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.

Scale & Partnerships: ~370 partner/concession sites in the UK, 11 owned sites in London, and operations in 8 countries plus hiring pathways with global brands.

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.

Links

Website: changeplease.org

LinkedIn: Cemal Ezel