40 Minute Mentor

“I’ve been rejected by every ideal university I imagined I wanted to go to, at least 50 jobs I interviewed for and by 130 VC funds in fundraising so far.”

In this 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by James Lo, Co-Founder and CEO of Mana - the app designed to help everyone make a living by sharing their passion. 

James started his entrepreneurial journey early, founding an educational social enterprise at the age of 16, before following a more traditional Founder path of consulting at McKinsey and time at the VC SoftBank Vision Fund. 

His latest venture, Mana, have been on an incredible journey, including an impressive £1.5 million pre-seed funding round, led by Flash Ventures and Global Founders Capital. 

Today, we find out more about James’s journey with Mana and beyond, including: 

➡️ His upbringing in Hong Kong and the inspiration for his first social enterprise [05:09] 

➡️ The importance of a sustainable business model [09:07] 

➡️ Why he turned down his university offers and went protesting instead [12:49]

➡️ The crucial skills he learned at McKinsey [17:46] 

➡️ His window into WeWork through his time at SoftBank Vision Found [21:44]

➡️ The story behind Mana [25:17] 

➡️ Why the initial concept of Mana failed and what he learned from it [30:33] 

➡️ The key components for getting a pivot right [35:42] 

➡️ How to responsibly let people go [40:20]

➡️ Mana’s culture and what James looks for when hiring [44:53] 

➡️ His funding experience [48:44]

➡️ Why VC is in need of some fundamental changes [51:38]

⛳ Helpful links:

➡️ More about James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yfjameslo/

➡️ More about Mana: https://mana.live/qr?shortlink=1asclcd4&is_retargeting=true&pid=QR_code

💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:

Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.

To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/ to find out more. 

⭐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

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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

“Within 24 hours, we said goodbye to all our corporate partners and set off on a new path.” 

In this week’s bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we chat more about the pivot that turned JBM into the search firm it is today. 

James Mitra, Founder of JBM and Host of 40 Minute Mentor, talks us through why he decided to pivot the business, the drastic decision he had to make and why transparency, empathy and mentorship were so crucial to the success of the pivot. 

⭐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

Plus, if you have any questions you’d like us to answer in our bite-sized Monday episodes, please get in touch with Hannah at [email protected]

💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:

Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.

To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more. 

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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

“Even CEOs have those moments of doubt and vulnerability. I continually have to work on making sure that I'm balancing the journey with enjoying the journey.” 

This week’s 40 Minute Mentor episode features Simone Maini, CEO of Elliptic, a FinTech helping businesses make the crypto economy a safe place to transact and invest by managing financial crime in crypto. 

Having had the pleasure of working with Elliptic and Simone on some key senior hires into their growing team, we’ve seen firsthand what a great culture they’re building. 

Today, we’ll find out: 

➡️ The doubt and vulnerability that comes with being a CEO [03:25] 

➡️ Her squiggly path to becoming CEO [05:05] 

➡️ The skills needed to transition from COO to CEO [08:21] 

➡️ Why Elliptic’s mission was so compelling and how she adapted to the complex nature of the industry [12:53] 

➡️ How she managed to overcome her imposter syndrome after not having had any industry experience before joining Elliptic [16:28] 

➡️ What makes Elliptic’s culture so special [19:28] 

➡️ Simone’s candid advice for any aspiring and first time CEOs [24:18] 

➡️ Why it doesn’t have to be lonely at the top [28:13] 

➡️ Her highlights from Elliptic’s hypergrowth journey and what their next chapter looks like [36:50] 

➡️ What needs to happen to level the playing field in the industry and the steps Elliptic are taking to attract more diverse talent [42:00] 

➡️ What the future of crypto looks like [44:52] 

⛳ Helpful links:

➡️ More about Simone: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-maini/

➡️ More about Elliptic: https://www.elliptic.co/

➡️ More advice for COOs: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Z5v0dwtFJBgzci-62Z40woc6yp1-7A6

💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:

Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.

To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/ to find out more. 

⭐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
 

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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

“There is nothing wrong with doubting yourself. Having a bit of self doubt is good, because it means you’re constantly trying to improve, grow and evolve.” 

In this week’s bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we tackle a topic that is often discussed amongst Founders and leaders - imposter syndrome. 

Having experienced imposter syndrome on many occasions over the last 10 years of leading JBM, our host James Mitra shares some of the advice that has helped him to push through self doubt. 

Plus, we hear again from two previous 40 Minute Mentors - Michelle You of Supercritical and Amelia Sordell of Klowt, and their own experience with imposter syndrome. 

⭐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

Plus, if you have any questions you’d like us to answer in our bite-sized Monday episodes, please get in touch with Hannah at [email protected]

💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:

Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.

To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more. 

⛳ Helpful links:

➡️ Michelle You’s 40 Minute Mentor episode: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/from-exiting-songkick-to-tackling-the-climate-crisis-with-supercriticals-michelle-you/ 

➡️ Amelia Sordell’s 40 Minute Mentor episode: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/the-power-of-personal-branding-with-amelia-sordell-founder-of-klowt/

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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

“If you're not in a situation where you can safely take a year or two to start your own business, you probably shouldn't do it.”

In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Job van der Voort, Co-Founder and CEO of Remote, the FinTech empowering companies of all sizes to pay and manage workers in 50+ countries all over the world. 

Having always had a desire to start his own business, Job joined GitLab early on in their journey and spent 5 years with them growing the business, before setting up Remote. 

And what an incredible journey Job and his Co-Founder, Marcelo Lebre have been on - having scaled from 2 to 800 employees in just 3 years, all of course, entirely remotely. 

Job gave us a real insight into his journey as a Founder, with all the ups and downs that came with it, in today’s episode. 

We chat about: 

➡️ What it was like to scale GitLab, before remote working was considered as a viable option in many industries [04:50] 

➡️ The challenges of being up against a much bigger and better funded competitor [07:13] 

➡️ Where the inspiration for Remote came from [09:47] 

➡️ Job’s advice for anyone thinking about starting their own business and how you can easily test your business idea, even today [13:07] 

➡️ How Remote evolved over the years and what some of the biggest challenges were along the way [17:08] 

➡️ Remote’s fundraising experience and Job’s advice for any Founders looking to raise investment [20:09] 

➡️ The lessons from scaling the team from 2 to 800 and why everyone in the room needs to understand how to interview effectively [24:57] 

➡️ How to build an effective and inclusive onboarding process [31:03] 

➡️ Why kindness sits at the core of Remote’s team culture [34:29] 

➡️ How remote work is really about the freedom to choose an alternative and what the future of work may look like [37:47] 

➡️ Why Job avoids meetings as much as he can [41:41] 

⛳ Helpful links:

➡️ More about Job: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jobvo/

➡️ More about Remote: https://remote.com/

💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:

Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.

To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more. 

⭐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

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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

“When your values are so set and embedded in what you do, then anything that doesn’t line up with them, is a ‘No’.” 

This 40 Minute Mentor episode, is the live recording we were honoured to host at this year’s Sifted Summit in London. 

Our panel discussion was all about putting purpose over profit and accelerating impact - a topic that has gained a lot of traction over the last years. 

Gone are the days in which top talent are looking to go into Banking, Consulting or Investing. Now the best of the best are on a mission to find companies and Founders with a strong purpose, to really make a difference in the world. 

And there are so many truly purpose driven Founders out there, many of which we’ve had the great pleasure of featuring on 40 Minute Mentor, including today’s panel, for which we were joined by: 

➡️ Emma Steele, Partner at Ascension, an early-stage VC built by exited entrepreneurs to back the next generation of tech and impact Founders. 

➡️ Amali de Alwis, CEO of Subak, the world’s first not-for-profit accelerator that scales climate impact through data, policy and behaviour change. 

➡️ Nikki Wicks, CEO of The Body Coach, the popular fitness brand behind Joe Wicks, on a mission to get people moving and live a healthier life. 

⭐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

Plus, if you have any questions you’d like us to answer in our bite-sized Monday episodes, please get in touch with Hannah at [email protected]

💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:

Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.

To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more. 

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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

“There's a very long list of these iconic companies that actually weren't started by first time Founders.”

In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Ian Hogarth, a hugely accomplished Entrepreneur, Angel Investor and Co-Founder of Plural Platform, an exciting new early-stage platform dedicated to investing in Europe’s next generation of tech companies with global ambitions. 

If you’ve been listening to 40 Minute Mentor for a while, you may recognise Ian’s name from a previous episode, in which we were joined by one of his former Songkick Co-Founders, Michelle You. 

Ian served as Songkick’s CEO for 8 years, scaling the business to $100m in sales and 120 employees, before eventually exiting to Warner Music Group. 

It was such a privilege to have Ian join us on the podcast and share so much great mentorship, including: 

➡️ How he found his passion for creating something new [05:09] 

➡️ How this passion led him to create Songkick [08:16]

➡️ The many lessons he learned as a first time CEO and why external mentorship was such a crucial part of his journey [11:09] 

➡️ Why you shouldn’t hire people who can’t be replaced and why some hires can completely change your business [14:29] 

➡️ How his experience with loss influenced his decision to step away from Songkick and the important lessons this has taught him [19:13] 

➡️ Why he jumped back in the Founder seat and the mission behind Plural [24:42]

➡️ Why Plural isn’t following a VC model and what changes it’ll drive in Europe [28:16] 

➡️ What it really takes to be an incredible Founder [32:52]

➡️ The types of businesses he’s personally looking to invest in [36:44] 

➡️ His advice for any diverse Founders looking for investment and the importance of mapping out the investors you’re going to approach [38:48] 

➡️ Plural’s north star and the plan to get there [40:58] 

⛳ Helpful links:

➡️ More about Ian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianhogarth/

➡️ More about Plural Platform: https://pluralplatform.com/ 

➡️ Songkick Co-Founder, Michelle You’s episode: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/from-exiting-songkick-to-tackling-the-climate-crisis-with-supercriticals-michelle-you/

💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:

Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.

To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more. 

⭐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

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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

“The more we talk about mental health, the more we normalise it and hopefully help save lives.”  

This year’s World Mental Health Day theme is ‘making mental health and wellbeing a global priority for all’ - something we’ve spoken about a lot on 40 Minute Mentor over the years. 

Whether it’s our mental health panel discussions, the day to day lived experience of mental health of the Founders we chat to, or purpose-driven Founders like James Routlegde, who is empowering people to connect with themselves and the world around them through coaching and community with Sanctus - making mental health a topic that is more openly talked about, has always been a core driver for our podcast. 

Today’s bite-sized episode gets a bit more personal. 

Our host and JBM Founder, James Mitra talks more about his own journey with his mental health as a Founder and shares some of the valuable advice he’s received over the years. 

⭐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

Plus, if you have any questions you’d like us to answer in our bite-sized Monday episodes, please get in touch with Hannah at [email protected]

For more mental health resources: 

➡️ Mental Health Foundation – https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk   

➡️ The Samaritans can be reached on 116 123 

➡️ And for local help and support, call the Mind Infoline at 0300 123 3393 or text 86463

➡️ Our 40 Minute Mentor Mental Health Roundtable conversation: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/encouraging-conversations-about-mental-health/

➡️ 40 Minute Mentor James Routledge from Sanctus: https://jbmc.co.uk/insights/40-minute-mentor/putting-the-first-mental-health-gym-on-the-high-street-with-james-routledge/

💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:

Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.

To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to 

https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/ to find out more.

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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

“If we’re trying to say that the only way to find answers and the only way to fund climate issues is through equity based investment, it’s just not going to work. It doesn’t suit every type of business.” 

In this week’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Amali de Alwis, CEO of Subak, the world’s first not-for-profit accelerator that scales climate impact through data, policy and behaviour change. 

Prior to joining the team at Subak, Amali was Managing Director of Microsoft for Startups UK and CEO of Code First: Girls.

Amali is a woman of many talents who wears many hats, including being a Board member at Ada National College for Digital Skills and the Raspberry Pi Foundation. 

It was a great honour to have Amali join us on the podcast and she shares some really insightful mentorship, including: 

➡️ What her nonlinear career has taught her and why changing careers frequently can have positive effects on your trajectory [05:46] 

➡️ How she landed her first CEO role [12:39] 

➡️ Amali’s journey with Code First: Girls and the milestones she’s most proud of [16:22] 

➡️ What the tech industry needs to do to level the playing field and make it more accessible for women and especially women from underrepresented backgrounds [20:41] 

➡️ Why you just need to get started if you’re looking to get into tech [26:06] 

➡️ Subak’s incredible mission and why Amali got involved [28:19] 

➡️ What Founders can expect from the accelerator [32:16]

➡️ Why equity based investment can simply not be the only solution to tackle climate challenges [34:42]

➡️ Why we all need to start understanding the data behind climate change [36:32] 

➡️ The importance of having a strong board of advisors [39:17] 

➡️ How Amali juggles her many responsibilities and why being a board advisor makes her a better CEO [41:51] 

💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:

Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.

To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/ to find out more. 

📅 Join us at the Sifted Summit! 

We’ll be recording a 40 Minute Mentor panel discussion at this year’s Sifted Summit in London, on Thursday, October 6th. 

To join us at the event and a chance to ask your questions during our live recording, claim one of our 40 FREE tickets, by redeeming the code: 40MMFREE for your Startup ticket on www.summit.sifted.eu

⭐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

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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.

“Sometimes you can use difficult times to come up with incredible new ideas. It’s a great opportunity to get your team to think creatively and empower them to come to you with suggestions and try new things. It's probably going to be pretty scrappy, but you never know, it might just be the making of your business.” 

In this week’s bite-sized 40 Minute Mentor episode, we talk about navigating challenging times, as a Founder and business leader. 

James reflects on the pandemic and shares some of the best advice he’s received over the years and some insights into how he’s applied the advice during difficult times for JBM, including: 

➡️ Increasing your transparency and communication with the team [1:43]

➡️ Leila Zegna’s advice on reminding yourself of what you can and can’t control [3:20] 

➡️ The importance of having a great board of advisors and mentors [5:18] 

➡️ And why this could be a great time for you to innovate and come up with new ideas for your business [6:27] 

📅 Join us at The Sifted Summit! 

We’ll be recording a 40 Minute Mentor panel discussion at this year’s Sifted Summit in London, on Thursday, October 6th. 

To join us at the event and a chance to ask your questions during our live recording, claim one of our 40 FREE tickets, by redeeming the code: 40MMFREE for your General Admissions ticket on https://sifted-summit-2022.reg.buzz/splash

💙A big thank you to our Sponsors:

Alchemist - an industry leading learning and development company, whose learning journeys and experiences help organisations who want to grow, change or transform by putting the learner first to optimise organisational performance.

To learn more about Alchemist and see how they work with some of the most innovative companies in the world, head over to https://thisisalchemist.com/40minutementor/  to find out more. 

⭐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

Plus, if you have any questions you’d like us to answer in our bite-sized Monday episodes, please get in touch with Hannah at [email protected]

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 most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review.