Founded & Grounded

Keri Andriana is the founder of Amschela an affordable, luxury brand specialising in vegan handbags. Since they launched, Amschela has featured in Vanity Fair and British Vogue resulting in rapid growth. Keri is determined to stay strong to what she believes in and to keep the company 100% British. https://amschela.co.uk/  In episode 5 we cover managing growth, adapting and pivoting in challenging...

Episode 4, we chat with Doug Ludlow, co-founder of MainStreet. MainStreet’s mission is 'to empower small businesses, create jobs and opportunities’. Through a shared passion for empowering small business owners, MainStreet was set up to enable founders to learn about and access government credits and incentives. In episode 4 we discuss managing business growth, using your network, coping with chal...

Rob Hall founded Wriggle, an app which helps people discover local and independent restaurants, cafes and bars. Wriggle offers deals and discounts as well as helping to battle the ongoing issue of food wastage. Covid-19 threw a spanner in the works for Rob and he, along with his team, put their heads together to develop Bristol Pantry. Give season two, episode three a listen to hear Rob’s story. ...

Elliott, our second entrepreneur for season 2 set up The Bunch whilst at university. He became frustrated with spending time sorting out bills for student accommodation, and often felt cheated. The Bunch allows its customers to tailor their student bills package to suit, and splits the bill between housemates. Elliott is his own target market, and discusses his approach and business model for The...

How many law firms would describe themselves as a 'flamingo in a flock of pigeons'? That's the mission for the first guest of Founded & Grounded Season 2, Alice Stephenson. In a career that has seen Alice go from in-house to freelance to Founder & CEO of Stephenson Law, we discuss the pros and cons of virtual-working - and keeping a team happy - in the Covid era, the nice dilemma of having infrast...

Episode 15 - we catch up with Alex Isenegger, founder of Linkilaw . We hear from Alex first-hand the challenges she faced when starting up. The legal industry is heavily populated by men who have been in the industry for decades. Alex entered the industry, as a young female founder who went in headfirst. Alex faced many initial challenges for her new start-up, like spending money on the wrong thin...

Episode 14 - we speak with Zoe Whitman, founder of But the Books. Zoe shares her story of how she started the business, how it has grown and the many challenges she has faced along the way. Zoe is a mother of two and publisher of a book called Know your numbers. Zoe shares her tips for people thinking of starting their own business. https://www.butthebooks.co.uk/ Text us your feedback and feature...

Episode 13 - we speak to Marie Farmer, founder of Mini Mealtimes. Like most of us, Marie was a concerned first-time parent, but after speaking with other parents, she quickly realised she wasn't alone. Marie found weaning her son a daunting task, she wanted to know he was getting a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. This was when Mini Mealtimes was born. It is an app to offer parents reassuran...

Episode 12 - we catch up with Luke Lang, one of the co-founders of Crowdcube (founded 2011), which was the world's first equity crowdfunding platform. Luke gives some invaluable insights into how Crowdcube started, their early challenges and growing pains with scaling. Luke passes on what advice he would give start-ups trying to raise funding. https://www.crowdcube.com/ Text us your feedback and f...

Episode 11 - how is your business adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic? Want to know what support is available for your business? We speak to influencers in the region about what support is available businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic . We speak to Sam Holliday from Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) , Ed Boal from Stephenson Law, Zoe Whitman FCCA MICB from But the Books & Calum Doutch from Ta...

Episode 10 - we chat with Calum Doutch & Dan Snow, founders of Tapestry Brewery. They discuss their journey from being Brewery employees to owning their own Brewery, with a taphouse and pizza oven. Listen to episode 10 to hear more about their story, work/life balance, networking, challenges and start-up advice. https://www.tapestrybrewery.com/ Text us your feedback and feature on the show Support...

Episode 9 - we speak with serial entrepreneurs Tom Holder and Gilbert Hill, co-founders of TapMyData. In today's digital age, we're constantly being bombarded with advertising and our data is being used as a currency. Tom and Gilbert are driven by their mission to put data and privacy back in the hands of the people. We find out more about the PrivTech sector, and what it’s like to be a serial ent...

Episode 8 - we catch up with Darrell Irwin, founder of Cre8ion, a brand marketing agency in Bristol. The business had an unusual beginning, it was actually part of a charity, but this element of the charity ended up doing well commercially, therefore Darrell decided to launch Cre8ion as a start-up in 2016. Darrell also launched Genesis, which is automating brand design for start-ups and small orga...

Episode 7 - we get chatting with James Ewin and Joel Rosen, who have been long-standing friends since their school years. Both took different routes into design. In 2011 they took the decision to go into business together, and started up ORCA. We discuss cash-flow, recruitment, and some great advice on working with a friend. https://onlyorca.com/ Text us your feedback and feature on the show Suppo...

Episode 6 - we chat to Tom Willard and Jack Widnell, co-founders of BUNK. Tom, Jack (and friends) were studying at University of the West of England (UWE), when they were about to lose the majority of their £3,000 deposit on their student digs. This frustration ultimately turned into a disruptive business. We find out about why they want to fix the rental sector, discuss disruption, innovative bus...

Episode 5 - we catch up with Ella Rauen-Prestes, founder of Fitbakes. Ella moved to the UK from Rio de Janeiro. Ella was shocked that there weren't any healthy cake options when she moved to the UK! Ella made it her mission to bring high protein and low-calorie cakes to the masses. This episode covers minimum viable products, selling online, utilising influencers and getting Fitbakes into high pro...

Episode 4 - we get chatting with Matt Dyson, one of three co-founders of Rockit. Rockit was born following a conversation around the Christmas dinner table and provides a much need solution for new parents. We discuss how the idea came about, the importance of protecting intellectual property, worldwide distribution and new product development. https://rockitrocker.com/ Text us your feedback and f...

Episode 3 - we speak with Street2Boardroom founder, Clayton Planter. Taking strength from the position of underdog, being ‘the 2%’, and calling upon the most extraordinary network, Clayton says ‘ I always knew I wanted to be someone different’. Through a hugely inspiring chat, what emerges are not just global ambitions but wise words for people from all backgrounds. https://www.street2boardroom.co...

Episode 2 - we chat with KINGS grooming founder, Blué O'Connor. KINGS is an ethical vegan aftershave, fragrance and grooming brand. We dive into the world of crowdfunding, offering advice & tips on how to launch a crowdfunding campaign. www.kings-grooming.com Text us your feedback and feature on the show Support the show Proudly sponsored by our wonderful partners: National Protective Security Aut...

Episode 1 - we speak with Zero Green co-founders, Stacey Fordham & Lidia Rueda Losada, who pioneered plastic-free shopping in Bristol. We discuss the challenges that come with being a first time start-up founder, the benefits of first-mover advantage and the importance of believing in your business idea. https://www.zerogreenbristol.co.uk/ Text us your feedback and feature on the show Support the...