Sebastian Thiel

How does a 17-year-old teenager cope when his basketball scholarship is ripped away from him at the last minute? This was the position Sebastian Thiel found himself in 2008 when an NBA player who was due to sponsor him pulled out of the deal. 

But instead of getting depressed, Sebastian looked at what else he could do to make his mark on the world. He decided to leave behind his A Levels in media, psychology and sociology to develop a clothing label that he and his friends had been working on, called It's Upshot.

The idea behind the label, which features t-shirts and accessories emblazoned with fun images, and friendly slogans, was to put out some positive messages to young people.

“We started it because we were aware of gang culture in our neighbourhood and we wanted to promote an alternative youth subculture,” says the young entrepreneur, also known as ‘Bassy’.”

Fast success

Sebastian, now aged 20, began developing the enterprise, using self-taught graphic design skills and before he knew it, he was selling hundreds of t-shirts and accessories online. The brand soon began expanding into a digital TV channel, event company and more.

Each TV programme or performance is created to deliver serious messages in a humourous style to It’s Upshot’s young audience. But Sebastian is careful not to preach. “Upshot is not about telling people not to get into certain bad ways. It’s just about giving them an alternative which is fun.”

The entrepreneur - who was born in Zambia, but came to London with his family when he was three – quickly gained recognition for his skills.

In November 2008 he was awarded £1,500 for the business in an annual competition known as Mini Mogul. Then three months later, Sebastian landed a cool £8,000 in The Big Challenge competition, which awards money to young people who want to change the world.

These are just some of the highlights in his career to date, but there are plenty more memorable moments. “There are too many,” he says. “From seeing my designs on clothes for the first time, to bringing in the likes of artists including Sway, Flawless and Dynamo to perform at the It's Upshot launch party.

I was also totally honoured to be invited to The Black Ball in New York in 2009 –an event to support Alicia Keys’ Keep A Child Alive charity, which provides anti-retroviral drugs for people with HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.

African connections

Sebastian stills feels a strong connection to Africa, he says. He has been back a number of times in his life, including in 2009, when he visited a village in Malawi to have beaded necklaces made for It’s Upshot.

Some of his t-shirts also promote his sense of pride at being African. He loves the place, as do his parents. “The culture, the people, the beauty, it is my favourite place,” says Sebastian. “My parents are just about to move back there. They have worked hard in London, my mum as a care worker and dad as a bus driver and now they want to relax in a bigger house with a slower pace of life.”

Over the last year Bassy has spent time developing himself as a business person and entrepreneur, attending the School for Social Entrepreneurs course in London. The school offers a training programme for the country’s most promising social entrepreneurs, with the emphasis on learning from experienced peers.

He feels the course, which he graduates from this month (March 2011) has been invaluable. “Seeing the other entrepreneurs in action, hearing all their stories and experiences has really brought a lot of things home to me. I know that being a social entrepreneur can be really hard, but I love it. I feel more prepared now.”

Business values

He has lots in the pipeline for the coming months, starting with a variety show fundraiser this month, with live music, comedy and video screenings at hip East London venue, the Underbelly.

A £7,000 grant from UnLtd – the foundation for social entrepreneurs -will keep him going for a while as he continues to grow the business. But, Sebastian says that once it’s spent, he won’t be applying for any more grants.

“The time has come for the business to work as a business," says Sebastian. "I want to get away from funding now, it will be a hard journey, but with support I can do it. An alternative youth culture is still very much needed in our society and It’s Upshot is here to provide that.”

Connect:
www.ttsupshot.com
www.sir-bastian.com
Twitter.com/SebastianThiel