June O’Sullivan is the CEO of London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), the UK’s largest charitable social enterprises, providing high-quality, affordable childcare to children from all backgrounds. LEYF operates over 44 nurseries across London, supporting thousands of families while reinvesting profits into community initiatives, training, and apprenticeship programmes. She is passionate about social justice and leadership, early childhood education, and creating opportunities for all children to thrive.
What inspired you to start your business?
I’ve always been driven by the belief that Early Years education and care can be a powerful force for change, breaking cycles of poverty and inequality. Every child deserves the chance to thrive, no matter their circumstances. When I joined the local nursery charity in Westminster many years ago I saw more than just a nursery group – I saw the potential to build a groundbreaking social enterprise that not only delivers exceptional education but also tackles pressing social challenges like food insecurity, sustainability, and community cohesion. It was a chance to redefine what early education could achieve and create lasting impact where it’s needed most.
How did you create awareness for your brand?
Building LEYF’s brand has been a journey of advocacy, storytelling, and collaboration. We don’t just run nurseries – we use our platform to shape policy, share innovative practices, and partner with organisations that share our vision. Rooted in local communities, our nurseries serve as hubs for engagement, bringing together parents, educators, and policymakers. Through blogs, media, research, and social impact campaigns, we amplify our voice to drive meaningful change in Early Years education.
What strategies helped you secure funding and scale your business?
We built a sustainable social enterprise model that blends commercial success with a strong social mission. By showcasing tangible impact, we secured support from investors, philanthropists, and grant-makers. Our apprenticeship programme and training academy also played a crucial role, developing a skilled workforce that enabled us to grow while upholding the highest standards of education.
What have been your biggest successes so far?
I’m most proud of the lasting impact we’ve made in Early Years education. For example, our apprenticeship programme has trained thousands of educators, creating meaningful career opportunities for young people.
As a social entrepreneur, I’m always testing ideas and finding creative solutions to improve outcomes for children and also provide better learning, training and development for those working across the sector. Big successes for me include, designing the LEYF Pedagogy for Social Justice – an evidence-based approach ensuring disadvantaged children thrive through the right balance of learning and development, the creation of The London Institute of Early Years which provides high-quality professional development for the entire Early Years sector, and launching the UK’s First Early Years Chef Academy – training chefs in Early Years settings to better understand children’s nutritional needs. I also led LEYF’s first Sustainability Strategy to set a sector benchmark for best practice and helping children embrace their roles as responsible global citizens. This later inspired me to launch the first ever Early Years Level 4 Diploma to embed sustainability principles into Early Years education and creating Green Champions across the sector.
Through these initiatives, we’re not just shaping early education – we’re building a stronger, more inclusive, and more sustainable future.
What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
The Early Years sector continues to struggle with chronic underfunding, staffing shortages, and complex policy challenges. We’ve tackled these through advocacy, innovation, and resilience – adapting to change, forging strategic partnerships, and relentlessly championing the sector’s value to ensure a stronger future for children and educators alike.
What are your plans for the future?
We want to continue expanding LEYF’s impact – reaching more communities, strengthening our research and training initiatives, and influencing policy to ensure all children receive the early education they deserve.
What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?
Believe in your purpose, and don’t be afraid to take up space.
Trust your vision, embrace challenges as opportunities, and build a strong network of supporters who champion your success.
What are your top three tips for entrepreneurial success?
Stay true to your mission; it’s your compass for every decision.
Challenges are inevitable, but persistence, resilience and adaptability fuel success.
Keep learning.
Who are five people who inspire you the most, and why?
- Every passionate early year’s educator – They make a difference every single day.
- Maria Montessori for her focus on small children in poverty when few people recognised the need to educate them looking at the world through their eyes.
- Mark Simms, CEO of P3 who is my go to person when I need to bring balance and good sense to a business decision I am grappling with
- Mohammad Yunus for constantly reminding us that “If you want to get people out of poverty, don’t look at the poor people. Look at the system that is responsible for creating that poverty”
- Solitaire Townsend who has a very warm and hopeful approach to sustainability and remind us to wear clothes that matter.
What are your favourite inspirational or motivational quotes?
- “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
- “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” – Shirley Chisholm
- “A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
Where can our readers connect with you?
You can find me on Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and through the LEYF website at www.leyf.org.uk.
