Cemal Ezel, CEO & Founder, named as a 2026 SE100 Impact Leader

At Change Please, we’ve always believed that business can, and should, be a force for good. That’s why we are incredibly proud to share that our founder and CEO, Cemal Ezel, has been recognised in the very first SE100 Impact Leaders list, celebrating pioneering individuals driving social impact across the UK. 

Created by Pioneers Post as part of the renowned NatWest SE100 Index, the inaugural list shines a spotlight on leaders who are reshaping industries, communities, and systems through social enterprise. Pioneers Post described the list as recognising “pioneering impact leaders” from across the UK’s social business ecosystem. 

For over a decade, Cemal has led Change Please with one clear mission: to tackle homelessness through employment, opportunity, and great coffee. What started as an idea inspired by the power of social enterprise has grown into an internationally recognised movement that combines specialty coffee with life-changing impact. 

Today, Change Please operates across multiple countries, providing training, employment pathways, and wraparound support for people experiencing homelessness. The organisation’s model goes far beyond coffee, offering support with housing, mental wellbeing, financial stability, and long-term employment opportunities. 

Speaking throughout Change Please’s journey, Cemal has consistently championed the idea that social enterprises should compete on the quality of their products first, with impact embedded into every purchase. That mindset has helped Change Please become one of the UK’s most recognised social enterprises, partnering with major brands and organisations while staying firmly rooted in its mission. 

This recognition is not just a celebration of one individual, but of the entire Change Please community, from our trainees and graduates to our partners, customers, and supporters who continue to believe in creating change through everyday choices.

We want to thank everyone who has supported our mission so far. This recognition reflects the collective effort of people who believe homelessness should never define someone’s future.

Congratulations, Cemal, on this incredibly well-deserved recognition. We can’t wait to see what comes next.