Richard Browning
Founder, CEO and Chief Test Pilot, Gravity Industries
Richard Browning is the Founder, CEO and Chief Test Pilot of the pioneering aeronautical innovation company, Gravity Industries, who has turned the impossible dream of human flight into a ground-breaking $80m+ business.
Launching the world’s first human Jet Suit in 2017, and inspired by his maverick-innovator father who left much unfulfilled ambition, he has challenged the perceived boundaries of human aviation and inspires others to dare to ask “what if?”
Today, Gravity has transformed Special Forces mobility and remote medic response, and its flights have been experienced by over two billion people globally, with Richard and his cohort of pilots completing over 300 flight events around the world, including in its inaugural International Race Series, and through its Flight Training facilities in the UK and US.
Prior to Gravity, Richard was a successful commodity trader for 16 years in the City of London with BP, and the pioneer of several major entrepreneurial breakthroughs, including a world-first, $500m cargo tracking platform (winning the BP Group innovation Award).
He has developed businesses and conducted trade relations across five continents and is a key participant and investor in several successful start-up ventures. A passionate STEM advocate, he holds the belief that entrepreneurship and ambition should be taught from early-years education.
A confident and inspirational speaker on embracing innovation through adversity, Richard has delivered keynote speeches on global stages, including as a TED Mainstage speaker, and in corporate engagements for CISCO, Microsoft, BP, Google and more.
He also works with top level C-Suite groups and government leadership, including the UK Ministry of Defence, to deliver tangible guidance on embedding authentic cultures of innovation that deliver results, overcome big-organisation inertia, and inspire teams to push boundaries within their own industries.
In addition to being Ultra Marathon Runner and serial entrepreneur, Richard spent six years in the Special Forces as a Royal Marine Reservist, and charted the journey behind Gravity in his debut autobiography Taking On Gravity.
Why do you support the work of The Entrepreneurs Network?
Entrepreneurship and innovation are the true engines of economic growth, and we need to keep that spirit alive by empowering the next generation of business owners to think boldly and act fearlessly. Every single business starts with individuals willing to take risks, challenge convention and build something new, and I’m looking forward to supporting The Entrepreneurs Network as they continue to play a crucial role in supporting these risk takers, and ensuring that innovation and entrepreneurship remain at the heart of Britain’s future.
What research should more people read?
The quarterly Entrepreneurs Surveys are vital to understanding the real views of the backbone of our economy. These are the people driving growth, creating jobs, and attracting investment, and without their insight, policymakers risk being blind to the real challenges and opportunities that shape economic progress and the ambition to build.
Why is the UK an attractive place to grow a business?
The UK has an incredible history of invention and enterprise. It is where bold ideas meet world-class talent and global ambition, combined with access to some of the best universities and technical minds anywhere in the world. What makes the UK truly special, though, is its entrepreneurial spirit. It is in the willingness to take risks, to challenge the status quo, and to turn ideas into impact that has made the UK a world leader in innovation for centuries. While other nations are rapidly building their own entrepreneurial ecosystems, we already stand on this remarkable pedestal of innovation, and it is crucial now that we keep building on it, to ensure the UK remains a defining force on the global stage.