Multi-award winning founder, Pip Murray, joins Virgin StartUp for an evening of conversation to crack open the secret to creating a successful food brand.

This is a recording of an interview which took place in March 2022. To get your ticket to our next MeetUp, visit virginstartup.org/events.

We welcomed self-confessed ‘head squirrel’ Pip to our digital MeetUp stage to find out more about her mouthwatering nut butter brand, Pip & Nut, that has taken the UK shelves by storm.

With a craving for less processed ingredients and no palm oil free options, Pip guided us through her journey from experimenting in her kitchen to becoming the fastest-growing nut butter brand in the UK. She gives us a behind the scenes look into the reality of being a founder, what the challenges were and how she overcame them, plus why finding a gap in the market was key to her success.

Our host, Virgin StartUp advisor and founder of Rebel Book Club, Ben Keene, uncovered Pip’s secrets to creating a brand filled with personality backed by conscious values that are consistent throughout the business. Together they discuss why connecting with your audience is just as important as making a killer product.

If you’re looking to crack this industry, don’t skip this recap!

Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events are for founders to access invaluable advice and network with like-minded entrepreneurs. Find out more at virginstartup.org

Thanks to the support from Virgin Money, we’re able to make our MeetUp events free to attend, providing thousands of early-stage founders with the support they need to start and scale businesses in the UK.

Virgin Money are here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

#virgin #virginstartup #startups #foodanddrinkbrands #foodscaleups #pipmurrray #pipandnut

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How can you make social media work for your startup?

This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp that took place in April 2022. Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events.

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If you’re building a startup then you already know that your social media game needs to be on point.

But in the days of 15 minute news cycles, influencers and saturated feeds, how can founders use social media in a way that works for them?

To grow your brands, reach new customers and build communities, our panel of seasoned social strategists and brand-building founders will uncover the secrets to smashing social media for your business, and what mistakes first-time founders should avoid.

Featuring:

Corrie Jones, founder of Untapped Digital

Henry Connell, co-founder of The Uncommon

Abi Oyepitan, co-founder of LIHA Beauty

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Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events are for founders to access invaluable advice and network with like-minded entrepreneurs. Find out more at virginstartup.org

Thanks to the support from Virgin Money, we’re able to make our MeetUp events free to attend, providing thousands of early-stage founders with the support they need to start and scale businesses in the UK.

Virgin Money are here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

#virgin #virginstartup #socialmedia

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're bringing you the final episode of our exclusive series, The Jump, available wherever you get your podcasts.

The final episode of Series 1! Meet Cemal Ezel, the inspirational founder of Change Please, who went from City trader to changing the lives of homeless people one cup of coffee at a time. In this episode we find out what inspired Cemal to create change, and how he ended up sat next to George and Amal Clooney on Necker Island, being mentored by one Richard Branson.

See virginstartup.org for more.

We're bringing you this podcast in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

The Jump is produced by Goldfish Studio.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We interrupt your MeetUps so bring you an exciting new series from Virgin StartUp and give you exclusive access to the first episode. *click here to subscribe to the new feed to hear the rest of the series*

Launching a travel startup just before Covid hits. Being inspired by your daughter to launch a business which ends up landing Beyonce as a client. Going from a kitchen table blog to a multimillion pound business.

These are just some of the stories we've uncovered in our new startup podcast series; The Jump, hosted by Ben Keene.

Shedding light on inspiring tales from the world of startups in the UK, The Jump gets unrivalled access to founders to hear the stories behind the brands.

See virginstartup.org for more.

The Jump is produced by Goldfish Studio.

We're bringing you this podcast in partnership with our friends at Virgin Money - the home of brighter business banking.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will this be the year you startup?

There has never been a better time to start a business. Amidst the challenges of the past 2 years, a record number of new startups have flourished.

Virgin StartUp helped thousands to fund, start and grow the businesses they're passionate about - and now we want to help you.

If you're thinking of starting or growing a business in 2022, then you won't want to miss our first MeetUp of the year.

Start 2022 as you mean to go on. It's time to startup.

Who’s on our panel?

Rob Ford co-founder of Tooting-based plant business Box and Sprout, a digital-first plant business and growing a community of green-fingered Londoners who are on a mission to help anyone create their dream garden, without the fuss.

Jill Henry, co-founder of Meander Apparel, a Scottish clothing brand specialising in sustainable, versatile, technical clothing for everyday stylish adventures. Jill started Meander with her husband Steve after organizing a charity cycle from London to Paris and struggled to find performance clothing that was comfortable for cycling and stylish enough to be worn off the bike. Since its launch in 2018, Meander Apparel has been spotted on Sir Richard Branson, fashion designer Henry Holland and Olympic cycling gold-medallist Callum Skinner. Sustainability is at the heart of their brand, and they are proud members of 1% for the planet, carbon neutral and 95% of their cuts are 95% are made from natural or recycled materials.

Lysander Bickham, Co-Founder and CEO of Leo’s Box, Leo’s box is an Eco-friendly members club. Where customers are able to have access to a number of products hand-picked by Leo's Box, at a reduced price. Lysander chose to apply for B Corp as a priority making him the youngest B Corp CEO ever. 

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We were thrilled to be joined at our December MeetUp for an in-depth and unfiltered conversation with Heights founder and podcasting legend, Dan Murray-Serter.

Dan is a multi-award winning serial founder, who has talked openly about failure and overcoming mental health challenges, including suffering from depression, burnout, anxiety and insomnia. Dan co-founded braincare supplements company, Heights, and is the host of one of the UK's most popular podcasts, Secret Leaders.

Thanks to our friends at Virgin Money, we’re able to make our MeetUp events free to attend, providing thousands of early-stage founders with the support they need to start and scale businesses in the UK.

Virgin Money are here to disrupt the status quo and want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. They provide a full range of founder friendly products and services to help people at every stage of their business journey.

Visit https://www.virginstartup.org to find out how Virgin StartUp can help you startup and thrive.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a recording of the Virgin StartUp MeetUp that took place in November 2021. Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events.

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To celebrate the launch of Virgin StartUp signing up to the Better Business Act, our November MeetUp focussed on how we can all build better businesses and have a positive impact on society and the environment.

The drive towards more conscientious business has never been stronger, with consumers and investors looking for more purposeful brands to engage with. We know the world is changing, and that fundamentally, businesses need to change with it. But how?

The potential for creating lasting impact is great, surpassed only by the urgency to act. In this MeetUp, our guests explain how founders can start and scale businesses which go beyond greenwashing and create a purposeful yet profitable business.

Plus, Holly Branson, Virgin’s Chief Purpose and Vision Officer, also joins us for a Q&A about purpose-led businesses and how the Better Business Act will make an impact.

Featuring:

Victoria Stoyanova, founder of the Institute of Belonging

Chris Turner, Campaign Director of the Better Business Act

Dama Sathianathan, Partner at Bethnal Green Ventures

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Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events, delivered in partnership with Virgin Money, are for founders to access invaluable advice and network with like-minded entrepreneurs.

Virgin Money is here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

#virgin #virginstartup #startups #socialmedia #onlinecommunities

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a shift in consumer attitude and a focus on sustainability, being a fashion brand today comes with new challenges and more scrutiny. In an industry known for using natural resources and encouraging waste and consumption, we pulled together founders who are leading the change in the industry and creating innovative, cleaner, greener and longer lasting solutions.

Covering everything from production, supply chains and packaging, watch to find out how you can do it in your own startup too.

Our panelists reflect on their own experiences in the industry, and how they’ve innovated to create planet-friendly products that don’t cost the earth and have longer lifespans.

If you’re building a business for our changing world, find out how to create real impact and build a sustainable startup.

Featuring:

Arabella Turek, COO of Petit Pli

Mandeep Soor, co-founder of Bendi

Andrew and Elizaveta Bennett, founders of Arkdefo

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Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events, delivered in partnership with Virgin Money, are for founders to access invaluable advice and network with like-minded entrepreneurs. Find out more at virginstartup.org

Virgin Money is here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Branson, founder of trailblazing drinks brand Seedlip, leads the lineup of our MeetUp on how to start and scale a food and drink brand, supported by Virgin Money. 

Food and drink startups are becoming ever more popular. The appeal and relevance of great products in the foodie world means more and more founders are vying for consumer attention and supermarket shelf space. In a saturated market, how do you stand out? And if you manage to break through, how do you grow your business and operations to ensure you can keep your customers happy? Join Virgin StartUp in July as we find out how to start and scale a food and drink brand at our next MeetUp.

Ben Branson - no relation to Richard, but clearly sharing the same entrepreneurial gene - started the category-defining Seedlip: the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs drinks brand. Not satisfied with being the non-alcoholic alternative to traditional spirits, Ben set out to create an aspirational brand which people would want to experience regardless of whether they were looking for something alcoholic or not. Touted as one of the Top 50 most influential people in food and drink by The Telegraph, Ben has racked up extensive knowledge on the food and drink sphere, which he’s excited to share with founders at our MeetUp. 

Joining Ben is Vivien Wong, co-founder of Little Moons, which, after launching in 2010, went viral on TikTok and Instagram during the pandemic after rebranding in 2018.

Our final speaker is co-founder and COO of The Vurger Co., Neil Potts. Vegan comfort food is now big news, but Neil’s one the pioneers you have to thank for it.

Virgin Money are here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets to our next MeetUp from virginstartup.org/events.

Social media is no longer just a trend that founders have to follow, it’s a key marketing channel for any business. As a small and new startup, how do you stand out?

And if you manage to build strong connections, how do you keep your content relevant and exciting to continue making customers happy and stay loyal to your brand?

Our social media experts dive into their own experiences online and how they used their platforms to create successful foundations for their businesses through social media, plus what techniques they used to manage it to accelerate their growth and get results.

Featuring:

Montana Brown, influencer and founder of Swim Society

Lucy Wright, co-founder of Nice Drinks

Pilar Nalwimba, producer, presenter and podcaster

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Virgin StartUp helps founders and future founders start and grow the businesses they’re passionate about. Our monthly MeetUp events, delivered in partnership with Virgin Money, are for founders to access invaluable advice and network with like-minded entrepreneurs. Find out more at

virginstartup.org

Virgin Money is here to disrupt the status quo. They want everyone to have a much happier relationship with money. Through their brilliant colleagues, inspiring spaces and digital solutions they are doing everything they can to offer a life more Virgin. They provide a full range of banking products and services to help founders at every stage of their business journey.

#virgin #virginstartup #startups #socialmedia #onlinecommunities

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.