Our mission.
A successful business is a mixture of having a great concept, self-motivation and passion with access to relevant networks and support.
We exist to bridge the gap between where founders are and the potential of where they could be. While business fundamentals are crucial, we want to work with founders that are committed to building solid businesses with the potential to scale and grow. At Startup Discovery School it’s our job to ensure that we are creating the conditions that make this possible.
We ensure that all founders regardless of their background have access to expert skills, networks and capital. We also know that diversity is needed to hit the sweet spot in a successful business.
Here are some of the companies we're proud to work with.
Meet our team
Meet our team
Meet our team
Meet our team
Mandy Nyarko
CO-FOUNDER
Mandy is an innovation consultant who has built various acceleration and incubation programmes across the UK. She has coached and helped raise investment for over 200 startups in various sectors such as FMCG, Fintech, Cleantech, biotech and more. Her core skills are strategic growth, investment readiness, investment execution, and operational management. Startups that she has supported have raised over 15M in pre-series A investment and turned over 20 million-plus.
She is a venture scout at Ada ventures, a 30M seed-stage fund investing in underrepresented founders. Mandy also sits on the UK Department of Business and Industrial Strategy’s SME Engagement Group.
This group regularly meets with Ministers and has provided strategic support to the Government in formulating business support policy during Covid-19 and beyond.
Gosbert Chagula
CO-FOUNDER
With entrepreneurship in his blood, Gosbert has spent the last 10 years working across the startup ecosystem in both Europe and Africa. Prior to Startup Discovery School, Gosbert worked for Exeter Velocities, a Business Accelerator focused on sustainable solutions to the challenges of urbanisation. In this role, he worked with more than 40 startups and focused on building and managing a network of early-stage investors.
He has also worked for the Africa Technology Business Network where he played a key role in launching ‘Her Future Africa', an Accra-based innovation camp focused on enabling innovative solutions to the continent’s challenges and providing access to under-served communities in Ghana Gosbert also sits on the UK Department of Business and Industrial Strategy’s SME Engagement Group.
This group regularly meets with Ministers and has provided strategic support to the Government in formulating business support policy during Covid-19 and beyond.
Ankshita Chaudhary
PROJECT OFFICER
Ankshita is a graduate of Local Economic Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Prior to this, she worked for Samriddhi Foundation – an independent economic policy think tank in Nepal – wherein she handled a dual portfolio as a Research and Communications Officer.
Whilst there she focused on entrepreneurship, improving the business environment and reforming economic policies in Nepal. She also led two iterations of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and worked closely with stakeholders across the start-up ecosystem in Nepal.
Her interests lie in the area of entrepreneurship development and inclusive growth.
Leila Bracken
PROJECT OFFICER
Leila is a geography and business management graduate and current master’s student studying international supply chain management. She has worked for both an environmental services start-up and a multinational FMCG company, while also taking several voluntary positions along the way.
Her specialisation is in engineering and construction supply chains, with a focus on digital futures and sustainability.
Leila is the project officer for the Connected Places Catapult: Advanced Construction Accelerator programme.
