When Ben Towers was 11 years old, a family friend challenged him to build them a website. With no prior experience in business or web development, Ben taught himself how to create a site using videos on YouTube. Once the website was completed, he was given £50 as a thank you for the work he had done, which sparked his interest in finding more opportunities to build websites for money. Around this time, Ben was transitioning into secondary school and began balancing freelance work alongside his studies. By the age of 13, Ben realised he was effectively running a business and formally launched Towers Design.

Initially focused on website development, Towers Design quickly grew through Ben’s hard work and perseverance, expanding to offer a wider range of services. As demand increased, Ben began outsourcing work to freelancers who could deliver projects while he was at school. Over time, his confidence grew, and he gained significant national press coverage for achieving success at such a young age. Neither of Ben’s parents, Helen and Trevor, had a background in business, meaning that all support and guidance came from online resources, networking, and his own instincts. Towers Design went on to employ freelancers full-time, still working remotely, while also shifting its focus toward social media marketing. This evolution enabled Ben to work on major campaigns for well-known brands such as Amazon Echo, Pot Noodle, and NHS Give Blood.

After completing his GCSEs, Ben quickly moved the Towers Design team into a dedicated office, bringing everyone together to focus on business growth and client delivery. To continue managing the company while remaining in full-time education, Ben became the first person to employ himself as an apprentice.

As a result of his rapid success and young age, Ben was invited to appear on numerous television shows to share his journey and insights, as well as to speak at conferences around the world. Alongside building the business, these opportunities enabled Ben to generate significant income, allowing him to begin investing in other disruptive companies and grow his business portfolio.

After lobbying the banks Ben also became the first person in the UK to get a business bank account whilst under the age of 18.

In April 2017, Ben completed a “multi-million-pound” merger between Towers Design and Zest The Agency, creating one of the largest marketing agencies in Kent. He later exited the business in September of the same year.

Following his exit, Ben spent considerable time advising both the UK and New Zealand governments, including contributing to the UK’s first Youth Entrepreneurship Review and work relating to the future of AI strategy.

He has since gone on to launch Happl, an AI-powered employee benefits platform for global companies. With offices across Europe and the USA, Happl works with some of the world’s leading employers, using AI to create personalised benefits for every employee while removing administrative and compliance challenges.