The Engine - Founders Stories

Welcome to The Engine – Founders' Stories Podcast . In this episode, host Donna Owen is joined by Rodrigo Malachias , Co-Founder of MedibleGo and CEO at Medible . Rodrigo shares how he built two global companies by combining technology, strategic consulting, and a deep commitment to understanding SMEs. He takes us through his journey from early technical training in Brazil to leading multinational...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by Riaz Kanani, a Serial Entrepreneur. Riaz shares his journey from starting businesses at a young age to leading successful ventures. He talks about his experience in building companies, exiting major players like IBM, and his approach to scaling businesses. Riaz also discusses the importance of adapting to changing mark...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by Bianca Bass , Chief Marketing Officer at Privalgo and brand consultant. Bianca shares how she helps companies grow by aligning brands with business goals. She talks about her journey from working in large companies like TripAdvisor and Selfridges to advising startups on marketing and storytelling. Bianca explains why u...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by Mike Adams , Founder & CEO of introstars , and Founder & Startup Mentor at Skyler Gotham . This platform rewards people for making warm business introductions and is quickly growing across London and New York. Mike shares how he went from being a shy, introverted teen to a top networker attending over a thousan...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by George Lineker , Co-Founder of YourBusinessNumber . This company provides a second phone number and eSIM to help freelancers and small businesses separate their work and personal lives. George shares his journey from a previous failed app to building a lean, bootstrapped business over four years. He discusses the chall...

Welcome to The Engine Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen sits down with Chris Silvestri , a Conversion Copywriter and Founder of Conversion Alchemy , a company helping B2B SaaS businesses grow through customer-focused messaging. Chris shares how he moved from industrial automation in Italy to building a lean and profitable business in the UK. With a background in software engineering and a...

Welcome to The Engine Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen sits down with Nathan Bethell , Founder of REFORMERPILATES.COM , a platform uniting studios, instructors, and fans of REFORMERPILATES. Nathan is also a B2B Marketing Consultant at B2B CMO , with over 20 years of experience in marketing across publishing, tech, and IT services. In this episode, Nathan shares how he went from running n...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen chats with Luke B. (Luke Barry), Co-Founder and Head of Growth & GTM of How Ya Doing , a talent-as-a-service firm that combines deep sales expertise with executive search proficiency. Before launching his own business, Luke spent 15 years in enterprise sales and payments with Lloyds Bank and Citibank. His journey into the corpor...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen chats with Jules Robertson , Co-founder of Tally Workspace , a platform helping startups and scale-ups find flexible office spaces. Jules shares how COVID sparked the idea, how she and her co-founder bootstrapped early on, and why speaking to thousands of businesses shaped their growth. She also talks about balancing work with mothe...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen talks with Darren Westall , Co-Founder and CEO of Paiger , a business development tool for recruiters. Darren shares how his tech background and early sales hustle helped him build Paiger from the ground up. He opens up about learning by doing, bootstrapping the company, and growing it while balancing family life. Darren also reflec...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen talks with Leroy Lawrence , the Founder of Pigee Inc , CEO of Quadron Capital Ltd , Angel Investor and Director at Lawrence Investment Holdings Ltd , and Chairman of Wellbeing of My Baby . Leroy shares how his travel struggles inspired Pigee, an AI-powered shipping tool that helps tourists and local shops send items home easily. He...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by Cameron Briggs , the CEO and Co-Founder, and Itamar Yeshua , the COO and Co-Founder of Vente AI . They share how their experience in recruitment led them to create Venti, an AI-driven platform designed to help recruiters find leads and connect with hiring managers quickly. Cameron talks about his passion for sales, whil...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by Marina Robertson, who is the Owner and Founder of BERKANO Consulting . Marina shares how her love for learning, her journey from Greece, and years in construction shaped her business. She talks about leadership, building confidence, and helping others grow with the right tools. Marina isn’t just a founder; she’s focused...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by David Clark is Founder of bobcheck , Managing Director of Cataphract , and Investor at Equitas . David shares how his years in recruitment, a lightbulb idea during lockdown, and his ADHD journey shaped his business. He discusses building a niche product, lessons on persistence, and turning challenges into strengths. Da...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by Thomas Vose , founder of HireAra , a startup that uses AI to help recruiters format CVs. From a student project to a big tech acquisition, Tom talks about how he turned a simple idea into a fast-growing business and shares lessons on risk, teamwork, and the future of AI. Thomas isn’t just an entrepreneur; he loves find...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen chats with Luke P. (Luke Pilfold Thomas). He is an investor and board advisor at ProDataStack , an investor and NED at Dote and Talentloop , as well as the investor and co-founder of Aitemology . Additionally, he serves as the investor and chief strategy officer at Finity and a behind-the-scenes entrepreneur who's helped build 15+...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen chats with Holly Langley , founder of RE:STACK , a company helping recruiters get more from their tech. Holly shares how she went from nannying to leading a niche CRM consultancy. She talks about the power of saying no, building a strong team, and learning cash flow the hard way. With honesty and humor, Holly shares her journey, he...

Welcome to the Founder Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen talks with Alexandra Chirica , founder of Recfindr , a new tech tool helping recruiters manage client deals better. From her early days in recruitment to starting a tech business, Alexandra shares her journey, why she pivoted her product, and how she raised funds as a solo founder. She opens up about the hard lessons, the power of believing i...

Welcome to the Founder Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by Royden Greaves , founder of Jarvis , a fintech company that helps people understand and manage their pensions. From his early days growing up in Montserrat to leading a tech startup, Royden shares his journey, his passion for financial education, and how Jarvis is making pensions easier for everyone. He discusses his drive to hel...

Welcome to The Engine - Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by Thomas Vose , founder of HireAra , a startup that uses AI to help recruiters format CVs. From a student project to a big tech acquisition, Tom talks about how he turned a simple idea into a fast-growing business and shares lessons on risk, teamwork, and the future of AI. Thomas isn’t just an entrepreneur; he loves find...

Ready to supercharge your growth? Join Donna Owen on The Engine – Founders Stories , where she sits down with SaaS and fintech trailblazers who’ve broken free from the founder-led sales grind and built predictable, scalable revenue engines. In each bite-sized episode, you’ll pick up real-world tactics—from hiring that crucial first rep to rolling out budget-smart tech stacks—that you can put into...