ASSOCIATE

Key skills

- Innovation and programme design
- Social entrepreneurship and business acceleration
- Strategic partnerships and stakeholder engagement
- Mentoring, coaching and leadership development
- Business finance and access to funding
- Relationship building and collaborative working
- Fluent in Afrikaans

Experience

Let’s Do Business Group (Business Manager): Sourced and supported start-ups with loans up to £150k; delivered business support via webinars and partner sessions.

Plus X Innovation (Programme & Ecosystem Manager): Delivered ERDF-funded programmes for high-growth businesses – supporting 124 jobs, £9m funding raised, and significant local economic impact.

Innovate UK EDGE (Innovation & Growth Adviser): Advised and coached high-growth businesses; contributed to the Women in Innovation Programme mentoring women-owned businesses.

NatWest (Entrepreneur Development Manager): Launched and grew the Entrepreneurial Spark accelerator in Brighton – worked with ~500 businesses, generating £11m investment, 300+ jobs, and 30% still active today.

Corporate banking: 18 years’ experience prior to moving into innovation and entrepreneurship support.

Qualifications

- BCertFM – Chartered Banker Institute
- Certified Women in Business Specialist – Chartered Banker Specialist Accreditation programme

Honours and contributions

Led successful accelerator and innovation programmes delivering measurable investment, jobs and growth

Public speaker and published contributor to Sussex business media on entrepreneurship and start-ups

Experienced mentor for women-led and young innovators’ businesses