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On a recent evening at Jesus College, Cambridge, female founders, investors and ecosystem leaders came together to discuss what it really takes to build and lead a company.
Led by Hazel Moore OBE, Co-founder and Chair of FirstCapital and Vivian Chan, entrepreneur, investor and board advisor, the fireside-style conversation brought together perspectives shaped by building companies, investing in founders and supporting ambitious ventures. Topics ranged from building teams and working effectively with boards to planning for exit, finding confidence as a leader and surrounding yourself with the right people.
While experiences varied across sectors and stages, a few ideas came up consistently: growth often requires letting go, leadership evolves over time and no founder succeeds in isolation.
Growing into the role
A recurring theme was how much the founder journey changes over time, particularly the shift from founder to CEO and the different strengths required at each stage.
While founders are often driven by vision, resilience and the ability to navigate uncertainty, growing companies require new ways of thinking – creating clarity, building structure and knowing when to bring in support.
That shift also calls for self-awareness. Understanding where you add the most value, where you need help and how your role needs to evolve as the business develops. It was framed not as a challenge to overcome, but as a natural part of building something designed to grow beyond one person.
Building beyond yourself
Hazel Moore spoke about the importance of hiring people whose strengths complement your own, then trusting them to take ownership. As companies scale, founders often move from being involved in every decision to creating the conditions for others to succeed.
The same principle applied to boards. Attendees shared candid experiences of both effective and ineffective board dynamics, highlighting the importance of choosing board members carefully, defining roles early and creating an environment where honest conversations can happen. The most effective boards were described not as reporting lines, but as trusted partners in problem-solving.
Community plays a similar role. As Federica Freddi, Co-founder and CTO of Sqwish Labs, shared:
“I think the founder journey can feel very isolating and being able to find a community with which you can share ambition just makes you feel you’re part of a journey all together.”
That sentiment resonated widely. Whether through mentors, peers, investors or advisors, access to different perspectives helps founders navigate uncertainty with greater confidence.
Thinking ahead from day one
Exit was another key topic, with a clear message that founders should think about it earlier than they might expect. Not as a distant milestone, but as something that can shape decisions from the start. The choices made around leadership, hiring and company structure all influence the direction a business takes.
Thinking ahead does not mean having every step mapped out. It is about being intentional – asking whether today’s decisions are helping build the company you want in the future. Long-term perspective can be easy to lose amid the pace of building a business, which is why taking time to step back and reflect is important.
Defining leadership on your own terms
Attendees reflected on the outdated assumption that successful founders need to fit a particular mould. Instead, the conversation returned to authenticity, confidence and the importance of visible role models.
There was a strong sense that the ecosystem around female founders continues to evolve, with programmes and communities creating more opportunities to build and scale ambitious ventures. As Vivian Chan observed:
“I feel like this new generation of female founders are just having to think about which problem to solve and how big they can think.”
That shift matters. Rather than focusing on barriers, the conversation looked ahead to what becomes possible when talented founders have access to the right networks, opportunities and inspirations.
The advice from Hazel Moore to aspiring founders was equally direct:
“Don’t delay, don’t wait for things to happen, don’t wait for some other combination of circumstances. Just go for it.”
An inspiring ecosystem for founders
The event also brought home what happens when founders have access to world-class talent, technical expertise and a supportive community. As Vivian reflected:
“What makes Cambridge such a unique place is it’s got the proximity to world-class talent but it also has this culture that enables you to fail very fast and it doesn’t matter if you fail, you’ll still be supported and you can pick yourself up and do it again.”
That combination of research, expertise and collaboration helps create the conditions for ambitious ideas to become companies with wider impact.
This was reflected through three founders from our START accelerator programme, whose pitches offered a glimpse into how research-driven ideas from the University of Cambridge are becoming early-stage ventures:
There is no single way to build a company. But evenings like this offer something valuable: the chance to hear honest experiences from people navigating similar decisions and challenges.
As the discussion drew to a close, one final message from Winny Sanchita, START Programme Manager at Founders at the University of Cambirdge, captured the spirit:
“Be bold, be brave, be unapologetically ambitious and more importantly, don’t be afraid to own the room before you earn the room.”
For founders building the next generation of companies from Cambridge, it was a fitting reminder of what strong communities can help make possible.
To explore ways of getting involved with the Founders at the University of Cambridge community, visit our programmes page or follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news, events and opportunities to connect.
Image and video credit: Ben Bellairs
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