Campbell, architect and judge on BBC Scotland’s Home of the Year, recently took part in the innovative Glasgow-founded education initiative, which connects senior school pupils with business mentors to help them build, pitch and develop real startup ideas.

A pair of students from the programme have since secured internships at HOKO, Campbell’s own rapidly growing architecture firm.

The 33-year-old father-of-three said: “Going back to school has been one of the most energising experiences of my career. The ideas, energy and ambition these young people brought to the table were incredible.

“A lot of people think you’re there to teach – but I learned just as much. Seeing business through their eyes reminded me why I started in the first place. It’s a two-way street: you help them, and they absolutely help you. It’s access to a younger perspective, a new mindset, fresh energy and the chance to play a role in someone’s first steps towards building a business.”

START is a project-based learning programme for final year school students that harnesses the tools and mindsets of design, entrepreneurship, and storytelling to bring the experience of participating in a startup incubator to Scottish schools. Launched by The High School of Glasgow, START is offered to schools from across the country, and challenges Senior 6 pupils to develop and pitch their own business ideas, supported by industry mentors from Scotland’s startup ecosystem via a partnership with Scottish EDGE.

START founder, Phil Ford, said: “START is all about inspiring the next generation of business leaders and innovators. It encourages young people to draw on their own experiences and passions to identify real-world problems and to then solve them by creating new products or services which they pitch in a ‘pre-seed investment round’ to industry experts.

“We’ve witnessed the programme igniting entrepreneurial ambition in school leavers with 98% of this year’s cohort saying that participating in START has encouraged them to consider starting a business in the future.

“A huge part of the confidence instilled in pupils is thanks to exposure to founders via the mentoring aspect of the programme. There’s no better way to feel equipped with the necessary skills and mindsets to be an entrepreneur than by spending time with one: getting under the bonnet of a startup and learning what it takes to build a business first-hand. The pupils at John Paul Academy were helped immensely by Danny’s insight, knowledge and enthusiasm and I watched them flourish under his counsel.”

Danny Campbell added: “The team at John Paul Academy completely threw themselves into the challenge. I’m excited to have one of them join HOKO this summer — they really earned it. They were sharp, motivated, full of ideas, and I’ve no doubt they’ll bring something new to the team.

“We often talk about building future talent pipelines — this is how you do it. You open the door earlier. You build relationships that last. You give people a chance.”

Campbell founded HOKO Design in 2019 to make residential architecture simpler, more accessible and better designed for everyday homeowners — disrupting a sector often seen as exclusive or intimidating. The business has since expanded rapidly across the UK, raised significant investment, and now employs a growing team of architects, designers and technicians.

Now, he’s encouraging more founders and entrepreneurs to get involved in programmes like START — not out of obligation, but because of the value it can bring to both sides.

Danny Campbell added: “This isn’t about criticising the system, it’s about creating more routes in. As a dad of three young boys, their futures and education is something I think about a lot, and I am actively encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset already. 

“Not everyone’s path will be university. And that’s OK. We need a landscape where young people see multiple routes to success — whether that’s higher education, apprenticeships, starting their own thing or joining a growing business to get real world experience.

“As business leaders, we have something to offer.  We have something to gain too. A half-day spent mentoring could change someone’s life. But it could also spark something in you.”

Campbell is continuing his involvement with START into 2025 and is hopeful that more entrepreneurs and business owners will follow suit. He continued: “It’s easy to get stuck in the day-to-day of running a company. Spending time with these pupils gave me fresh perspective, fresh energy and a sense of purpose I didn’t realise I was missing. If you’ve ever thought about giving back, or just getting re-inspired this is a brilliant place to start.”

START is growing and is due to be offered to at least 12 schools in Scotland from August. There are still some mentorship opportunities available, get in touch to find out more visit the website.