Dovetail & Slate, the specialist UK education recruitment agency, is proud to announce that its founder and CEO Guy Walker has been named overall winner of the Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs, receiving the top prize of £150,000 in cash grants. The award was presented by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou at a ceremony held at the London headquarters of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation on 26 May 2026.
Now in its 18th year and run in partnership with leading disability charity Leonard Cheshire, the Stelios Awards celebrate and support entrepreneurs with disabilities across the UK. This year’s competition attracted 63 applications, with Sir Stelios distributing a total of £300,000 across three winners.
About Guy Walker and Dovetail & Slate
Founded by Guy in 2018, Dovetail & Slate is a specialist recruitment agency focused exclusively on education and the public sector, placing candidates across primary and secondary schools, further education colleges, training providers, local authorities and housing associations. The business now employs a team approaching 100 people across offices in Bristol, Leeds and Manchester, and was recognised by The Sunday Times 100 Fastest-Growing Companies 2025.
Guy, who has ADHD, has built a company that reflects his belief that a neurodiverse workforce is a strength. 42% of Dovetail & Slate’s employees are neurodiverse, and the business is committed to creating an inclusive environment in which every team member can thrive.
“What sets us apart is the way we work. While much of the recruitment industry can feel fast-moving and transactional, we take the time to genuinely understand the people and organisations we support. We invest in long-term relationships with clients, candidates and the communities education serves.
“I am absolutely delighted to receive this award from Sir Stelios. The funding will be reinvested into the business to strengthen our foundations, improve resources, and continue building a positive, supportive culture for our team. Creating an environment where people can do their best work and feel genuinely valued is, to me, essential rather than optional.
“I also want to use part of the funding to support further education initiatives, contribute to the Full Circle Project, and help promote greater awareness and understanding of ADHD through education and outreach.”
Guy Walker, Founder & CEO, Dovetail & Slate
This year’s awards also recognised two further exceptional disabled entrepreneurs from across the UK, Theo Constanti, The Marble Group and Jack Sims, Adaptiv Mobility.
Sir Stelios, creator and owner of the easy family of brands and founder and president of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, said:
“We’re proud to honour Guy, Theo and Jack today. I was fascinated to learn more about each of their stories and found it inspiring how they found business success in their respective fields.
“We know how difficult it can be for disabled people to get a job; that is why I always believed that their best option is to become their own boss! This year we’re proud to have again received an overwhelming number of applicants that have created innovative and ingenious businesses to generate jobs and wealth for themselves, their families and teams.
“These are three stand-out examples of how disabled entrepreneurs blaze the trail for others and inspire more disabled people to start their own businesses. We hope that the prize money can help their businesses go from strength to strength.”
The prize money will be directed towards, strengthening business foundations and improving internal resources, building a positive, inclusive culture for the growing team, supporting further education initiatives and the Full Circle Project and promoting greater awareness and understanding of ADHD through education and outreach.
Interviews were filmed for a pilot documentary by Whisper North to be released on the Foundation’s YouTube channel in a few weeks’ time (www.youtube.com/@SteliosPhilanthropicFoundation).