Roger Wade has never followed the rules—he’s too busy rewriting them. From founding cult streetwear label Boxfresh to transforming shipping containers into cultural hubs with Boxpark, Wade has always bet on bold ideas. Now, through his venture firm BoxFund, he’s backing the next generation of mission-driven startups disrupting consumer culture with purpose and punch.
What first sparked your obsession with doing things “out of the box,” and how did that thinking lead from Boxfresh to Boxpark?
I started my first business, Boxfresh, a streetwear brand named after the Bronx slang for brand new trainers, straight ‘out the box’. That mindset shaped everything I’ve done since. After selling Boxfresh, I launched Boxpark to shake up hospitality, and now I run BoxFund, backing the next generation of impact consumer brands. I’ve always believed in disrupting the status quo and thinking ‘outside the box’
Boxpark Shoreditch was a first-of-its-kind concept when it launched. What gave you the confidence to bet big on something so untested?
As I said, I’ve always looked to disrupt whatever industry I enter. When I launched Boxpark, the goal was to rethink retail on the street. I’d already built a shipping container store for Boxfresh, and a friend owned a retail development in the US, and it clicked: why not build an entire shopping destination out of containers? A retail park made of boxes. Boxpark was born, the world’s first pop-up mall.
How has Shoreditch itself shaped the Boxpark brand and its relationship with community, creativity, and culture?
Let’s be clear, when Boxpark opened in Shoreditch in 2011, the area was already buzzing with East London’s creative crowd. It had become a hangout for young hipsters and makers looking for somewhere edgy to live and work. All Boxpark did was tap into that energy and give them a space that felt like home.
With Boxfund, you’re now backing founders who want to make the world better. What qualities or values do you look for in those entrepreneurs?
There are three essentials to building a successful consumer brand. First, the product, it has to be special to the customer. Second, traffic, even the best product is worthless if no one sees it. Third, the team, you need the right people to turn that traffic into profit. But above all, it comes down to the entrepreneur. Do they have the drive, the grit, and the relentless focus to make it happen? That’s what I back.
You’ve invested in sugar-free beans and plastic-free chewing gum—why do these seemingly niche ideas matter so much to you?
Sometimes, things matter more than money. I want to prove to the VC world that backing impact consumer brands isn’t just good ethics, it’s smart business. You can make money and make a difference. That’s why I’m backing the next generation of mission-driven brands, like Nuud, the plant-based gum on a mission to rid the world of plastic gum!
You’ve said many of your best ideas arrive in the middle of the night. What’s your creative process like—and how do you know when something’s worth chasing?
I’ve always believed in trusting my gut instinct. If Boxfresh taught me anything, it’s this, if something feels right, it probably is. When I believed in a product, I backed it. No second-guessing.
Covid hit hospitality hard, but Boxpark adapted and thrived. What lessons did you take from that period, and how have they shaped your outlook?
What most people don’t know is that I was about to sell my majority stake in Boxpark to private equity, then Covid hit. It was a brutal time for hospitality, and Boxpark was no exception. But instead of breaking us, it made us stronger. We launched the Boxpark Black Card, giving us real customer data for the first time, and introduced mobile ordering across all sites. We came out of Covid leaner, smarter, and stronger than ever.
You stepped back from day-to-day operations at Boxpark in 2022. What inspired that shift, and how are you rethinking impact in this new chapter?
After 10 years as CEO of Boxpark, leading it through its most successful and profitable period and selling a majority stake to Lloyds Development Capital. I decided it was time to step back and focus on new ventures. I’m now running my own VC firm, BoxFund, backing purpose-driven consumer brands. It’s been a brilliant shift, and I’m excited for what’s next.
Boxpark has always mixed food, music, and culture with commercial space. How do you see the future of physical retail and experiential destinations evolving?
I’ve always been a big believer in bricks-and-mortar retail and hospitality. Shopping online is like ‘watching fireworks on TV’, you miss the full sensory experience. People once said ‘video would kill the radio star’, but radio and podcasts came back stronger than ever. Sometimes, the best way forward is the old road.
You’ve been a streetwear pioneer, a hospitality disruptor, and now a purpose-driven investor. What does success mean to you these days—and has that definition changed?
I spent the first 30 years of my career focused on building financial secur ity for myself and my family. I’m fortunate to have achieved that. In ancient Greece, men would take the Ephebic Oath: “I shall leave this city better than I found it.” That’s my mission now. For the next 10 years, I want to focus on making the world a better place… and enjoying it !
xxx
This interview is part of Foldthe.world series. Foldthe.world is a collectable art poster distributed around Shoreditch, combined with curated insiders map helping you to shorten distance and time made by TOANDPARTNERS productions and supported by Made in Shoreditch Magazine.
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