Rebecca Fayad is a 21 year old founder who has already built and exited two start-ups, launched a UN-affiliated NGO, spoken at TED-Ed and the World Economic Forum. The shocking part is that she’s doing all of it whilst studying Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London.

She joins us for one of the most compelling conversations we’ve had on the show.

In this episode, we get into the details that most founders never talk about. What an exit actually looks like from the inside, the quiet mistakes that kill early-stage companies before they ever get to market, and how Rebecca manages to lead two major university societies simultaneously without burning out.

We also go deep on:

1. How to build and exit a start-up whilst still in full-time education

2. What LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report reveals about the most in-demand skill of our generation and how Rebecca actually applies it

3. The mindset behind launching a UN-affiliated NGO as a young founder

4. Public speaking at WEF & TED-Ed and how she prepares and why most people get it wrong

5. Why she deleted TikTok & Instagram and what she does instead

6. Practical advice for building an authentic and influential presence on LinkedIn

7. What 54% of Gen Z getting into entrepreneurship actually means for the generation redefining work

8. The most overlooked business opportunities for young people right now

9. Faith, focus, and the personal systems that keep her grounded

10. The harsh truth young founders need to hear but probably won’t like

11. Her honest experience of mental health as a founder and  what the research actually says

Whether you’re a young founder, a student with ambition, or someone who’s ever felt behind, this episode will challenge how you think about time, drive, and what’s actually possible.

For further enquiries, send a message to:

[email protected]

Connect with Guest

LinkedIn –   https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-fayad

Follow Sumner Makin on the following:

LinkedIn –   https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumnermakin

▶️Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/6XdwHQaP9zc?si=YhgYn9f-S69fUn5e

#YoungFounders #GenZEntrepreneurs #StartupExit #ImperialCollege #WomenInTech #FemaleFounders #StudentEntrepreneur #PersonalBrand #LinkedInTips #TedTalk #WEF #PublicSpeaking #FounderMindset #ChemicalEngineering #NGO #UNAffiliated #StartupAdvice #Entrepreneurship2025 #FutureOfWork #BuildAndExit

Amelia Miller, co-founder of AI platform ivee, joins us to talk about the psychology of fundraising, building in the age of AI, and why desperate energy is silently killing your chances with investors.

Backed by Steven Bartlett, a University of Cambridge graduate, and former Goldman Sachs banker, Amelia has led ivee to over 100,000 users and $1M+ ARR alongside her co-founder and sister, Lydia Miller.

In this episode, we cover:

• The mindset shift every founder needs before approaching VCs

• Why raising is a psychological game and how to play it

• How desperation cripples founders at the seed stage (and how to fix it)

• What Goldman Sachs taught her and what it didn’t

• How a girls’ school and competitive sports shaped her success

• AI tools to build an authentic personal brand on LinkedIn without feeling cringe.

Whether you’re a founder, operator, or ambitious professional navigating the AI era, this one’s for you.

Amelia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia--miller

Aivee: https://ivee.jobs/

▶️ Watch on YouTube:

https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/jnar0hw0n2b

#StartupFounder #VentureCapital #AItools #Fundraising #WomenInTech #ivee #StevenBartlett #LinkedInTips #FounderMindset #BuildingAStartup

▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qUK1zeAFQ1g?si=hA2f0JCvXlh5J1j6

#StartupFounder #VentureCapital #AItools #Fundraising #WomenInTech #ivee #StevenBartlett #LinkedInTips #FounderMindset #BuildingAStartup

In this video, our guest Tomasz Kantor the founder of Lemio, gives us an insight into how he turned a personal mission to improve mental health into a fast-growing mindful productivity app designed to reduce screen time, break compulsive scrolling habits and help people reclaim their focus.

He explains:

1. What first sparked the idea for Lemio and how witnessing mental health struggles in someone close to him shaped the entire mission.

2. The psychology behind phone addiction, internal triggers, dopamine cycles, and why younger generations are the most vulnerable.

3. How Lemio’s unique features go beyond blocking apps by addressing the root cause of distraction through breathing, planning, emotional awareness and behavioural design.

4. Why boredom, silence, and stillness are essential for creativity, self-trust, and long-term wellbeing.

5. The challenges of building a consumer app, finding product–market fit, and growing organically without heavy marketing spend.

6. What the future of digital wellness looks like and how society must rethink its relationship with social media.

Connect with Guest

LinkedIn – http://linkedin.com/in/tomaszkantor

Download Lemmio here:

https://www.lemioapp.com

In this video, our guest Tomasz Kantor the founder of Lemio, gives us an insight into how he turned a personal mission to improve mental health into a fast-growing mindful productivity app designed to reduce screen time, break compulsive scrolling habits, and help people reclaim their focus.

He explains:

• What first sparked the idea for Lemio and how witnessing mental health struggles in someone close to him shaped the entire mission.
• The psychology behind phone addiction, internal triggers, dopamine cycles, and why younger generations are the most vulnerable.
• How Lemio’s unique features go beyond blocking apps by addressing the root cause of distraction through breathing, planning, emotional awareness, and behavioural design.
• Why boredom, silence, and stillness are essential for creativity, self-trust, and long-term wellbeing.
• The challenges of building a consumer app, finding product–market fit, and growing organically without heavy marketing spend.
• What the future of digital wellness looks like — and how society must rethink its relationship with social media.

For further enquiries, send a message to:

[email protected]

Connect with Guest

LinkedIn – http://linkedin.com/in/tomaszkantor

You can also watch this episode on Youtube:

https://youtube.com/@novaandbobastartups?si=K8SmaAZMuEpcaYdf

Download Lemmio here:

https://www.lemioapp.com

In this episode, Ama sits down with Gabby (Founder) and Fii (Co-Founder) of a fast-growing career-building startup that is helping young people find their right career path.

Gabby shares how leaving aerospace engineering sparked a bold mission to fix the broken career guidance system, while Fii breaks down how their the whole journey began and where they at now.

They discuss:

• Why traditional career advice no longer works

• How their startup helps people uncover the right career path

• The tools, systems, and frameworks that helped 600+ people already

• Their personal journeys and why they chose to build this solution

• What the future of work and career discovery will look like

If you feel stuck, confused, or uncertain about your path, this episode is the roadmap you’ve been looking for.

You can also watch this episode on Youtube here:

https://youtu.be/wAAP7W4KAEY?si=-ONneZkH0rVaycVH

How to build a successful podcast

I had a 14-minute mentorship session with Georgie Holt, the CEO of Europe’s #1 podcast, The Diary of a CEOGeorgie co-founded Flight Story alongside Steven Bartlett.Flight Story is the media and investment company behind The Diary of a CEO, Europe’s #1 podcast, with over 1 billion streams and nearly 10 million YouTube subscribers.In this episode, Georgie mentors me on how to build a successful podcast I figured - if I’ve faced these challenges, others starting out on their podcast journey probably have too. So I recorded the chat in case it could help someone else.Here’s what we covered:✨ How to come up with a good podcast name📈 How to increase your subscriber count💸 How to monetise your podcast🎙️ How to be a better podcast host

Secrets from Flight Story Studio CEO Georgie Holt

In this episode, we talk with Georgie Holt, CEO of Flight Story Studio, about scaling the successful podcast 'Diary of a CEO' hosted by Steven Bartlett.

Georgie shares insights on building a million dollar podcast, the role of data in creative decisions, the importance of ambition, and the power of the right team. She also discusses the methodology behind guest selection, the impact of being consistency-driven, and the balance between urgency and detail in content production.

Additionally, Georgie emphasises the significance of work-life vision alignment and the value of taking big swings in pursuit of success. Tune in for practical advice on entrepreneurship, media strategy, and leveraging data to elevate your brand.

00:00 Go Big: Embrace Ambition

00:27 Introducing Media Royalty: Georgie Holt

00:49 The Journey of 'Diary of a CEO'

03:11 The Power of Data in Media

05:14 Scaling Success: Lessons from Paul Brunson host @ We Need To Talk

25:57 The Importance of Disagreement and Experimentation

36:12 The Role of Happiness in Success

40:13 Childhood Inspirations and Media Obsession

42:27 Falling in Love with Fashion and Storytelling

42:46 Learning About Sex from Magazines

44:35 The Power of Relatable Content for Young Women

45:09 How to Create Repeatable Formats for Podcasts

45:42 Testing and Experimenting with Podcast Segments

50:11 The Importance of Trust in Podcasting

01:01:55 How to Build a Successful Podcast and Media Brand

01:15:05 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Podcast Creators

#GeorgieHolt #FlightStory #StevenBartlett #DiaryOfACEO #NovaAndBoba #YoungEntrepreneurs #GenZFounders #StartupAdvice #FounderWisdom #1PercentMindset #BuildUnicorns #WomenInBusiness #MediaFounders #Podcast #StartupPodcast #BubbleTeaAndBusiness #NoInvestorCanRefuse #WorkFromHomeTruths #UnfilteredAdvice #StartupsUnfiltered #DreamBigBuildBigger #Interview

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” 🌱

Meet Tom Cullen

Founder of Zoplo, the viral, VC-backed Gen Z social polling app.

Zoplo by the numbers:
📱 80,000+ users
👀 40M+ organic views on TikTok
🗳️ 6.5M+ votes cast on the app

As someone who lives for sharing hot takes, Zoplo is addictive (in the best way).
But Tom’s founder story? Even better.

On the pod, he talks about the power of going all in — even when conditions aren’t perfect.

Tom grew up on a council estate in the North of England. The odds of getting into uni, landing a top-tier job, and becoming a founder were stacked against him. But he made it happen — step by step:

– Studied Maths at Newcastle
– Joined Barclays as an Investment Banker
– Left it all behind to pursue his startup dream
– Went 26 months without a salary
– Built a product Gen Z can't stop using

In this episode of Nova & Boba, Tom spills the real startup tea:

1️⃣ How he transitioned from finance to tech
2️⃣ Dating + founder life (the struggle is real) 💔
3️⃣ How to go viral without paid ads
4️⃣ Raising VC as someone who doesn’t “fit the mould”

Tom’s journey is proof: with bold moves, a clear vision, and a lot of grit, you can build something from nothing.

👇 What’s the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your startup dream?

"I reverse-engineered my way into Goldman Sachs because I knew I wanted to be a startup founder."Meet Elaf, The cofounder behind Caspa AIWhen Elaf was in school, she studied the patterns of successful founders—what they studied, where they worked, and the common paths they took. She noticed many had backgrounds in engineering and worked at top-tier firms like Goldman Sachs.So, she did exactly that.- Studied Engineering at Warwick- Joined Goldman Sachs as an Investment Banker- Then went on to co-found Caspar AI with her brother and AlexCaspa AI is reshaping hyper-personalized e-commerce, making online shopping feel as intuitive as having a personal stylist.In this episode of Nova&Boba, Elaf shares:1️⃣ How to strategically use your career to build a startup2️⃣ Her experience joining accelerator programs like EF3️⃣ The journey of building Caspa AI from the ground up4️⃣ The future of hyper-personalised e-commerceOn Nova&Boba🧋, we dive into the unfiltered realities of founder life - the highs, the lows, and everything in between—offering practical insights for the next generation of entrepreneurs.Elaf’s story is a masterclass in calculated career moves and bold decisions.00:00 Reverse Engineering Success: The Goldman Sachs Journey00:14 Discovering Y Combinator and the Power of Accelerators00:53 The Blueprint for Success: Analyzing YC Founders01:49 The Goldman Sachs Experience: From Internship to Full-Time02:57 Building the First App: Lessons from TBH06:11 The Impact of COVID-19 on Career Plans11:09 Leaving Goldman Sachs: Pursuing the Startup Dream14:16 Challenges of Onboarding New Team Members14:59 Experiences at Entrepreneur First (EF)16:06 Building First Startup and Fundraising Efforts17:29 Co-Founder Challenges and Moving Forward18:16 Meeting New Co-Founders and EF's Role20:41 Resilience and Entrepreneurial Qualities23:16 Opportunities and Ethical Considerations in AI28:02 Advice for Aspiring EntrepreneursElaf LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elafdeyab/Host Ama LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaoa/

The reali-tea of being a female VC backed founder. I spoke to Nicola Gunby - exited founder and co-founder of CLIQ her experiences as a female founder. After dropping out of uni, Nicola took her first startup from idea to acquisition in just three years. Now, she’s building Cliq, an app tackling loneliness by helping people find genuine community through shared interests. They have raised £530K pre-seed and with £0 marketing spend, have already achieved 2.5M+ in-app actions in the last 90 days.We discussed insights from a Grace Beverly interview on navigating investor questions as a female founder.00:24 Welcome to the Nova and Boba Podcast00:32 Introducing Nicola and Cliq00:48 The Struggle of Moving to London01:06 The Problem with Existing Social Apps01:40 From Idea to Launch02:26 Building the First Business03:15 The Journey to Acquisition13:14 The Challenges of Networking14:39 The Birth of Cliq18:31 Ordering a Matcha Latte Bubble Tea19:07 Coping with Stress as a Founder21:00 Building a Community for Female Founders23:59 Running a Business with Your Partner27:41 How to get 1000s of downloads30:46 How to be Productive35:32 Advice for Aspiring FoundersDownload Cliq!!!! https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/cliq/id6451363528Follow Ama Owusu-Afriyie (Host) on LinkedIn📲 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaoa/Follow Us On..📲 Tiktok @novaandbobapod 📲 YouTube @novandbova📲 Instagram @novaandbobapod#StartupLife#Startups#Entrepreneur#Founder#StartupSuccess#StartupGrowth#TechStartups#LeanStartup