Entrepreneurial Minds Decoded

Most food startups spend years trying to get into one major supermarket. Riya Patel got into Tesco, Sainsbury's and Ocado in just 2.5 years.Before the retail wins came fundraising, and as Riya explains, raising capital is a lot like dating. Some investors immediately understand your vision, while others push terms that don't align with what you're building. Having the confidence to walk away proved just as important as securing investment.After graduating from Cambridge and heading towards a career in the diplomatic service, Riya took a leap of faith and founded All The Aunties, bringing authentic paneer cheese inspired by generations of family cooking to British consumers.In Part 1 of this two-part series, we discuss fundraising, building the right cap table, branding, storytelling, and how Riya turned a family-inspired idea into one of the UK's fastest-growing food brands.

In raising over USD 50 million for Olio, including a USD 43 million Series B, Tessa Clarke has defied the odds for female founders and impact driven startups. Olio is tackling the huge issue of waste in our homes and communities by connecting neighbours so they can share spare food and household items instead of throwing them away. We talked about scaling a mission-led business, tackling food waste at a global level, building community, and the realities of entrepreneurship. A conversation absolutely worth listening to.

From founder to VC. I recently sat down with Sami Niemi, who built and exited his startup to Nokia and is now on the other side of the table as a partner at Spintop Ventures, a Swedish VC.Sami started his company while at university and saw campus less as a classroom and more as a talent pool. He’d attend lectures, observe who asked the sharpest questions, and recruit them. A smart way to finding great people.We talked about his journey as a founder, the lessons that shaped his success, and what he now looks for in companies. Sami once took a reference call with a founder’s mum, listen to the pod to hear why.A delightfully insightful (and fun) conversation on building, backing, and spotting potential early.

We’ve curated a highlights edition for time-pressed listeners.You can access the full version here:Spotify: Tumelo's Georgia Stewart: Shareholder Democracy | AI Proxy Voting | Funds Management - Entrepreneurial Minds Decoded | Podcast on SpotifyApple Podcasts: Entrepreneurial Minds Decoded - Podcast - Apple PodcastsFrom crossing the Atlantic at 18 on a sailboat with her dad (taking turns staying awake through the night to navigate) to building tumelo a Forbes-featured company and making the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list, Claudine Ang speaks with Georgia Stewart about the experiences that shaped her. They also discuss AI in Proxy Voting, Shareholder Democracy, building a strong cohesive team in a hybrid environment, endurance sport and more.Georgia Stewart is co-founder and CEO of Tumelo, a global scale-up building pass-through voting infrastructure that empowers investors and fund managers to offer greater optionality when it comes to stewardship strategies.Georgia is one of the world's leading experts in shareholder-voting technology, with extensive knowledge of and passion for stewardship issues. Her expertise lies in sustainable investing, systemic risk, governance, and voting misalignment.She has been featured in Forbes Magazine for her work in creating market-leading shareholder-voting solutions, both on the magazine's daily cover, as well as in the magazine's 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.Claudine Ang is a former London Corporate Finance/M&A/Technology lawyer with a passion for innovation. Her podcast features candid, in-depth conversations with entrepreneurs, exploring transformative businesses and the individuals who build them.

From crossing the Atlantic at 18 on a sailboat with her dad (taking turns staying awake through the night to navigate) to building tumelo a Forbes-featured company and making the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list, Claudine Ang speaks with Georgia Stewart about the experiences that shaped her. They also discuss AI in Proxy Voting, Shareholder Democracy, building a strong cohesive team in a hybrid environment, endurance sport and more.Georgia Stewart is co-founder and CEO of Tumelo, a global scale-up building pass-through voting infrastructure that empowers investors and fund managers to offer greater optionality when it comes to stewardship strategies.Georgia is one of the world's leading experts in shareholder-voting technology, with extensive knowledge of and passion for stewardship issues. Her expertise lies in sustainable investing, systemic risk, governance, and voting misalignment.She has been featured in Forbes Magazine for her work in creating market-leading shareholder-voting solutions, both on the magazine's daily cover, as well as in the magazine's 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.Claudine Ang is a former London Corporate Finance/M&A/Technology lawyer with a passion for innovation. Her podcast features candid, in-depth conversations with entrepreneurs, exploring transformative businesses and the individuals who build them.