About our guest
Cemal Ezel is the founder of Change Please, an award-winning social enterprise that helps people experiencing homelessness rebuild their lives through work, housing, and wrap-around support.
A former commodities broker, Cemal’s turning point came during travels in Vietnam, where a silent tea house showed him business and social good can coexist. Since 2015, he has built a job-first pathway that combines professional barista training, London Living Wage roles, fast-tracked housing, and in-house therapy, then partners with major employers for onward careers.
Operating across the UK and internationally, Cemal’s mission is to use trade (not aid) so capitalism becomes a force for good.
This Episode Covers
- Origin Story & The Rocking Chair Test: How a 29 year old “midlife crisis” and a Vietnam epiphany led to Change Please.
- Job First Model: Why work, skills, and a living wage (~£31k) are the fastest route off the streets paired with therapy, bank accounts, and onward jobs after ~6 months.
- Housing Without Friction: How Change Please removes barriers by paying deposits, underwriting rent, and paying landlords directly while people get established.
- Quality First, Then Impact: Only ~4% of customers go out of their way for “good.” The strategy is to win the other 96% with uncompromised coffee and service.
- Beyond Coffee: Mobile service buses (with partners like Colgate, HSBC, David Lloyd) and a new AI prevention platform with Southwark Council and the Centre for Homelessness Impact.
- Culture That Cares: “Outcomes over targets,” fitting the model to the person (not the other way around), and using surplus (not profit) to fund impact.
- Seeing the Whole Spectrum: What homelessness really looks like from redundancy and sofa surfing to abusive situations and long term rough sleeping and why connection matters.
- How Businesses Can Help (Today): Hire trainees, offer work experience, buy from social enterprises, and start small but do it with authenticity.
- The Future of Work: Why AI will reshape purpose and employment and how Change Please is preparing to adapt.
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