The Start-Up Diaries Podcast Burns Sheehan

In this episode, Rob Bowley, Fractional CPTO at his own consultancy Pragmatic Partners, and Fractional CTO / CPTO for multiple tech start-ups such as Eco Surv, Enthuse, Doc Abode and Financielle, among many other mentorships and advisory positions.

A seasoned tech leader, Rob shares his journey from a self-taught software engineer during the dot-com boom to a leadership consultant. His career has spanned various roles, from hands-on engineering at early internet companies like Lycos to strategic positions at large organisations like the Co-op and Money Supermarket.
Rob discusses transitioning to consultancy to leverage his experience in helping startups and scale-ups refine their technology strategies. He highlights:


The shared challenges across company sizesThe importance of agile methodologies The role of Northstar metrics in aligning business strategiesEffective leadershipThe nuances of software development crucial for foundersand more.
The conversation also covers Rob's involvement in mentoring and supporting the tech startup ecosystem in Manchester and through programs like the Baltic Ventures scheme in Liverpool. He provides insights into effective leadership and emphasises his commitment to fostering growth and innovation within the tech community in the north of England.
Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burns Sheehan.

With 160 million children in child labour globally, a number that is increasing, Eleanor has a visionary approach to tackling the issue; using data and AI to power the Child Labour Index, a solution to enable investors to identify child labour risk in their portfolio companies and engage effectively.

HACE's Child Labour Index is an AI-powered specialised ESG rating, scoring companies and portfolios in relation to three performance indicators in the specific area of child labour.

Eleanor was named as the ‘Woman of the Year: 2022’ at the FDM’s everywoman in Tech Award for her tireless work in advocating for adequate representation of women in the Tech and AI field.
Eleanor’s mission: Data Changing Child Labour is to eradicate child labour in company supply chains. She has 13 years of experience in the field, with extensive commodity-specific work in the cotton, fishing and ready-made garment industries. Eleanor has contributed to international UN literature surrounding child labour including Delta 8.7’s ‘Markets’ Policy Guides and the recent Code 8.7 Symposium. She also sits on the UN’s UK Global Compact Child Labour Working Group.

HACE is supported by the likes of KPNG, NatWest, Innovate UK and more, with data points across 55,000 publicly listed companies.
 
This episode covers:
 How Eleanor has harnessed AI to scale her business working on a Child Labour IndexTechnology's role in Social Justice Diversity in Tech and The Need for Diversity at Build StageHACE's Funding Journey, and the Female Founder JourneyPurpose in BusinessFollow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burns Sheehan.

In today's live recording from the buzzing seminar suite of Queen Mary University London, as part of their vibrant International Women's Day celebrations, we bring you a visionary of university life and co-founder of the 'Youni' app — Georgia Gibson.
Georgia, Co-Founder, Chief creative director + commnity builder at Youni, is not just shaping the way students socialise; she's architecting a digital community.

With Youni's innovative app, the once fragmented world of university societies, social events, and meet-ups come together into a vibrant hub of real-time connectivity. It's the pulse of campus life, right in your pocket.


As a distinguished member of the prestigious Sigma Squared Society, Georgia stands among the globe's brightest young minds who dare to tackle the world's grand challenges. Her mission? To weave the digital with the physical, fostering a tapestry of genuine connections in an often isolated digital age for university students across the UK.
Covering community marketing, female foundership, community building and building a start-up, join the movement, and discover how Georgia and her team at Youni are not just chasing innovation — they're leading it.

The Start-Up Podcast Diaries Season 9 is proudly partnered with UK Cyber Week 2024.
Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burns Sheehan.

This episode dives into the entrepreneurial journey of Eddy Herman, the co-founder and CTO of Slip—a digital receipt and retail technology company aimed at transforming the retail landscape. Eddy's from Manchester with a background in electronic engineering and with experience at leading companies like Darktrace and The Hut Group, Eddy shares his transition from corporate security to launching his own startup.
Key Takeaways:
 Turning an Idea into Reality: Learn about the conceptualisation of Slip, from an idea about enhancing digital receipts to a functioning business that aims to revolutionise retail tech.Challenges of Starting Up: Eddy shares the challenges and exhilarations of moving from a secure job to the unpredictable world of startups, including the hurdles of fundraising during different economic climates.Company Culture and Management: Insight into creating a company culture and management style that fosters innovation and flexibility, highlighting the practical challenges and solutions in implementing policies like unlimited holidays, commonly seen in the start-up world.Future of Retail and Digital Receipts: Eddie discusses the potential impact of Slip on the retail industry and consumer behaviour, emphasising the importance of customer and data management.Eddy's journey is a testament to the risks and rewards of leaving a stable career to pursue a startup dream, offering valuable lessons on resilience and strategic thinking, and demonstrates how technological innovations can disrupt traditional industries.
Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, a tech enthusiast, or someone interested in the dynamics of starting and running a business, this episode is for you.

The Start-Up Podcast Diaries Season 9 is proudly partnered with UK Cyber Week 2024. Taking place on 17th-18th April 2024 at Olympia London,  join 3000+ cyber tech professionals, to explore the latest developments and equip attendees with the knowledge to protect their businesses. Get your free ticket here.
Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burns Sheehan.

In this podcast episode, guest Charlotte Ashton, shares her insights and advice into the investment landscape and financial industry particularly focusing on strategic finance and private equity. Charlotte has built her expertise as a board advisor, business coach and investor over a 20+ year career in the corporate finance and private equity sectors.
Her business, Implicit, empowers founders of privately owned businesses to gain freedom and successfully crystallise wealth through proactive succession and sale planning, and provides independent, founder-focused education, coaching and peer-to-peer support she was unable to source in her role as Head of Origination at a £1bn AUM mid-market fund.
The episode covers:
 
Founder Focus: Understand the importance of maintaining control as a founder, aligning business strategies with personal goals, and the critical aspects of exit planning.

Common Pitfalls: Discover the typical traps business owners fall into during the sale process and how to navigate negotiations with investors for successful outcomes.

Exit Strategies: Gain knowledge on various exit strategies, their implications, and how to choose the best path for your business.

Choosing Advisors: The significance of selecting the right advisors to support your journey and the benefits of engaging in peer groups for additional support.
and more!

The Start-Up Podcast Diaries Season 9 is proudly partnered with UK Cyber Week 2024.  Taking place on 17th-18th April 2024 at Olympia London,  join 3000+ cyber tech professionals, to explore the latest developments and equip attendees with the knowledge to protect their businesses. Get your free ticket here.
Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burns Sheehan.

In this episode we have two investment managers from Mercia Ventures, Adam Lovell (Series A Investor) and Kiran Mehta (Seed Investor).

Mercia Ventures are Venture capital investment for ambitious businesses. They invest into vibrant early-stage and scale up businesses across the UK.

They talk about their roles and experiences in investing, particularly in the fields of software, deep tech, and life sciences. Adam and Kiran share insights into Mercia Ventures' approach to investment, detailing their focus on seed and Series A stages and what they typically look for in companies at these stages.

They also touch upon the importance of team structures, go-to-market strategies, and the challenges startups face in securing investment. The conversation reveals their advice for entrepreneurs seeking investment, emphasising realism, passion for the problem being solved, and the significance of aligning with the right investors.

This episode provides a comprehensive overview of venture capital investment from the perspective of seasoned investors.

The Start-Up Podcast Diaries Season 9 is proudly partnered with UK Cyber Week 2024.  Taking place on 17th-18th April 2024 at Olympia London,  join 3000+ cyber tech professionals, to explore the latest developments and equip attendees with the knowledge to protect their businesses.
Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn, Instagram, or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burns Sheehan.