Founder Focus roundup | December

In the second instalment of our Founder Focus roundup, we’re shining a light on four fantastic startup owners. 

There’s nothing we love more than learning about impact-led startups and their amazing founders. That’s why we’ve been sharing their stories through our Founder Focus posts on LinkedIn.  

Here’s a recap on the four founders we’ve celebrated over the last couple of months... 

Adnan Ebrahim 

We kicked off with Adnan Ebrahim, Co-founder and CEO of MindLabs!  

Why we chose Adnan:  

• Adnan wants to make the world a happier place through MindLabs. Their vision is to make taking care of our mental health as normal as going to the gym. 

• He and the team have just secured $3.5M seed funding to power their mission of building the world's first live mental health platform. 

•  Adnan spent his teens building communities and businesses online - two of which have been acquired. He was named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in 2020. 

 
About MindLabs  
 
MindLabs is a live platform with video classes for your mind, designed to reduce anxiety, stress and loneliness. 
 
The team wants to remove the stigma surrounding the mind by creating a live mental health platform that helps the world to relax and de-stress. Their vision is to make taking care of our mental health as normal as going to the gym.  
 
In 2011, prior to MindLabs, founders Adnan and Gabor launched one of the first enthusiast communities, marking the dawn of a new wave of social media companies.  
 
In the years that followed, they witnessed first-hand how there was a complete lack of investment in helping their young, millennial team members with their mental health in a way that they were used to: a community product that is mobile-first and video-led.  
 
When they saw the alarming statistics in young adult suicide rates and depression, they realized that finding a solution for their own problems would help millions of others, too.  
 
Learn more about Adnan in this podcast with The Startup Van: https://spoti.fi/3oY4tq5    
 
Let's hear it for Adnan and the MindLabs team!  

Tania Boler 

Next, we shone a spotlight on Tania Boler, Founder & CEO of Elvie.  

Why we chose Tania: 

• With Elvie, Tania is on a mission to take women's tech out of the dark ages. She wants to give women the tools to enable what their bodies have always been capable of, across every phase of womanhood. 

• On Mother's Day 2019, the Elvie team placed five giant inflatable boobs across London’s skyline to fight the stigma around breastfeeding and pumping in public. #FreeTheFeed 

• She has also received over 15 awards including Technology Gamechanger, Business Leader 2020 and Health and Wellbeing Entrepreneur of the Year 2020. 
    

About Elvie:  
 
Elvie is a health and lifestyle brand developing smarter technology for women. They are committed to building extraordinary products that improve the health and lives of women everywhere and at all stages of life.  
 
Their first product, Elvie Trainer, is an award-winning app-connected Kegel trainer that helps women strengthen the pelvic floor via fun, five-minute workouts. Launched in October 2015 to great acclaim, they took the wellness industry by storm!  
 
Their trophy cabinet includes more than 12 awards for innovation and design, including the prestigious CES Innovation Award, IDA Design Award and Red Dot Award.   
 
Elvie has also been recognized as one of Wired’s ‘hottest start-ups’, named as one of the 15 start-ups “To Watch” by The Sunday Times and both products have been featured in the Oscar Nominee Gift Bags.  

Tania is an internationally recognized women’s health expert and has held leadership positions for various global NGOs and the United Nations. Learn more about Tania on this episode of MOVE: https://bit.ly/3m9neVE    
 
Here’s to Tania and the Elvie team!  

Deepak Ravindran 

Then we gave a shout-out to Deepak Ravindran, Co-founder & CCO of  
Oddbox! 

Why we chose Deepak: 

• Deepak, alongside his partner and Co-founder Emilie Vanpoperinghe, are on a mission to save the planet by rescuing wonky fruit and veg straight from the farm. 

• He left behind the life of an investment banker to help tackle food waste and is 'far happier working on a mission-driven project with a bunch of high energy, passionate and hard-working individuals'. 

• The team have secured B Corp status, as well as £16m of investment to help power their expansion plans and continue to reduce food waste across the UK! 
   

About Oddbox: 
 
In the UK alone, over 3 million tonnes of fruit and veg are wasted before they even leave the farm. “Too” big, “too” dinky, “too” many. 
 
And when food goes to waste, so does all the energy, water and time that went into growing it.   
 
With Oddbox, you can fill your belly and save the planet by rescuing fruit and veg straight from the farm, including the odd curvy cucumber.  
 
By going directly to farmers, asking what they’ve got too much of and what’s in season, they’re cutting out the supermarkets and reducing the amount of food chucked away. Better for the planet, better for your plate. And all those dinky apples too.  
 
A registered B Corp since June 2020, the Oddbox team have rescued over 14,000,000 kg of produce, donating surplus fruit and veg to charities that combat food poverty.  
 
Learn more about Deepak and Emilie’s story in this episode of the Growth Mindset Podcast with 🎧 Sam Harris: https://bit.ly/3n2pY7R   
 
Here’s to Deepak, Emilie Vanpoperinghe and the Oddbox team!  

Masami Sato 

And finally, we raised a toast to Masami Sato, Founder & CEO of B1G1.  

Why we chose Masami: 

• With B1G1, Masami is on a mission to help businesses embed giving right into the heart of their everyday activities. B1G1 partner with vetted, high-impact projects to support people and communities around the world. 

• Since 2007, B1G1 has come together with more than 3,000 businesses from all industries around the world, creating 240+ million giving impacts. 

• Masami is also the winner of The Sustainable Business Award: SME, is an Amazon Best-Selling Author, plus a 2-time TEDx Speaker! 
    

About B1G1  
 
In 2007, B1G1 started with a simple idea: “What if every business could make a difference in their own way, just by doing what they normally do?” With more than a decade of work, this simple idea has now become a global movement.  
 
The B1G1 team are on a mission to create a world full of giving. They’ve partnered with over 500 vetted, high-impact projects to support people and communities around the world. With a unique giving model, they pass on 100% of your giving to the projects you choose to support.  
 
B1G1 lets you 'embed' giving into your business activities so that you can easily create a great impact that inspires.  
 
Masami has taken part in a number of podcasts; check them out and learn more about her, here: https://bit.ly/30IToyU    
 
Let's hear it for Masami and the B1G1 team!  

Who should we feature next? Let us know on Twitter, LinkedIn or by dropping us an email at contact@confidotalent.com.