From refugee to entrepreneur
My journey began in 1972, when my family and I arrived in the UK as refugees. From a young age, we were driven not only to build a successful life but also to give back to the community that welcomed us.
After a career in academia specialising in drug discovery, my wife and I grew Morningside Pharmaceuticals from our garage — more than thirty years ago now. What began as a 100% export‑led company grew into a global pharmaceutical developer and manufacturer supplying the NHS and major aid organisations including the WHO, UNICEF and the Red Cross. Since inception we’ve exported to more than 100 countries and licensed over 240 medicines in the UK and worldwide. The mission was to make quality healthcare an affordable and accessible reality throughout the world.
Building a foundation for giving
In 2017, my wife Moni and I established The Randal Charitable Foundation. It quickly became a central focus in our life, offering endless opportunities to give back and reshaping how I see the world. Those perspectives have informed many of my roles, including becoming a trustee of The King’s Trust and Chair of its Fundraising Advisory Board.
Alongside the Foundation’s growth, I founded RandalSun Capital Limited in 2020 — a way to continue pursuing my entrepreneurial passions by investing in and supporting businesses across life sciences and beyond.
Our philanthropic work grew organically from the socially centred values embedded in our business. But the question many people ask is: ‘Where do you start as a philanthropist?’
Finding your starting point
Like many, I wanted to make a meaningful impact but saw vast need everywhere. My first step was to follow my passions. I became a trustee of a small charity in Leicestershire, which allowed me to learn about the third sector and understand the challenges charities face.
Working with grassroots organisations was eye‑opening. Whether the focus was medical research, homelessness or mental health, visiting charities in person helped me truly connect with their work. While the charitable sector operates differently from business, the similarities are striking — especially the passion to deliver impact despite tight financial constraints.
Recognising this helped shape our Foundation’s approach, leading to the development of our Five Pillars of Giving and our UK and global investment themes.
The power of purposeful giving
I often challenge people to consider the difference they could make by giving away 2%, 5% or even 10% of their income. Would you truly notice it? Philanthropy should give you purpose and happiness — it should feel like a natural extension of what you’ve worked hard to build.
Running a foundation or charity is, in many ways, like running a company. There is compliance, administration, governance and annual reporting. Some people manage this themselves; others build a team. Either way, it is a privilege — and deeply fulfilling — to create long‑lasting impact in people’s lives.
A family approach to philanthropy
For us, philanthropy is a generational tradition. Establishing a family foundation allowed us to give together and has helped the younger generation understand wealth and responsibility. But a foundation isn’t the only route — giving can be done directly or through partnerships.
As with starting a business, speaking to experts can be invaluable. Learning from others’ experiences helps you avoid reinventing the wheel and contributes to a wider ecosystem of best practice. The business acumen philanthropists bring is a powerful force for change. Coutts, for example, has played an instrumental role in connecting people and sharing knowledge.
The King’s Trust
I’m honoured to serve as a trustee of The King’s Trust and Chair of its Fundraising Advisory Board. The Trust’s mission aligns closely with our foundation’s values: raising aspirations and creating opportunities for young people to build their futures — whether through education, employment or entrepreneurship.
The Trust’s impact over the past 50 years has been extraordinary. Yet today, nearly 950,000 young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training. This is not only a moral issue but a significant challenge for our welfare system and economy. Work, confidence and self‑esteem are essential ingredients for a thriving society.
Measuring change
Recent data shows that 74% of these young people believe they cannot get the job they want — they feel excluded before they even begin. Over the last five decades, The King’s Trust has helped nearly 1.3 million young people access education, training or employment. As their businesses grow and they hire others, the cycle of opportunity expands, creating a legacy of entrepreneurship and social value.
Today, the Trust supports more than 66,000 young people each year, generating £3.9bn in social value over the past decade alone.
Stories like that of Duane Jackson are particularly powerful. After serving a five‑year prison sentence, he received support from the Trust to build what became a £20m business employing 40 people — many of whom had also been through the prison system themselves.
Duane’s story stands for so much – and shows incredible self-agency and change. His journey, and so many others, wouldn’t have been possible without philanthropists believing in those same principles.
- Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL PhD DIC DSc FRSC FRSM CCHEM is an honorary Professor of Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Philanthropy, Director for the Centre for Social Justice and Trade Policy Advisor for HM Government Department for Business and Trade. He was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, for International Trade in 2012 and received a Board of Trade Award in 2018.
