GoodWork exists to harness the power of business as a force for positive impact by growing enduring companies while improving the lives of people and communities they touch.
We’re a purpose-driven group of entrepreneurs who believe small and medium businesses are the heart and soul of our communities and our economy. That’s why we believe they should be nurtured and protected, not stripped and flipped.
WE DON'T BUY TO SELL, WE BUY TO BUILD
A BETTER PATH TO EXIT
Many founders have spent decades building something great. Private equity has noticed and is now flooding into this space, obsessed with maximising returns at all costs.
But at GoodWork, we’re offering business owners a thoughtful exit pathway that supports their next chapter while safeguarding the legacy they’ve spent a lifetime building.
At GoodWork, we’re offering business owners a better path forward.
Where private equity focuses on exit-driven value extraction, our approach is different. GoodWork focuses on long-term stewardship: acquiring businesses and then growing them steadily, sustainably and with heart.
Instead of building your business to exit it again, we’ve built a model that keeps great businesses thriving within the GoodWork portfolio we hope for generations to come.
Whether you’re preparing for retirement or ready for a new season, we offer a smooth transition and a trusted hand to steward your people and your legacy for the long term.
When you sell to GoodWork, you’re choosing a team that will preserve the heart of your business, invest in your people and carry your legacy forward with care.
With us, you can expect:
- A transition plan that protects your people and your culture
- Genuine, hands-on collaboration through every stage
- Flexible deal structures that work for your needs
- No banks, no waiting - we fund with our own capital
To us this isn’t just about spreadsheets and multiples.
It’s about people, purpose and the story you’ve built over decades.
WHAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE
WE DON’T BUY TO SELL.
WE BUY TO BUILD.
SUCCESSION THAT PRESERVES YOUR LEGACY
Why owners choose GoodWork
1. We’ve walked in your shoes.
We’ve built and led businesses ourselves and we know how much sweat and care goes into every decision. That’s why our process honours what’s been built, supports you and your family and creates a flourishing future for your team.
We’re builders, not flippers. We wholeheartedly invest time, capital and care to help businesses thrive for decades to come. We’re entrepreneurs, not investment bankers.
2. We’re not private equity.
3. An approach built on care and
shared success.
- Respectful: Focused on preserving what makes your business special
- Future-ready: Equipped with the strategy, systems and leadership to grow what you’ve built
- Secure: Privately funded and ready to move when you are
- Efficient: Streamlined due diligence with minimal disruption
4. Local leaders who understand your community
We appoint experienced, qualified operators from your own region (people who know the local landscape) so your business stays in hands that truly understand its community context and
customer needs.
MEET THE TEAM
Who is GoodWork
GoodWork is a collective of partners and people working together to deliver this mission at scale. Ben Collins, Gerhard van Vuuren and Nick Davis lead the team with deep experience across business, entrepreneurship, marketing, acquisitions and investment.
Gerhard van Vuuren
Expertise: Operations, Strategy, Digital Marketing, Global Supply Chains, Logistics, Business Management
Education: Bachelor of Commerce – Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management
Gerhard is a global operator with entrepreneurial roots and broad cross-sector experience. He’s launched startups, scaled multinational operations and most recently led the APAC arm of a global OEM in the mining sector. With deep expertise in logistics, growth strategy, and execution, Gerhard builds high-performing systems and teams that unlock sustainable scale.
Nick Davis
Expertise: Finance, Strategy, M&A, Governance, Turnaround, IPO, Investment Advisory
Qualification: FCA/ICAEW Chartered Accountant; BSc (Hons) Economics – Loughborough University
Nick brings strong financial expertise and hands-on leadership in retail, eCommerce, and investment. After starting in accounting, he led the transformation and public listing of a UK retail brand as CFO and later as CEO. Having advised a Family Office over the past five years, Nick brings experience supporting SME growth and investment strategy, with a focus on unlocking value - both commercial and human.
Ben Collins
Expertise: Vision, Leadership, Strategy, Business Management
Education: MA (Hons) Theology – University of Cambridge; Diploma in Strategic Leadership – Saïd Business School, Oxford
Ben is an experienced business leader who has owned, grown and successfully exited several SMEs across the automotive, property, and finance sectors. He combines strategic vision with a people-first approach, believing that strong performance and human care go hand-in-hand. Educated at Cambridge, Ben brings long-term thinking and a passion for building businesses that contribute meaningfully to society.
Daniel Flynn
Expertise: Social Enterprise, Brand Strategy, Business Strategy, Leadership, Innovation, Systems Thinking
Daniel is a founder, strategist and systems thinker known for building purpose-led ventures that challenge the status quo. As co-founder of Thankyou, he led the transformation of a bold idea into a globally recognised social enterprise, generating millions for impact partners worldwide. A sought-after speaker and award-winning entrepreneur, Daniel brings vision and clarity to backing businesses that build a better world.
Emma Hall
Expertise: Financial Planning, Financial Reporting, Budgeting, Forecasting, Risk Management, Governance
Qualification: CGMA Chartered Global Management Accountant
Emma is a finance leader with over 20 years’ experience across retail and investment industries. She’s optimised financial operations, enhanced reporting systems and driven business performance through cost reductions, revenue growth strategies and strategic initiatives like M&A, IPOs and capital raising. With a strong focus on ethical practices and stakeholder collaboration, Emma ensures robust financial management that supports sustainable growth.
Antony Higgs
Expertise: Operations Management, Strategy, Project Management, Regulatory Governance, Process Efficiency
Antony is an operations leader with decades of experience driving organisational efficiency and leading high-performing teams. He specialises in strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration and data-led decision-making, with a proven ability to streamline processes and deliver impactful outcomes. Skilled in regulatory governance and continuous improvement, Antony builds operational frameworks that enable businesses to thrive in complex environments.
Bruach Colliton
Expertise: Governance, Strategy, Business Development, Technology Integration
Bruach is an entrepreneurial leader with over 20 years’ experience spanning business, governance and social impact. He has founded and led ventures in hospitality, technology and consultancy. A former Mayor and current board member, Bruach is passionate about harnessing technology to grow businesses that deliver enduring growth and meaningful community impact.
Megan Collins
Expertise: Creative Thinking, Investing, Philanthropy
Megan is a creative investor with a passion for backing businesses and spaces that create returns beyond the financial. With a background in design and a strong commitment to philanthropy, she brings focus and accountability to GoodWork’s mission-driven investments. Megan champions initiatives that balance impact and value, applying a strategic lens that helps ensure that every investment contributes to the
greater good.
In an era where private equity looks to buy, strip, build and flip, we’re taking a counter-cultural path. We believe that if we build community-centred and values-driven businesses only to exit them, we risk the good work ending.
Our theory of change is simple: lasting, positive impact takes decades and it requires owners deeply committed to the mission. Instead of traditional exits, our pathway focuses on raising and empowering future operating partners who will continue to run these businesses within the GoodWork portfolio.
The “Good” in GoodWork is more than a nice feeling. It’s what drives us.
It’s about building healthy businesses that serve people, operate with integrity and strengthen communities. Through our verticals of Good People, Good Practice and Good Community, we invest in workplaces where people flourish and where businesses become agents of positive impact in their local context.
GOODWORK IN MOTION
The Good in GoodWork
THE GOODWORK PROCESS
Building businesses to last
When GoodWork acquires a business, we take a thoughtful, people-first approach to transition and growth. Central to this is appointing a values-driven Operating Partner, an experienced leader with proven expertise in the same field.
They’re not just hired to run it; they’re given equity, ensuring they have genuine ownership and a shared stake in its success. Around them, we build a support ecosystem: the GoodWork team and trusted operators who help them run, grow and scale.
This partnership model keeps decision-making close to the ground, led by people who understand the business and care deeply about its future. It also means that everyone connected to GoodWork - from founders and employees to customers and communities - are positioned to flourish and thrive.
We’ve seen what happens when leaders put community and stakeholders before themselves; when success is shared, not extracted.
This is the kind of legacy we want to build and entrust to future generations.
The next chapter of your
business starts here.
When it’s time to step back, you want to know your business is in good hands.
Let’s explore what that could look like.