An entrepreneur who built a multi-million-pound business from his bedroom in Derby has paid tribute to the city that gave him his start.
Dan Miller, 27, who grew up in Smalley, founded Young Professionals UK on a laptop in his bedroom while he was still in the sixth form at Trent College.
While just 17 years old, Dan received early backing from Rolls-Royce, along with a £12,000 grant from Experian, which helped him take the first steps in building the business.
Today, Dan, who made his first million by the age of 25, is CEO of the company which has secured partnerships with major employers including KPMG, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte and PwC.
Young Professionals helps connect students with alternative pathways into careers, offering young people the opportunity to engage directly with employers through industry events, work experience opportunities and apprenticeships.
Young Professionals UK has grown into one of the largest student networks in the country, with more than 600,000 young people accessing its services. It now works with around 70 major employers, including the Big Four accountancy firms and leading law firms, and partners with 4,000 schools across the UK and Ireland.
More than 20,000 students attended Young Professionals events during the October half-term alone, according to the company.
Although Dan now splits his time between homes in London and Marbella, he says Derby remains central to his success, adding that without the support, grounding and work ethic he developed growing up in the area, the business would never have got off the ground.
He said: “Starting the business in my bedroom in Derby taught me everything about resilience, focus and building something from the ground up,” he said.
“I believed opportunities from world-class employers felt unreachable to pupils like me – so I did something about it. I knew I didn’t want to go to university and I was frustrated that every school career fair was full of universities and not actual employers telling students how to get jobs.
“Being from Derby, the biggest employers we had were Rolls-Royce and Experian. I literally just picked up the phone to them with my idea. They actually sent me cheques – Experian gave me £12,000 – which, as a 17-year-old, blew my mind.
“My parents still live in the city and I come back regularly. Derby will always be home for me and the values I grew up with here – hard work, honesty and staying grounded – continue to shape how I run the business today.”
Last year, Young Professionals UK hosted its largest ever event, welcoming more than 3,000 students to The O2 in London.
The sold-out event featured panel discussions with leaders from the RAF, the University of Law, Grant Thornton and Freshfields, alongside networking opportunities with 20 major recruiters.
In October, Dan returned to Pride Park – the first venue Young Professionals UK ever used for a careers conference. More than 300 children and parents attended the most recent event at the stadium.
Dan said: “Coming back to the city where I grew up and still delivering incredible events for students across the region makes this one of the most important events to me in the academic year.
“Browne Jacobson and Experian, two huge local employers have remained with me from the very start and continue to keep offering incredible opportunities to students locally as well as being huge supporters to me and the Young Professionals brand.
As the organisation continues to grow, Dan hopes his story will encourage young people across Derby and the East Midlands to consider a wide range of routes into successful careers – from apprenticeships and school-leaver programmes to early entry into the workplace.
