40 Minute Mentor

“VC should be a great career for people from diverse backgrounds, because it’s really a role where you’re judged on your output. At the end of a fund cycle, it’s pretty clear to see whether you’re a good investor or not.” In our final 40 Minute Mentor VC Feature series episode, we’re joined by Hannah Seal, Partner at one of the most prestigious VCs in the world and one of JBM’s favourite clients, Index Ventures. Index Ventures is an international multi-stage venture capital firm, investing in technology-enabled industry disrupters. Their portfolio includes multiple 40 Minute Mentors, such as Unicorns Ankorstore and Multiverse and category defining companies like Bloom & Wild and Sourceful. As well as household names such as Deliveroo, Revolut, Glossier, and many others. In today’s episode, Hannah shares some brilliant insights into how Index work and what they look for when assessing Founders, as well as some great mentorship for anyone looking to get into VC, including:  Why she decided to pivot from Operator to VC [06:23] What skills Hannah relied on when making the transition [07:22] Hannah’s advice for any Operators thinking of moving into VC [10:02] What differentiates Index Ventures from other VCs [11:22] How Index Ventures works with Founders [13:10] What Hannah looks for when assessing companies and their Founders [14:52] The trends Index Ventures are seeing at the moment and some of the sectors Hannah’s getting excited about [16:28] How the economic downturn doesn’t necessarily mean doom and gloom for Founders [18:58] What changes Hannah has seen in the European VC landscape, compared to the US [20:22] And why VC is actually a great career option for diverse talent [22:17]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ More about Hannah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-seal-78938a22/➡️ More about Index Ventures: https://www.indexventures.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“One of the biggest misconceptions in VC is that it’s an easy way to be successful, or a quick shortcut to something - that’s absolutely wrong. It’s a really long journey.” In today’s 40 Minute Mentor VC Feature series episode, we’re joined by Antoine Nussenbaum, the Co-Founder of Felix Capital. Felix is a venture capital firm for the creative class, at the intersection of technology and creativity, focusing on opportunities in digital lifestyle. They’re on a mission to support ambitious Founders with big ideas, capturing new behaviours and cultural shifts. Their portfolio includes the likes of Farfetch, Deliveroo, Unmind, Papier, amongst many other high-growth brands. In this episode, Antoine shares some incredible insights into the market and buckets of brilliant mentorship for Founders and aspiring VCs, including:  What led Antoine to start Felix Capital [06:36] Why he chose the digital lifestyle niche and what makes Felix so different from other VCs [08:50] The potential opportunities the economic downturn can present to Founders, no matter whether they’re in B2B or B2C [11:27] What common traits some of the most successful Founders share and how you can stand out when fundraising [17:02] The difficulties of separating work and life as a Founder and how it can sometimes be beneficial to let the two intertwine [21:55] What makes Felix’s culture so special and how Antoine tests for high conviction in interviews [25:01] What Antoine looks for when he assesses Founders and their businesses [29:12] The most common mistakes he sees Founders make during pitches [31:09] Why working in VC isn’t about finding a shortcut to success [32:51]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ More about Antoine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinenussenbaum/➡️ More about Felix Capital: https://www.felixcap.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Create an anxiety balance sheet with the things you have control over and the things you don’t have control over. Put the things that give you anxiety into these credits and debits and you’ll realise that actually there’s a lot more that’s in your control than you think.” Kicking off our VC feature series, we’re joined by Leila Zegna, the Founding General Partner of Kindred Capital. Kindred are building a new model for Venture Capital where every Founder they back becomes a co-owner of the fund. Launched in 2015, Leila and her Co-Founders are on a mission to create the venture firm they would have wanted to work with when they were running Startups themselves. Leila tells us more about their Equitable Venture model in today’s episode, along with some candid mentorship, including:  How she made the transition from Operator to VC [10:55]  Why more Operators should work in VC [19:18] What European VCs can learn from their US counterparts [22:22] How Kindred’s Equitable Venture model works [25:27] What advice Founders should keep in mind as they face the economic downturn [29:00] What Leila and the Kindred team are looking for when assessing businesses and their Founders [32:25] How Leila does everything she does all while having three kids under the age of 6 [37:21] And why she wants Kindred to be the best of its kind and not the biggest [41:36]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ More about Leila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilazegna/➡️ More about Kindred Capital: https://kindredcapital.vc/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“The moment you start seeing yourself as a black Founder, you end up almost acting with all the facts that impact black Founders. So, you end up going into conversations with investors expecting not to raise money, or you don’t even approach VCs because you think they won’t give you money, etc.” In this final episode of our 40 Minute Mentor ‘Where Are They Now’ feature series, we’re joined by the brilliant Timothy Armoo, Forbes 30 Under 30, Co-Founder and exited CEO of the recently acquired influencer marketing agency, Fanbytes. Fanbytes have been on an incredible journey, going from strength to strength over the years, working with leading global brands, including Nike, Samsung, Deliveroo and even the UK Government. The pinnacle of their incredible journey, however, was reached earlier in 2022, when they were acquired by global digital media agency, Brainlabs. That’s why we thought a catch up with Timothy was well overdue. He shared endless insights and candid mentorship with us in today’s episode, including:  The story behind Fanbytes and how it came to exist [02:04] How they landed such big name clients, even in the early days of Fanbytes [03:19] The behind the scenes of their deal with Brainlabs and what this means for Fanbytes and Timothy personally [05:54] How influencer marketing has changed and the opportunities for brands today [10:26] Why Timothy sees himself as a Founder first and as a black Founder second [14:04] Plus, he shares some of his upcoming plans and what he’s looking forward to the most following his exit [18:12]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Timothy Armoo: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/building-a-multi-million-pound-agency-for-gen-z-with-timothy-armoo/➡️ More about Timothy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyarmoo/➡️ More about Fanbytes: https://fanbytes.co.uk/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If we were to see truly representative investment committees and truly diverse representation amongst the gatekeepers of power and capital, then we would solve this problem pretty much overnight.” In today’s 40 Minute Mentor instalment of our ‘Where Are They Now’ feature series, we’re joined by Tessa Clarke, Co-Founder and CEO of OLIO. OLIO is the number one sharing app, connecting neighbours with each other and local businesses, so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away. Over 6 million people have joined OLIO so far and they’re on an incredible mission to help create a world in which nothing of value goes to waste, and every single person has enough to eat - all without destroying our planet in the process. In today’s episode, Tessa shares some behind the scenes insights into OLIO’s scaling journey and some brilliant mentorship for any fellow Founders, including:  Why OLIO exists [01:51]  Tessa’s biggest learnings from scaling the business [03:54] What makes OLIO’s culture so special and what Tessa looks for when hiring [06:19] Why it’s so important to take a step back from the day to day as a Founder [10:43] Tessa’s advice for any diverse Founders looking for investment [12:54] What she looks for when assessing businesses and their Founders [17:41] And what the rest of 2022 holds for her and the OLIO team [19:43]   ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Tessa Clarke: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/tackling-the-food-waste-crisis-with-tessa-clarke/➡️ More about Tessa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tecook/➡️ More about Olio: https://olioex.com/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“When you’re 60 and you look back on your career, you’re never going to look back and think - I wish I worked for the two months more, I didn’t spend with my daughter.” In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor, ‘Where Are They Now’ feature, we welcome back one of our very first guests on the podcast and JBM Board Advisor, the incredible Fred Jones, VP and Regional Manager of Northern Europe at TIER Mobility. TIER is Europe’s leading shared micro-mobility provider. Their international team of serial entrepreneurs and highly skilled operators from around the world are all united by one shared mission - to change mobility for good. Founded in 2018, TIER operates in 200+ cities across 21 countries in Europe and the Middle East, with a focus on providing the safest, most equitable and most sustainable mobility solution. Fred shares so many insights into the mobility sector with us in today’s episode, including:  Why Fred decided to move from Uber to TIER Mobility [02:43]  What the day to day as TIER’s VP and Regional Manager for Northern Europe looks like [06:29] The most challenging part of his scaleup journey so far [08:31] Why TIER is such an amazing place to work at and why now is a really exciting time to join [10:21] What the future of mobility looks like [14:09] Why Fred decided to take 2 months of parental leave and why he urges everyone to do the same [16:26] And what the rest of 2022 holds for him and TIER [21:45]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Fred Jones: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/leadership-lessons-from-building-uber-in-the-uk-with-fred-jones/➡️ More about Fred: https://www.linkedin.com/in/f-jones/➡️ More about TIER Mobility: https://www.tier.app/en/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Don’t be trapped by your job title. You can do more things. And by doing more things, by exploring all the sides of your identity and hidden talents, you’ll discover a completely different future than you can see right now.” Up next in our 40 Minute Mentor, ‘Where Are They Now’ feature series, we’re joined by the Co-Founder of BAFTA-winning gaming studio, Bossa Studios, and multi-creative entrepreneur,  the incredible Roberta Lucca. Having transitioned from Co-Founder and CMO to Non-Executive Director at Bossa Studios, Roberta shares some brilliant insights into building her portfolio career and exclusive mentorship for any multi-entrepreneurs out there, including:  Why Bossa Studios was founded and how Roberta’s embracing being a multi-entrepreneur herself [02:20]   How she transitioned from being a Founder to a portfolio career and her advice for anyone looking to do the same [05:29]  What the future of work will look like and why business leaders need to nurture their intrapreneurs [11:17]   Roberta’s experience of being a judge on the BBC hit show, The Apprentice [13:56]  And what she looks for when assessing Founders and their businesses as an angel investor [16:49]   ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Roberta Lucca: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/building-a-multimillion-dollar-games-empire-with-roberta-lucca/  ➡️ More about Roberta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertalucca/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Just a single conversation can actually change the direction of someone’s life.” To kick off Series 2 of our popular 40 Minute Mentor, ‘Where Are They Now’ mini-series, we’re joined by Alex Stephany, Co-Founder and CEO of Beam - the world’s first crowdfunding platform for homeless people. When Alex last joined us in Series 2 of 40 Minute Mentor, we talked about the early days of Beam, the inspiring story behind why the business exists and some brilliant actionable mentorship on providing a long-term solution to the homelessness problem, and how we can all play our part in it. In today’s episode, we hear how Beam has scaled since and Alex shares some more incredible mentorship, including:  Why Beam exists and why they’ve only just scratched the surface of social problems they're solving. [02:21]   How the pandemic has helped Beam scale from an in-person service to an online platform. [07:05]   Why now is such an exciting time to join Beam and what the future holds for the team. [09:55]   Alex’s candid advice on how candidates can prepare for an interview at Beam and examples of how you can go the extra mile. [12:42] ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Alex Stephany: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/long-term-solutions-for-homelessness-with-alex-stephany/  ➡️ More about Alex Stephany: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexstephany/➡️ More about Beam and their incredible mission: https://beam.org/➡️ Current roles at Beam: https://beam.org/careers ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“One of the biggest challenges that we’re facing is that we have a category defining product and nothing like it has existed before, so we have to do a lot of consumer education.”To celebrate the completion of 40 Minute Mentor Series 7, we’ve put together a fascinating roundup episode spotlighting industry disrupting business leaders. We hear from category defining businesses, including Dan Garrett from Farewill, Margot & Alexia de Broglie from Your Juno, Nicolas d’Audiffret from Ankorstore and Wing Chan from Sourceful. These Founders share some brilliant mentorship with us, including:  How Farewill came to exist and what mistakes Dan has learned from over the years [2:16] The fine line Your Juno have to balance while educating their consumers on what and why they’re building [17:02]  What it takes to scale Ankorstore, the fastest growing Unicorn in Europe, all while taking on big retail players like Amazon [23:30] And how Sourceful are helping businesses make more sustainable choices when it comes to sourcing [32:19]   ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Dan Garrett: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/destigmatising-death-with-farewills-dan-garrett/ ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Margow & Alexia de Broglie: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/closing-the-financial-literacy-gap-with-your-juno-founders-margot-alexia-de-broglie/ ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Nicolas d’Audiffret: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/how-to-build-a-2-billion-unicorn-in-under-3-years-with-ankorstores-nicolas-daudiffret/  ➡️ The full 40 Minute Mentor episode with Wing Chan: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/making-business-more-sustainable-and-developing-talent-with-wing-chan-co-founder-ceo-of-sourceful/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the end of Series 7, we have a special roundup episode in store for you, in which our Host James Mitra sits down with 40 Minute Mentor Producer and JBM Head of Marketing & Partnerships, Hannah Urbanek. Together, they reflect on their favourite moments of Series 7 and tell us a bit more about the upcoming episodes, including the comeback of a very popular mini series. ➡️ If you’re not all caught up on Series 7 yet, make sure you have a look through the episode archives at https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/40-minute-mentor/id1459665761?uo=4&ct=ratethispodcast&mt=2&ls=1⭐ If you enjoyed Series 7 and can’t wait for more, please do make sure you hit the subscribe button and leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm💌 For any ideas and recommendations for the next Series, please get in touch at info@jbmc.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices