Welcome to the community, Sarah Roberts

Sarah Roberts has spent over a decade in product management, building platforms that connect people and solve practical problems within the tech-for-good sector. Leading product teams in the sharing-economy space, she became fascinated by how marketplaces can enable travel, community, and resource-sharing in smarter ways.

But it was a 12-month sabbatical with her husband that sparked the idea for her latest venture.

During their sabbatical, Sarah and her husband used traditional work-for-accommodation platforms. What they found was eye-opening: clunky interfaces, unvetted hosts, inconsistent reviews, and no structure to ensure fair exchanges. The user experience was broken.

Yet simultaneously, Sarah stayed with hosts who genuinely relied on volunteers and had incredible properties sitting empty for much of the year. She realized the potential was huge, but the category had never been modernized.

"I came home convinced that this niche deserved a safer, better-designed, and more trustworthy alternative," Sarah explains. "Something built for today's travellers, not the backpacking landscape of the early 2000s."

That conviction became the foundation for Far From, a travel marketplace that enables meaningful, affordable travel through work-for-accommodation exchanges. The platform connects property owners who have spare private accommodation with travellers willing to contribute a few hours of help each day in exchange for a comfortable place to stay.

"The existing platforms are outdated, unsafe, and built for backpackers," Sarah says. "Far From is designed for a different audience entirely."

The purpose is to raise the quality bar for an underdeveloped but fast-growing niche, but even more, to make work-for-accommodation a recognised and trusted category within tourism.

Based in Norwich, Norfolk, Sarah joined Breakthrough Labs at a pivotal moment - as Far From moves toward launch and prepares for its first investment round. She's looking for advice and strategic mentorship around education, positioning, marketplace dynamics, fundraising preparation, and investor storytelling.

"Far From is creating a new category of travel, and with that comes challenges," Sarah notes. "Breakthrough Labs feels like the right environment to refine our growth strategy, tighten our go-to-market approach, and stress-test the assumptions behind our early traction. I'm also looking to connect with founders and mentors who understand marketplace complexity, travel, and trust-based platforms."

Sarah also organises the Norfolk Product Tank, bringing like-minded product development enthusiasts together. Outside of work, she's a true outdoors enthusiast who enjoys running, cycling, and general outdoorsy pursuits like camping, paddle-boarding, and hiking.

Welcome to Breakthrough Labs, Sarah! We're excited to support you as Far From transforms the work-for-accommodation landscape.