How She Built a 7 Million User App to Tackle Food Waste | Tessa Clarke of Olio

In this episode of The Startup Leap, Maria and Yvonne sit down with Tessa Clarke, co-founder of Olio, the mission-driven app turning surplus food into community sharing. With over 7 million users in 60 countries, OLIO is tackling the global food waste crisis while proving that purpose-driven businesses can scale.Tessa shares:✅ Her journey from senior leadership at Dyson to startup founder✅ The “light bulb” moment that sparked OLIO✅ Navigating brutal fundraising rounds and finding conviction-based investors✅ Building a thriving consumer marketplace✅ Balancing profit and purpose while scaling globally✅ Lessons from becoming a B Corp certified companyWhether you’re passionate about sustainability, building marketplaces, or scaling mission-driven startups, this conversation is packed with insights you can use.📍 Timestamps00:00 Fundraising Challenges in the Early Days01:23 The Light Bulb Moment: Birth of OLIO02:41 From Corporate Career to Startup Life04:13 The Global Food Waste Problem07:18 Early Market Research and Validation10:27 Monetization Strategies and Challenges14:36 Fundraising Journey and Investor Criteria18:39 Personal Growth and Resilience22:42 Building a Consumer Marketplace34:48 Balancing Profit and Purpose39:28 Final Reflections and Founder AdviceYoutube: https://youtu.be/nw1zCqhm9o0📧 Join The Startup Leap Newsletter for exclusive founder tips and behind-the-scenes insights: subscribe.thestartupleap.io/subscribe#OlioApp #TessaClarke #FoodWaste #Sustainability #Bcorp #MissionDrivenBusiness #StartupStories #Entrepreneurship #TheStartupLeap #MariaRotilu #YvonneBajela #MarketplaceStartups #ScalingStartups #ImpactBusiness