A FORMER A Level Business, Economics, and History student at Callywith College has been named one of Cornwall’s 30 under 30 2025 - a celebration of Cornwall’s brightest young business talent.

Connor Riley, 19, attended the awards ceremony held at The Atlantic Hotel in Newquay on May 23.

Now in its tenth year, the awards - organised by the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce - recognise 30 of the Duchy’s most innovative young businesspeople.

After the awards, Mr Riley said: “I am genuinely blown away to be named one of Cornwall’s 30 under 30. Receiving the award has been a massive milestone - 2025 was an incredibly competitive year, being narrowed down from hundreds to just 80 shortlisted and 30 awarded. There is so much talent in Cornwall, so to be part of such a fraction of the population is a massive honour to carry.”

Since leaving college in 2023, Connor has built and scaled one company that he sold in January 2024, and he currently runs three other companies across various industries.

He has also been awarded the Spirit of Trevithick award in recognition of his work in STEM by Colonel Edward Bolitho OBE, the lord lieutenant of Cornwall. He is currently the chairman at Launceston Chamber of Commerce.

Speaking of his experience at college, Connor added: “I’ll always thank Callywith College for its supportive environment - I was able to balance learning with business, and my lecturers were fantastic. Definitely a massive shoutout to my Business Lecturer Adrian.

“It’s a bit cliché, but I’d say to any students looking to dive into business after college, it’s one of the hardest things they’ll do. Young entrepreneurship has its own unique challenges, so rely on your current network, such as friends and family, build relationships, and work extremely hard at something you love.”