BSkyB.

Shaa uses her experience and unique expertise to advise businesses, from government organisations to social networking companies, on their internet strategies. She plays a major role in the young entrepreneurial spirit of the UK, who spends much of her time encouraging and inspiring others.

In 2006 Shaa joined forces with international entrepreneur Dan Wagner, and together they launched investment vehicle Bright Station Ventures, and she is also the founder of Smarta, a revolutionary social enterprise set up to transform business support in the UK.

In 2007, Shaa was named by Management Today as one of their most successful Women Under 35. Her book, Stop Talking, Start Doing: Amazing Ways to Find the Spark You Need to Make it Happen, has been WH Smith’s best seller consistently for a whole year – this has never happened before!

In her new book Do Less Get More, Shaa reveals that the key to fulfilment isn't doing more, it's doing what matters.

Speaking Topics

• Entrepreneur
• Digital marketing
• Women