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Kofo Mary Are describes London as "the best city in the world," but it was a stark reality about London that sparked her latest venture. While working on a product for a life insurance company, Kofo Mary discovered something shocking: location dictates longevity. Specifically, West Londoners have an 18-year advantage in healthy life expectancy compared to other parts of the city. "I wanted to understand how to close that gap," Kofo Mary says.   With over 20 years of experience as a Strategic Marketing Executive, Kofo Mary has led go-to-market strategies for startups and established enterprises, launching operations worth over £20M. But her transition to founder wasn't a leap of faith—it was data-driven. She personally conducted over 200 customer interviews to validate product-market fit for THIER, her digital health startup focused on lifestyle disease prevention. Her background gives her a unique perspective. With studies towards an EMBA from Bayes Business School, a degree in Chemistry, and a Masters in marketing, Kofo loves operating at the intersection of science and business. It's this combination that led her to spot an opportunity others might have missed.   Working with consumer food startup Pollen & Grace gave Kofo Mary insight into the wellness and 'free-from' markets. But the real breakthrough came during her time at FluxInsights, where she came across research showing two crucial things: the crippling cost of obesity for companies offering private healthcare, and the ability of Machine Learning to predict lifestyle diseases up to 5 years early.   "I realised I could combine these insights to build a preventative solution," she explains. That solution became THIER—an AI-enabled mobile platform focused on preventing obesity and type II diabetes. The platform provides tools to identify, track, monitor, and prevent lifestyle diseases in employee communities, using machine learning algorithms, community support, and personalized healthcare interventions.   Kofo Mary is particularly passionate about leveraging AI to accelerate development. She recently used tools like Perplexity to speed up prototype development, and relies on various AI research tools daily.   "I rely on tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to satisfy my curiosity," she says. "They act as my 'second brain' and help me process information at the speed of my thoughts."   When she's not building prototypes in Figma or scouting for partners and investors, Kofo Mary enjoys running, walking, going to concerts, watching documentaries, and meditating to keep herself grounded.   Now, Kofo Mary is looking for the bridge between 'validated concept' and 'funded company.' She has joined Breakthrough Labs to refine her investment case and technical roadmap. She's also building THIER's User Product Advisory Panel to ensure development remains deeply user-centric, and seeking partners for a major initiative focused on longevity and employee wellbeing.   For Kofo Mary, meaningful conversation is everything. "Whether it's customer discovery interviews or chatting with peers, I thrive on deep connections rather than small talk." Find her on LinkedIn to make a connection.   We're excited to have her in the Breakthrough Labs community and look forward to supporting her as she transforms workplace health.   Welcome to Breakthrough Labs, Kofo Mary!

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.

Amanda Bell spent most of her career as a divorce lawyer at one of London's leading family law firms. She saw firsthand how emotionally, financially, and practically complicated divorce can be - and how expensive legal support has become.   But it wasn't just her professional experience that opened her eyes to the access-to-justice crisis facing separating families. Amanda also witnessed people close to her navigate divorce without proper legal support, and the reality was grim.   "Lawyers are expensive and divorce is complicated: emotionally, financially and practically," Amanda explains. "The reality for someone navigating the process without a lawyer by their side is pretty horrifying."   This dual perspective - as both an insider to the legal system and someone who'd seen loved ones struggle outside of it - sparked the creation of SeparateSpace.   The statistics paint a stark picture. Separating families can't get timely, affordable legal guidance. The family justice system is overwhelmed, with delays in overloaded courts compounding stress, draining finances, and increasing conflict. Research shows that early access to the right guidance leads to better, safer outcomes for children and fairer financial futures.   Yet traditional legal advice is expensive, and the cost-of-living crisis has made the situation worse. Despite government policy encouraging out-of-court resolution, too many families still end up litigating simply to get direction, while others walk away from rightful financial claims because they can't access help.   Amanda created SeparateSpace as the affordable online divorce platform that families desperately need - providing expert legal, emotional, financial and practical support from only £25 a month.   "SeparateSpace delivers exactly that: practical, affordable guidance that helps families make safe, sustainable decisions out of court, focus on supporting their children and protect their financial wellbeing," she says.    Amanda joined Breakthrough Labs to connect with other founders in the same boat. "Being a founder is a rollercoaster," Amanda admits. "I wear so many hats every day and there's always so much to learn. Some days it feels pretty overwhelming."   Speaking of overwhelming, Amanda is also a mum of three girls: twins aged 8 and a 6-year-old. When she's not working or chasing around after kids, she's often in a gym class, listening to podcasts, and trying to stick to a new one-cup-a-day coffee ritual (challenging for sleep-deprived founders)!   Ahead of their next fundraise, Amanda and her team are on the lookout for purpose-driven angels who want to be part of something that is changing the lives of thousands of people. Reach out if this is you.   Welcome to Breakthrough Labs, Amanda!

So, you’ve had a winning idea for an app. Perhaps your app serves as an additional access point for your products or services, or maybe the app  is  your business. Either way, quality apps are costly and time-consuming to produce. Wise app originators will have conducted in-depth consumer research to inform the scope of the application, and numerous development, testing and review phases will likely be taking place. Perhaps predictably, though, as you begin to see your app take form and find pace now that the finish line is in sight, you find yourself experiencing increasing moments of dread as that intrusive question creeps in. ‘What if the app launch is a flop?’ After all, you don’t hear about the slow-burners. You hear about the record downloads and apps that ‘everyone is talking about.’ So, whilst your long-term marketing plan for your app will go way beyond launch day, you know it’s still important to plan a successful app launch. In this guide, we will break down the steps, share insights and ideas, and help you build a buzz around your app launch. Audience and market Two things you must understand, both when creating and when promoting your app, is your audience and the market. These are not the same. Understanding the market means you’ll know whether your product or service is required or desired. Furthermore, you’ll have assessed the competition and be confident that you have a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Keeping up with the market enables you to separate trends from change, track supply and demand, and be responsive. The state of the marketplace will determine how you might pitch your product and where you show up. Knowing your ideal audience is crucial. Especially when investing time and/or funds into getting eyes on your app. Few businesses will have the resources or ability to expose their product to the mass market, so spend some time thinking about who will most benefit from your app. Be clear about the purpose of your app, whether that’s to educate, to entertain, to assist, etc, and consider who your customers will be and why they need your app. Once you understand your target consumers, you can start planning where you’ll reach them. For some organisations, their app users may be existing customers, in which case, you’ll be reaching them more directly, harnessing existing communications. If your users are unlikely to be existing contacts, then you’ll be looking to build a new community, and this should be done ahead of launch. Seed marketing A few weeks before launch, put your attraction marketing into action. Rather than reveal too much about your app, it’s a good idea to focus on the problem it solves. Let’s look at an example: A wellness app seeking to educate and inspire users to make daily decisions that prioritise wellbeing does not need to announce itself at this point. Instead, the business can spark discussions around the struggles of maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the modern world. They may benefit from sharing some top tips, research and data, to provide proof of expertise. Increasing awareness but also raising questions, is important at this point for attracting and engaging the right audience. Phrases that begin with ‘what if you could…’, ‘imagine if…’, or ‘did you know…’ can plant seeds for the solutions your product is poised to provide. It’s enticing, but it’s also constructive in pulling in an audience most likely to invest in and benefit from your app, and this approach is effective for a multitude of products and services. Attraction marketing brings people in by highlighting USPs (unique selling points), focusing on the wider purpose of a product, and hinting at an impending announcement or product drop. Make your app launch an event Some businesses will opt to pair their app launch with a physical or digital event, which can be a great way to turn interest into downloads. However, when we talk about making your app launch an event, we mean marketing it as if it were an event, because it kind of is. After all, you need people to turn up on the day, ready to play. So , now you’ve planted seeds and are building a following, you need a plan for staying in touch with your audience and keeping them engaged, up until your launch day.There are a few smart ways of inspiring consumers to subscribe, including: Offering exclusive previews Inviting them to a digital or physical launch event Discounting subscription purchase for early adopters or giving out product discount codes Building a subscription list is highly valuable as it enables continued access to your audience, giving you the opportunity to send them lead-up reminders and nudge them to download your app on launch day. Another popular way to keep engaging with your attracted audience is through social media, where you can share behind-the-scenes content and release teasers to keep your followers intrigued. To boost your following, consider partnering with influencers or collaborators (such as podcasters) who can introduce you to their audiences. Physical pop-ups in busy locations can also help to create excitement around your impending launch and win you new subscribers, whilst increasing your content portfolio. How to launch your app It’s not necessarily productive to invest all your energy into coming up with a totally original and creative app launch idea. Sometimes, simple is best. Whilst innovative methods of announcing an app drop might create industry buzz, if it also creates barriers to sales (making it unnecessarily complex for consumers to access your app), then you won’t reach your launch day download goals. Ultimately, if your app downloads are low, it won’t matter how ‘cool’ your launch was, because it won’t be talked about anyway. Going live for an app launch is usually a great idea. This allows your audience to connect with you on a more personal level as you share the anticipation and keep them updated in real time. Social media is a great avenue for doing this and you may choose to feature an introduction from the founder, live chats with early access users and beta testers (sharing their insights on the app), or even a virtual tour of the app prior to, or shortly after, going live. Lastly, however you launch, ensure that you’re creating great visuals and communicating in your brand voice, because your app launch is also another great opportunity to build brand identity. A big budget is not required to appear professional, but pre-planning and testing is, so be thorough in your preparation and consider a practice run through. Final tips on making your app launch succesful One of the most important ways to ensure a successful app launch is to test your app rigorously before you launch . Launching an app with teething problems can be fatal for the product. It’s far easier to convince audiences to try a product than to return to a product that either failed to live up to the hype or had technical issues. First impressions count, so make your user experience flawless before you launch. Everything we have focused on so far leads your target users from point of interest to point of purchase, specifically on the launch day. However, as much as you’ll love having immediately high downloads, it’s also important to have a plan for your marketing beyond this point. Those who have missed your marketing communications or have not been sufficiently persuaded to purchase on release day may still be reached. Make sure you have a "Stage Two" marketing plan to build brand awareness and continue customer acquisition. Crucially, this should be informed by the data you now have. What has earned you followers, what has successfully converted them, and what hasn’t worked? Analyse your efforts so far and seek to tighten up communications and methods of outreach.

Bo Dury has been working in the Learning and Development sector for many years now, and she knows the value of continued learning and driving change. Having studied chemical engineering in Cambridge, she started her career at an operational improvement consultancy in the UK, before relocating to the Netherlands, where she worked at HelloFresh, as well as two learning companies. As an operational consultant, Bo’s mission was to measure and drive change projects, but when she found herself in the learning and development industry, she discovered that her curiosity and structured nature were ideal for helping L&D professionals to establish programmes capable of driving real impact in their organisations. What’s more, Bo’s data skills meant they were also able to measure the change they wanted to see. With a mission to help learning and development professionals build confidence in driving change, she established Impact Flywheel. “L&D professionals find it hard to demonstrate the value of their learning initiatives. And yet learning is crucial for empowering meaningful, lasting change in organisations.” Bo told us. “Impact Flywheel’s purpose is to help L&Ders step into their role as enablers of meaningful, lasting, and measurable change.” After 10 years, Bo now calls Amsterdam her home and enjoys her weekly bootcamp in the park, her morning coffee and weekly phone calls with her far-away sister & friends. Through Breakthrough Labs, she hopes to find peer-founders to share the experiences of starting and growing a business with. As well as to both share her skills with others in the community and receive support from more experienced founders. If you're an enthusiastic change-maker who struggles with structuring and measuring the change you make, please reach out to Bo Dury. Welcome to the community, Bo!

Earlier this year, Breakthrough Labs’ members were given the exclusive opportunity to learn from renowned Sales Coach Meg Roundell-Greene  when she delivered a sales masterclass for our female founder community. During this session, Meg provided numerous practical tips, as well as a guide for start-ups planning their go-to-market sales strategy. “The question I hear, over and over, in various forms, from various founders,” Meg began, “is ‘How do I actually create a monetisation strategy for my start-up?’” Immediately, all pairs of eyes darted from notebooks and up to the webinar screen, because yes - this is exactly what most founders most want to know (and sometimes feel compelled to pretend we already know) - how are we actually going to sell products and make money? During the live masterclass, Meg shared her expertise, guiding us through the process of building a go-to-market sales strategy. In this article, we’ll highlight the key takeaways from what we learned. What is a Go-To-Market Sales Strategy?   Many founders struggle to talk about sales. We love talking about our business concept or product. We like spending time focusing on our ideal client, creating brand assets, and brainstorming marketing ideas. But sales is so often a subject to skirt over. Something we hope will ‘just happen’. After all, ‘if you build it, they will come, ’ so they say. The issue is, what you also must build is a plan, because sales is a key part of any business and one that deserves its own, well-thought-out, research-led strategy. A go-to-market strategy defines the target audience, sets pricing, and establishes sales, marketing, and distribution channels, giving you a mapped-out route to sales. Or, as Meg Roundell-Greene told us - “it’s about finding who your end-buyer is and then working out how you’re going to reach them, in the simplest way possible.” We begin by getting to know the customer.   Step One - Sales Strategy for Start-Ups: Know Your Buyer    You’ve probably already carried out some kind of ideal client exercise. Possibly within your marketing or business strategy. However, we now have to understand how that connects to your sales and, as Meg puts it, “the mechanics of actually reaching them.” Defining your target market begins with research, which may involve conducting focus groups and/or surveys, or you may go to public information such as market data, public domain data, statistics, etc. ( Answer the Public  and Semrush  are particularly useful tools).   Proper market research should gift you a deeper understanding of your potential customers’ needs, pain points, and goals. Once you have these insights, the next step is to connect your solution to those needs and demonstrate how your solution can help them achieve their desired outcome.   Connecting Customers With Your Solution “I’m just going to say this - your customer doesn’t care about 90% of your marketing. They only care about the stuff that helps them,” Meg explained. Once you are realistic about this - that they aren’t invested in your back story or credentials - then your USPs (unique selling points) become front and center, and they are what will make your messaging targeted and powerful. Make sure you know the answers to these questions: How does your solution help your target market? What makes you uniquely able to offer this? Why does it work? What is the process? Your Customer Journey Whatever product or service you’re selling, you need to lead your customers on a journey, from awareness through to purchase. Along the way, there are multiple touchpoints: opportunities to move the customer from initial interest to consideration, selection, and ultimately, a decision to buy. Understanding this journey is crucial. It ensures you appear at the right moments, provide the right information, and guide them smoothly toward taking action. “It’s about building a journey that makes sense.”   Step Two - Sales Strategy for Start-Ups: Selecting Your Channels   Now that you’re clear on your end customer and the problem they’re trying to solve, we can work out where we might reach them. So ask yourself: What are they doing to try to solve their problem?  What is their search behaviour? Where are they already consuming media? Where might they be already gathered? (Social media, podcasts, events, etc.) Remember, you’re not trying to get them to come to you - it makes far more sense to reach them where they already are. So, whether paid or free, consider the places your potential buyers are already gathered, and this will inform the platforms and channels you choose to show up on. Furthermore, you may use this information to form collaborations and/or partnerships that fast-track your access to your target market. Applying creative thinking at this point can not only make your sales strategy more effective, but can also help to minimise costs. “Utilise everything to the maximum before going through paid routes, because if it’s not working when you don’t put money behind it, it won’t work when you do.” After you’ve selected your channels, return to communication and customer journey. Weak sales strategies often ask too much of their customers - the journey is too complex and they aren’t communicating their USPs (unique selling points) effectively. Of course, it’s important to warm up your audience, especially if you’re approaching them in their spaces. However, at some point, you need to be able to identify with their problem and present your solutions. Then, you need to be able to direct them towards it without detours or unnecessary steps. “It’s much more effective when you’re designing these narratives, to think about it all from the customer’s point of view.” By now, your sales strategy should be able to define: Where you are going to reach your target audience (consistency is key, so be strategic and don’t overextend yourself) How you will communicate your solution (what materials you need to create) How you will measure success (impressions, website traffic, conversions, etc.) Step Three - Sales Strategy for Start-Ups: Embracing Sales   For many, a mindset shift must take place upon the entrepreneurial journey, and that’s the movement into becoming Sales Director for your company. It can be uncomfortable, but it is crucial because without sales, you have no business. “As the head of your business, you must embrace your sales director role and recognise that sales is the oxygen that makes your business live.” Of course, this doesn’t mean you’ll get it right every time. Much of your sales efforts will involve experimenting, but these will also be learning experiences, which will be essential for helping you and your business grow and find the right path to success. As a Sales Coach for entrepreneurs, Meg has helped many founders step into their sales persona, and here is her leading advice: Shift from ‘failure’ to ‘unexpected results’ - Everything is an experiment, and sales is about testing, learning, and gathering information to keep you informed. Evaluate as you go - Build your knowledge and be prepared to keep adapting your go-to-market strategy to capitalise on what’s working and shift away from what isn’t. Note your metrics - Scrutinise all that you do across your channels, part with anything not serving you, and invest more in those producing results. Use your measurements to gauge success and inform business decisions, but recognise that you may also need to change how you measure (or even define) success. Seek to convert - Are you losing people along the journey? Pinpoint those areas and keep tightening up the customer journey to ensure your marketing efforts are resulting in sales.   Step Four - Sales Strategy for Start-Ups: Conversions   Your ultimate goal is to convert interest into sales. This is the stage where all your hard work pays off and, without it, your business can’t succeed. In step one, we covered the customer journey and how you might guide potential buyers from awareness through to purchase. But this isn’t a set-and-forget process. Once you start selling, you’ll need to regularly review and refine that journey. Simplifying it over time will also help boost conversions while reducing your cost per sale. Meg advises casting a wide net initially, embracing the opportunity to speak to as many people as possible, and resisting over-qualifying leads too early. Yes, this will dilute your conversion rate at first, but it’s the fastest way to learn who your ideal customers are, where to find them, and what messages resonate. As you gather insights, you can tighten your process, remove barriers, streamline onboarding, and automate where possible. Remember, sales strategy isn’t a straight line. It’s research, planning, testing, and constant refinement. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula. Your results will depend on your business model, audience, and how well you connect the two. ➡️ Reach out to Meg Roundell-Greene at this link to book a free consultation with her!

Faith has been with Breakthrough Labs since the very beginning, and from day one she’s been a true champion of our community. She’s also a founder who is building not only a business but an idea. One that’s best described in her words: “The Nugget is a search tool helping families find truly welcoming places, built on the belief that family-friendly should mean inclusive and intentional, not just a checkbox.“ “We help families find spaces that actually work for them. Not just “kid-friendly,” but responsive to the real mix of needs families have. Because real life looks like: “My sister has a baby and my partner is gluten-free.” “My friend uses a wheelchair and my child needs a kids’ menu.” “My grandfather uses a walker and my brother is sensitive to noise.” We use data to drive visibility, accountability, and inclusion - across dietary needs, accessibility, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ families, and multi-generational caregiving.” “At its core, The Nugget is about helping families feel seen AND showing businesses who they’re including or leaving out. For me, it’s a continuation of my life’s work: bringing people together to build something better. Because connected families create stronger communities.” Faith’s worldview was shaped long before founding The Nugget, through her years as a humanitarian aid worker. Teaching in Guatemala after university, she experienced a hurricane that wiped away villages. Knowing then that she wanted to be part of helping communities during difficult times, she returned to the US and got a Master's in International Development and, after Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Faith spent a year and a half on the ground during overlapping crises, working alongside Haitians and colleagues from 50+ nations. Later, she joined a Global Rapid Response Team in Singapore, deployable within 72 hours to emergencies worldwide, and then led the Water Programmes Team at charity: water in NYC - learning new ways to fund locally owned projects and tell stories with dignity and hope. In 2019, she became a mother. And suddenly, despite her background managing global crises, she found herself weighed down by decisions that should have been simple, such as which cafes she could take her baby to. Her husband struggled to find baby changing facilities in men’s bathrooms and they found it perplexing that, in a world that so promotes family values, the mechanics of bringing up babies outside of the home were such a minefield. And both were surprised at how parents still had to rely on Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats, and endless social media scrolling just to find places to fit their family’s needs. “It shouldn’t be this hard”. Faith thought. And so, The Nugget was born. Determined to bring accountability to spaces that claim to be ‘child-friendly’ and yet fail to meet the needs of parents and children on a daily basis, Faith launched The Nugget  app to guide parents to, and celebrate, genuinely family-friendly spaces. And, in omitting those who don’t meet the standards, she is driving them to do better. “I've met too many parents older than me who can't believe we still don't have baby changes in the men's room. So, I'm bringing accountability to these spaces to show who they're including and who's being left out.” To ensure diverse voices are represented, The Nugget is also building a parent advisory panel that centers caregivers across dietary needs, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ identities, and multi-generational perspectives. Faith joined Breakthrough Labs to learn alongside other founders—sharing insights, tips, and encouragement.“I'm looking to grow my network with others who share similar values in making the world a better place.” Outside of work, Faith enjoys swimming and paddleboarding on her local lakes, as well as baking. We are proud to support Faith on her entrepreneurial journey, and it’s been a privilege to watch her vision take shape.

In August, Breakthrough Labs was so proud to be featured on Sifted 's list of Europe's best first-time founder communities . It got me thinking about the many different types of business community networking groups and memberships, and how difficult it can be to find the right one for you and your business. Apart from the fees, being a member of a business community can be time-consuming and it should be, because you only get out of these groups what you put in. So it’s essential to choose the right business network and, to do that, it’s important to reflect on what your needs are, the kind of support you require, and what you hope to gain from your membership. Here are some things to consider when you’re looking to join a business community network. Start-Up Communities and Founder Member Groups Are you a first-time founder or an established entrepreneur? Are you working out whether your business idea has potential, or are you looking to expand your empire? The stage you're at should factor into finding the right business community, since you’ll benefit from being amongst those on a similar journey. Of course, it doesn’t matter if some members are a little further along than you - this can even be motivating. However, you neither want to be feeling behind, nor in a position where events are geared towards early-stage startups if you’re already established. Many groups are inclusive of founders at any stage, but browsing their events and/or resources can be a good way to see if they are catering to the support you need right now. Remember, not every membership is meant to be long term. Some are designed to support the stage you are at and help you get to where you next need to be. What about Breakthrough Labs?  Our community is here to support first-time founders and more established business women looking to accelerate and/or expand. Moreover, we are a community for those truly dedicated to growing successful tech businesses. Niche Business Networks Many networking groups are industry-specific, and this can be particularly helpful if you’re looking to learn and network within your particular sector. Events and resources tend to be more targeted, but networking can be limited. An independent accountant, for instance, might not be found within a legal sector-specific network, so if you're seeking suppliers, collaborators and/or outsourced support, you may have to explore elsewhere. What about Breakthrough Labs?  We are for female founders in the tech space. Our members have companies in any industry, from education to travel to health. Founders don’t have to be technical, but your business should be tech-related. For example, a wellness business that provides subscription services via an app would be considered a healthtech business. Networking and Support A key purpose for most community groups for founders and freelancers is to build a social platform where members support one another and grow together. Therefore, finding the right community is vital, not only for your business growth but for your morale. Networking events can be uncomfortable, but a good community group cuts out the cold-natured business card trading traditions and instead offers opportunities to form real relationships. And the benefit of this cannot be underestimated because - let’s face it - being a founder can be isolating. Having emphasised this though, some of us will also be looking to join business community groups with the hopes of finding clients and/or promoting our products and services to fellow members. So, if that is a goal for you, then it may be worth having a look through the group’s membership before joining to see how well they align with your target market. A little advice - Be prepared to put as much time into offering support and advice to other members as you do promoting your business and requesting their support. Building a sustainable business is about forging sustainable relationships, and this means being present and engaged, not showing up solely to sell. Learning-focused Business Communities Breakthrough Labs founder Dr Kristen Weatherby Breakthrough Labs  would definitely be considered a learning-focused business community. We socialise, of course, and lean on one another for support and inspiration. However, we have a large portal of business resources and the majority of our events are informative and educational. Everything we plan and publish is grounded in research and steered by the needs of female founders as well as feedback from our membership. Where some business groups are centred around networking, there are many other business community groups, like us, more focused on giving founders opportunities to become even more business-savvy and learn both how to build and protect their businesses. Even seasoned entrepreneurs know that learning is never done. Just look at how much technology has moved on in the last year! A great business membership group will help you to stay on top of and understand trends, learn how to navigate changes in compliance, industry, and processes, and should be offering up opportunities to learn from a range of experts.  Top tip - When researching a business network, it’s a good idea to browse through their upcoming events to see if they’re going to help you develop the skills you need to make your business a success. Accelerator Programmes and Funding Opportunities Those seeking to raise funds and/or scale up rapidly should seek accelerator programmes or join proactive communities that offer more intense support. This might include coaching, mentorship, learning opportunities, growth planning, workshops, etc. Accelerator programmes can be expensive or require equity share, but some more niche expert-led business membership groups combine community with more constructive, focused founder support and business growth opportunities. At Breakthrough Labs, for example, we have an in-house coach , we offer pitch practice, and we run Meet the Investor  sessions that enable our members to hear directly from investors, giving them valuable insights and the in-depth knowledge required to successfully approach the marketplace. Go With Your Gut Our last piece of advice is to go with your gut. Finding the right business community can be a lot like finding the right place to live - it’s not always something you can put your finger on, it just feels like home. How can you tell this though? Especially online? Well, most membership groups will have a mission statement and highlight their values on their website, so working out whether these align with yours is a good start. You may also wish to research the founder of the group, since they’re setting the tone and steering the ship. Do they have the credentials? Are they trustworthy? Do you feel they’re genuinely there to support you? And what do other members have to say about the group? Testimonials can be helpful, but sometimes you may be able to reach out to existing members at non-member events or through platforms like LinkedIn. Lastly, if you’re satisfied that you’ve found the right business community for you, then do one more thing - consider what you can offer. Because, as stated in the opening of this guide, you’ll only get out of a community what you put in. So, can you put the time into building relationships with the other members? Will you attend the events? Are you going to give support, when able, as well as being there to receive it? Finding the right business community and signing up is just the first step. Dedicating the time to really become part of that community is the part that really matters.

We are so pleased to welcome Anna Hledikova into the Breakthrough Labs community and we were eager to learn more about her and about SurgeryAI.  Originally from Prague, Anna moved to London seven years ago to study and fell in love with the city. With a background in mathematics and AI, she worked as an ML engineer before joining SurgeryAI last year and now leads the tech side of the company as CTO. “It’s definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone, but I love the challenge of turning complex, messy problems into something useful and real,” Anna told us. SurgeryAI is an in-development tool built to make patient scheduling faster, smarter, and less stressful. Having spent six years working as a nurse in the NHS, SurgeryAI’s co-founder and CEO, Natalie, witnessed firsthand the significant time and energy lost to inefficiencies and this experience motivated her to start SurgeryAI. “Our product is designed to help hospital booking teams automate some of the most time-consuming parts of their workflow, like estimating how long each surgery will take,” Anna explained. “The aim is simple: help patients get treated sooner, and help staff reduce overtime and last-minute chaos, all without needing extra resources.”  They’re at a particularly exciting stage too - just about to launch their first NHS pilot and exploring opportunities overseas too! We asked Anna what inspired her to join this innovative venture - “For me, the desire to focus on health tech came from doing research into early Alzheimer’s disease detection during my time at Imperial. I discovered that the underlying purpose of this work would provide the drive to overcome the inevitable challenges and ups and downs of building something from the ground up.” Anna joined Breakthrough Labs to be part of a community of other like-minded women.  “Having a space to openly discuss the highs and lows of the founder journey is invaluable. As a technical female founder, I’m often the only one like me in the room, so it means a lot to be part of a community where that’s not the exception, but the norm. I’m also eager to gain insights on navigating the venture world from those who have already walked the path.” Aside from developing a product geared to transform healthcare workflow efficiency, Anna enjoys a good book and life drawing.  We’re very much looking forward to being part of her journey. Want to find out more about how Breakthrough Labs can support you on your tech startup? Discover more about us .

Recently published author, Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska, has a list of qualifications, accolades and credentials that could make one somewhat intimidated, had she not dedicated much of her working life to helping other potential high achievers overcome internal obstacles and pursue higher education.  Ok, so we are still quite intimidated, but we're also in awe because she not only believes in the benefits of higher education for herself, but has supported so many others in accessing it too.  PhD, SFHEA, EMCC accredited, Agnieszka is an award-winning filmmaker, academic, mentor and life coach. Best known for her acclaimed documentary, Married to the Eiffel Tower , she has held senior positions at universities in the UK and in Europe, has written extensively on psychoanalysis and culture, has had three monographs published with leading academic publishers and has a new edited collection on documentary ethics coming out later in 2025. And, as first mentioned, she has recently authored ‘ The Scholar's Mentor’s Guide to Global Success for International Research Students. ’ This book has been informed and inspired by the work Agnieszka has been involved in for the last 13 years, supervising PhD students at higher education establishments. Through offering a more holistic support to doctoral students, beyond just sharing disciplinary knowledge, she has improved the well-being and outcomes of many students, and this has led her to launch The Scholars’ Mentor. The Scholars’ Mentor  supports international research students with mentoring, life coaching and meditation and also works with institutions. Much work so far has been pro bono, but Agnieska is now looking into other funding avenues and revenue streams to support the work being done and ensure the sustainability of the business. “The business is very new and developing, so I am also looking at new partnerships and ways of engaging positively in the world for the highest good of all” - Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska. Joining Breakthrough Labs has been a step into opening up the business - and Agnieszka - to new contacts, networking opportunities and creative ways to develop and expand. Meanwhile, Agnieska continues to make creative work and specialises in coaching high-performing creative people, particularly women. Welcome to Breakthrough Labs, Agnieszka!