The innovation pioneer helping the next wave of founders build bold, purposeful ventures.

About this episode

What if business wasn’t just about profit — but purpose, optimism, and real-world change?

That’s the question Dave Allan has been asking his whole career. As co-founder of What If, he helped global giants unlock creativity, build braver cultures, and launch breakthrough ideas, long before ‘innovation’ became a business cliché.

Now he’s on a new mission: building a community of entrepreneurs, investors, and operators who believe business can do better.

In this conversation, Dave talks about the shift from profit-only thinking to purpose-driven action, and the power of community in helping bold ventures scale. He shares lessons from building What If, stories from his current projects, and why the companies that make the biggest difference are often the ones that dare to think differently.

Dave Allan

Co-founder, Entrepreneur & Community Builder

Dave Allan is best known as co-founder of What If, the global innovation consultancy behind some of the world’s most successful product and culture reinventions. Twice named the UK’s best place to work, What If was acquired by Accenture in 2019.

Today, Dave is focused on building a new kind of business network - one that connects purpose-led founders with the capital, support, and community they need to scale.

Based in Somerset, he lives with his partner Amanda and their dog Scout, is a proud dad to twin sons, and is currently planning a motorbike trip from Alaska to Patagonia.