About
I've worked with the UK's leading funders to deploy capital and design programmes to support entrepreneurs.
I’ve worked within venture capital, angel investment, and public sector funding initiatives, with a focus on enhancing access to finance across the North of England. I’ve led on building three investor communities to facilitate angel investment, deployed Start-Up Loans for the British Business Bank, and supported every stage of the deal process as an equity investor deploying the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund I at Mercia Asset Management one of the UK’s most active VCs.
Most recently, my work with Innovation SuperNetwork, powered by UMi, led to the development of the Northern Investor Hub, which has helped founders secure over £4 million in grant funding as an Investor Partner with Innovate UK for the Future Economy Programme and facilitated £5 million in private investment since 2023. I also led on the development of an investor relations strategy to deliver access to finance contracts on behalf of the Tees Valley Combined Authority and North East Combined Authority to address funding disparities in the North East of England.
I’ve designed event programmes to complement both founder and investor training and deal facilitation. From pitch events and founder/investor dinners with Creative UK, to investor training with the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA), I can work with accelerators and business support services to ensure their client journeys are optimised for impact.
While I don’t write cheques anymore, I remain with a hand in the VC world as an Ada Ventures scout seeking deal opportunities led by under-represented founders or serving under-represented customer segments. I’m always happy to share my insights into early-stage funding ecosystems. I’ve delivered investor readiness training for programs such as LEAP, an initiative under MIT’s Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Programme (REAP), RTC North, and occasionally write for FinTech Finance Magazine profiling finance-focused VCs. Occasionally I venture out from behind a screen to speak at conferences and educational events hosted by the likes of FinTech North, British Business Bank, Entrepreneur’s Forum, and more.
Whether you’re preparing for your first investor meeting, seeking to optimise your fundraising approach or wanting some much-needed clarity on how the investment landscape works, I’ll provide you with the expertise and guidance to help you succeed.
What I do
At Roast My Pitch, I empower founders to communicate effectively with investors, and help business support organisations design investor readiness programmes that deliver genuine value.
I draw on over six years of experience in the investment sector (and eyes on hundreds of pitch decks!) to offer tailored training and one-on-one business support designed to help founders refine their pitch, clarify their value proposition, and build their fundraising strategy.
Whether you're preparing for your first investor meeting, seeking to optimise your fundraising approach or wanting some much-needed clarity on how the investment landscape works, I'll provide you with the expertise and guidance to help you succeed.
Why I do it
Who I work with
- Founders preparing to raise pre-seed to Series A.
- Accelerators and incubators who want investment expertise in-house.
- Business support programmes who need flexible, credible pitch advisors.
- Investor networks looking to strengthen pipeline readiness and founder development.
What you can expect
I know how personal pitching can be - I've been on both sides of the table.
I compliment investment knowledge with hands-on operational experience. My own entrepreneurial journey started at University of Leeds. Despite studying Chinese & Spanish, I won an Enterprise Scholarship after pitching a fashion start-up idea which drew on my fashion design knowledge and working with a tailor in Beijing for made-to-measure menswear. Balancing my role as Treasurer of the Enterprise Society with economics and business classes, as well as an internship at Huntsman on Savile Row, I went through intensive start-up business training. I spoke at pitch and founder events and connected with angel investors. I was thoroughly grilled, pivoted to a drop-shipping t-shirt business, and failed fast and hard. It was my first introduction to the world of investment. And I was hooked.
Fast forward to today, I continue to exercise my creative muscles through running membership and events business The New Monday, sponsored by Channel 4, which I set up while working within an emerging Film/TV start-up, Tell Studio.
