Lu Li on What the Startup Ecosystem Would Look Like if it Hadn't Been Invented by Tech Bros in Silicon Valley

Do you ever feel like your life is all about achieving what other people expect of you, ticking boxes to get ahead in a corporate career that, while others are excited… you’re not? Have you thought about launching your own business, but felt startup culture wasn't inclusive enough? Well, you’re not alone. My guest this week has been there, done that, and wrote the book on it! Joining me is Lu Li, Founder of Blooming Founders, aka the ‘Wikipedia of startup content’ and Author of Dear Female Founder. In the episode, we look at how Lu is redefining the UK’s startup ecosystem away from Silicon Valley wannabe tech bros, and towards a better, more inclusive, community-driven model. We also explore Lu’s resilience in the face of challenge, how in March 2020, after delivering 150 events, almost 3 years of workspace operations, and building a community of 6000+ members, the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to shut everything down, before pivoting and coming back even stronger. Throughout the episode, Lu shares her advice on bootstrapping your business, making business more human, changing investor culture, and why there has never been as much potential capital in the hands of women as there is now.  This is an episode I can't wait to share with you!

About Lu Li:
Lu Li is a serial entrepreneur and business consultant with interests in web3 and NFTs. She is the founder of Blooming Founders, the ‘Wikipedia of startup content’, an award-winning company with a mission to make the startup journey easier for founders by helping them expand their network, provide practical business education, and by facilitating access to investors. She is also the founder of Luna Talents, a boutique recruitment service for growing startups looking for marketing and operations talent. In 2016, Lu published the book Dear Female Founder which contains 66 personal letters of advice written by female entrepreneurs from 20 countries. It is available to buy globally on Amazon and Kindle. In her previous corporate career, Lu launched FMCG products for Procter & Gamble across Western Europe and worked on several consulting projects for McKinsey, BMW, and T-Mobile.

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