Billy Richards: Leading with Determination and Innovation

Changeblock is a company on a mission to empower businesses to survive and thrive in global markets. By providing trusted, verifiable carbon credits on the world’s first real-time, regulated carbon exchange, the company aims to simplify the entire lifecycle of carbon credits – from project origination to compliance – while fostering transparency and trust. We speak to Billy Richards below, the CEO and Founder of the visionary company, who has been recently recognised for his brilliance in the CEO of the Year Awards 2024.

Based in London and Toronto, with plans to expand into the UAE, Zambia and Saudi Arabia, Changeblock seeks to redefine the approach to environmental asset creation and exchange. The company aids businesses in unlocking the true potential of carbon credits, expertly combining a commitment to sustainability with unparalleled financial innovation. Across its operations, Changeblock is steadfastly dedicated to providing clients with transparent, secure, and impactful solutions that accelerate their journey from carbon project conception to revenue generation.

Billy Richards is an ambitious scientist with a remarkable entrepreneurial spirit, presiding over the Changeblock Global Group as its Founder and CEO at only 27 years of age. He began building and selling computers at the age of 15 and, by 19, had an events company. After  studying biochemistry at the University of Oxford and pursuing a PhD, he then left early to establish his first company, an early Large Language Model (ChatGPT) implementation that not only trailblazed but received Y Combinator backing. Here, he met investors who went on to support Billy as founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Halo; the first saliva COVID test in the UK who signed British Airways as their first client. This brought Billy to the opening page of the Spectator courtesy of Bruce Anderson, the former political editor.

In 2021, Billy exited his former companies, primarily to an insurance group in Dubai and decided to dedicate himself to founding Changeblock. “Making an exit at 23 gave me the resources at a time when I still had a vast risk appetite and the energy to tackle a task as large as motivation to launch Changeblock,” he recalls. “The distinct similarities in the behaviour of carbon crediting systems and the biochemical processes I studied and modelled at Oxford gave me the dream opportunity to drive progress with my passion. Along the way, I honed my ability to apply scientific thinking, particularly in machine learning for cancer prediction, to complex challenges, which now underpins our approach to building robust, data-driven carbon credit solutions.”

Now as the CEO of Changeblock, Billy is focused on driving innovation, advancing scientific approaches, and securing crucial funding. His efforts have led to the adoption of biochar initiatives, the development of data-driven verification technologies, and raising over $2 million throughout the company’s history. By bridging the gap between complex Western finance, science, and developing markets hit hardest by climate change, Billy uses technology and innovation to create impactful solutions.

With the personal mantra of “Don’t get distracted”, Billy takes a focused approach to leadership by identifying what truly drives impact for the organisation and ensuring that the team channels their efforts into solutions that solve high-value market gaps. Over the years, Billy has learned that doing fewer things better is much more effective than spreading efforts too thin and has shifted from broad engagement to strategic depth, which has yielded stronger results and clear accountability across the team.

The culture at Changeblock is mission-driven and collaborative, fuelled by open dialogue and a shared commitment to solving real problems in sustainability. “I ensure that workloads remain balanced, discussions stay direct, and feedback is openly encouraged,” Billy tells us. “I also invest in competency hiring, which has been crucial in a niche industry like carbon credits. By hiring strong performers and aligning them under a common vision, we nurture a cohesive and forward-thinking team.”

With adversity comes prosperity, and Billy has experienced significant triumphs in his time at Changeblock, from forging high-value partnerships with Puro Earth – majority owned by NASDAQ; the Cardano Network (via Emurgo Africa) and Baroness Evans (former leader of the House of Lords), to launching biochar projects in Africa that expanded the business’s scope. $2 million was also secured in early rounds that validated his vision, each opportunity enabling Billy to transition from a hands-on founder to a strategic leader, adeptly bridging finance, policy, and technology.

Having established such a successful career at a young age, we ask Billy if he has any advice to share with budding CEOs aspiring to reach his level of prestige. “Stay focused,” he says. “The mantra “Don’t get distracted” is pivotal – pick your battles and align resources to win them. Find your niche, identify what you do best or love the most and make a measurable impact there. Build trust early, whether in carbon markets or any other industry – credibility and transparency set you apart. Finally, hire competencies and train skills; look for problem solvers who thrive in agile environments.”

Moving forward, we learn that Changeblock has exciting plans for the next year and beyond, focused on expansion and enhancement. Such plans include growing the team by introducing onboarding origination analysts and sales experts to oversee more than 50 projects; client and market growth, with the aim of servicing its $20 million ARR pipeline; completing necessary audits and licensing to boost market legitimacy; technological innovation through refining and exploring new systems; strategic partnerships to scale operations; and further building out an integrated marketplace for carbon credits to bolster liquidity and user adoption.

Ultimately, Billy’s ambition is to scale Changeblock to become one of many unicorns in the carbon markets, providing tangible proof that innovative climate solutions can deliver both societal benefits and strong financial returns. Upon achieving this milestone, he plans to return to academia to finish his PhD and expand his work on nonlinear ordinary differential equations beyond cancer modelling to encompass broader environmental and economic systems. On a larger scale, Billy aspires to utilise his experience and knowledge for good. He is on a mission to enact real change in the world, driven by an envisioned future of sustainability and global equality.

To Billy, his work is not just about research and business; it is about stepping up to tackle deep-seated issues in society. “As I’ve seen firsthand, frustrations about inequality, global competitiveness, and educational shortcomings are valid, slogans alone won’t fix them,” he says. “Real progress requires “getting on with it,” thinking critically, reading beyond the headlines, and being willing to dive into the unglamorous details of policymaking. I want to bring that ethos into politics or a mainstream public service role, where I can help shape legislation and economic strategies that align capitalism’s power with genuine social and environmental progress.

“Drawing from experiences in carbon markets, where the same capitalist engine that’s driven inequality can be harnessed for climate action, I believe that we can make capitalism serve the greater good if we focus on practical, transparent solutions rather than empty catchphrases. Ultimately, my political ambition is driven by a desire to fight short-sighted policies with smart, informed strategies that provide real opportunities and inclusive prosperity for everyone.”

Contact Details

Contact: Billy Richards

Company: Changeblock

Web Address: https://changeblock.com/