Campfire Champions 2024
From investors to ecosystem builders, it's time to give some shout-outs to unsung heroes in the Scottish startup ecosystem to end the year off bright.
💼 This issue of Campfire is sponsored by Shepherd and Wedderburn's initiative to supercharge start-ups and scale-ups. Be sure to follow the Start to Scale LinkedIn page for useful videos and posts designed to help founders.
A very special issue of Campfire for you today, our last for the year, in which we share and recognise those nominated as Campfire Champions of the startup ecosystem in Scotland. Those who show up, go above and beyond, often just to see you succeed.
This year we received 97 nominations for over 50 individuals. It’s not a competition, but rather an opportunity to say thanks. Below, you can find them, and events coming up after the holidays.
So without further ado, here are the Campfire Champions for 2024! We’ve had to make edits for space (and language - you know who you are!), but if the nominator provided us with an email address for the champion, rest-assured, they will receive the full nomination messages.
Jonathan Andrews: ‘Jonathan has done a great job for us in the last 12 months across a variety of exercises from closing an investment round, getting a lot of follow up admin sorted through to completing a further follow up to that closed round. He has aways been responsive, given solid advice and got his aspects of the work carried out quickly and efficiently.’
Rachael Arnold: ‘Rachael's work for the Creative Entrepreneurs' Club is so important to add flare, humour, intersectionality and vivid hope in the Scottish ecosystem; particularly to creatives and renegades who feel left behind by difficult funding streams or like a lone voice in their field of work...Rachael is a lighthouse for entrepreneurs during challenging times.’
Alison Chiwara: ‘As a passionate advocate for equality, diversity, and innovation, Alison has inspired organisations and community members alike to think bigger and act with purpose.’
Emma Loedel: ‘Her approachable, positive energy is a vital part of the vibrant renaissance happening in Glasgow’s startup scene.’
Vanessa Gilpin: ‘Vanessa is a prolific and multitasking manager/business owner across Glasgow! Her community space, The Gathering Ground CIC, is such a beautiful addition to the north west of the city and her work to be reflective, inclusive and always additive in the community is amazing. She is also super fun - which is important!’
Andy Coleman: ‘He is very careful with his support and guidance while encouraging me and others to be a bit rebellious when we need to be. It’s very likely I’d have closed my business had it not for some of his advice this year.’
Barry McCulloch: ‘His efforts to engage deeply with founders and business support stakeholders demonstrate curiosity, intentionality, and thoughtful approach to ecosystem building.’
Varun Nair: ‘Aside from being a shining light as a successfully exited founder, Varun is an active angel, a mentor, and someone who is always prepared to share their wisdom and experience with the next generation of founders.’
Stephen Trombala: ‘Stephen is one of those solicitors who actually seems interested in what we're building and how our world works. He's genuinely curious and goes above and beyond with his advice, and time.’
Evelyn McDonald: ‘Evelyn has spent the last 10 years growing Scottish EDGE to ensure it supports and funds so many entrepreneurs in the Scottish eco system as well as grow the Scottish eco system network!!’
Bayile Adeoti: ‘Does so much to improve access to support for ethnic minority entrepreneurs. Challenging but charming which is a winning combination!’
Beena Sharma: ‘Beena is an all round star who wears many hats whilst building a phenomenal business. However she still makes time to give back to founders and others in the ecosystem, providing advice, guidance and support. She really is a champion!’
Allan Boyd: ‘He talks from advice on raising in the US and building in Scotland, and genuinely wants to help others succeed. Thank you Allan for all that you do, it is truly appreciated.’
Daisy Ford Downes: ‘She works behind the scenes but around the social investment ecosystem in the UK, many female investors admire Daisy’s work’
Bohdana Schwendtner: ‘Dana has worked extremely hard to get FUNights up and running in Glasgow which is a fantastic, honest and raw addition to the wider ecosystem activity.’
Sooz Young: ‘Sooz is an intelligent livewire in the community, who is keen to make sure that teams and individuals have the best knowledge at their fingertips when it comes to the fast paced evolution of technology...Sooz believes in honesty, transparent approaches and tech for good, all of which make her a very admirable community champion.’
Alex Gordon: ‘She supports with grace, empathy and a whole bunch of smarts and always has the needs of the founders at the core of her work!’
Cameron Campbell: 'Founder turned ecosystem member.....Cameron shows his passion for supporting Scottish companies by connecting them to the London VC scene. Always promoting those companies even when they aren't in the room, making sure they get the recognition they deserve. He is a master networker, promoter of Scotland and a true champion.'
Mark Hogarth and Calum Forsyth: ‘They are such value add investors and are always there when you need them. I appreciate the knowledge they have of how larger VCs work, and their willingness to help us through the deal process, connect me with intros, and work through strategy.’
Gillian McGill: ‘She is fantastic at recognising the value of community members and their business ideas. She works across Scotland and has a lot of knowledge to share across regions - in addition, her national focus allows her to connect the dots between different regional areas and offer perspective to join the dots between our communities.’
David Saunders: ‘Dave is a total credit to Eagle Labs. Easy-going, accessible but incredibly hard working behind the scenes. He is a true rock in the Codebase Edinburgh community and is always open to new ideas and initiatives that will benefit Founders and startups in Scotland.’
Chrissie Scott: ‘Chrissie is such a business community champion for women and people from underrepresented groups. Her positivity and belief in individuals is infectious and she's an asset to the Glasgow and West of Scotland ecosystem. Thank you, Chrissie, for meeting people where they are and believing in their potential!’
Viktoria Kampbell: ‘Viktoria is a local community legend! She’s an exceptional event host, designer and startup leader. Her work with the Tech Meetup and ESC events has been phenomenal this year, inspiring real connections and bringing the community closer together.’
Derek Granger: ‘This is Derek's first year in business and he has went above and beyond to create and build his brand ARIS Growth’
Angie Clarke: ‘Angie works tirelessly to support the Geovation Scotland community - bringing brilliant skills and humour to each day!’
Genna Masterton: ‘Always has a smile on her face and willing to try new opportunities. I've been amazed at how much she's grown into being a founder in tech. Despite being so busy Genna has always had time to chat and listen to whats going on in others lives’
Allan Cannon: ‘Allan is a superstar who always makes time to help others and give back, whilst building his business. He genuinely wants to help others succeed and gives with no expectation of return. He is a true champion.’
Hayley Skinner: ‘Hayley is a driving force behind the success of wider Glasgow City Innovation District work. Hayley always has a calm head on her shoulders, especially when delivering and attending a vast arrange of events across the Glasgow ecosystem. Her knowledge and reflection is recognised by her team and beyond.’
Caro Melendez and Dec McLaughlin: ‘Delivering programmes to take people out of their comfort zone to spend quality time and learning experiences together is one of the most transformation experiences people can have to learn and grow.’
Helen Denny: 'Helen and her team work wonders at bridging knowledge gaps in the community and bringing people together in a safe and nurturing space. The work done across Scotland on the bridging communities event makes the ecosystem a better nurtured place, and provides a safe environment for people to be authentic and share experiences together to better understanding and connection.’
Adib Bamieh: ‘Adib has been supportive to over 100 founders over the course of the year giving them mentorship as they try and grow their companies and doing this at his own cost.’
Nick Murray: ‘A lot of people say they’re happy to help, but Nick actually does. A few things have popped up this year where he’s jumped into support with no questions asked or no return favour required. He’s helped with lengthy funding applications and feedback / intros that have been so helpful.’
Helen Kempton, Peter Shirreffs & Jack Greenwood: ‘An iconic trio if there ever was one! Jack has done some excellent groundwork in establishing the BECOsystem at Barclays Eagle Labs in Glasgow. With the addition of Peter's creativity, wit and warmth, and Helen's thoughtful and intersectional approach, they're a joy to work with.’
Jack Gilmore: ‘From making everyone feel welcome to creating our distinctive brand identity with logos and website, he's built a thriving ecosystem where data enthusiasts connect and grow together. His quiet leadership and constant drive to improve the community experience shows what true ecosystem building looks like.’
Manish Joshi: ‘Generous with his time, ideas, and network, Manish is quick to connect remarkable individuals for impactful projects. His enthusiasm and genuine willingness to help make him an invaluable part of the connective tissue binding changemakers in the community.’
Jamie McHale: ‘He is a natural leader and community builder, and any meetup he is involved in organising is warm, inquisitive and always seeking to equip the community with knowledge and skills. Partly this is due to his professional background, but mostly it's due to the awesome person he is.’
Katy Guthrie: ‘A real step forward for the Edinburgh tech ecosystem in 2024 marked by some breakout successes in scaling firms and the DDI making real traction with likes of EFI opening. But behind the headlines, Katy's efforts (and many others) are a massive contribution. Consistent, always thoughtful, creative and hugely supportive of firms through the AI Accelerator initiatives.’
Jess Moncur: ‘Jess absolutely smashes running the Geovation Scotland accelerator programme - designing content and making connections that are incredibly valuable for the companies the programme supports. She also does it all with style and humour and a deep desire for everyone to succeed!’
Mandy Bailey: ‘Mandy has been a constant champion this year for me (and countless other businesses). While this is “just her job”… to me she is doing above and beyond for the founders and delivery partners to connect people to opportunities.’
Kieran Daly: 'Kieran has been helped Dechomai with support and encouragement as we’ve been growing'
Ross McCulloch: ‘He is someone who values education, community and clear communication to widen access to a challenging industry. At the heart of his work is equality of opportunity and a drive to upskill the third sector in a range of digital skills. The work of his team is essential to the Glasgow area and he is one of the most transparent and understanding people to work with. It's people like Ross who make the world a better place.’
Marj Clark: ‘With her authentic Glaswegian approach to networking, she generously shares her time, insights, and growing network, always offering positivity and support. It’s been inspiring to see Marj grow and thrive in her Community role, embodying the curiosity and collaboration that Glasgow’s ecosystem needs.’
Jack Greenwood: ‘Jack has stepped into the Glasgow Ecosystem Manager effortlessly this year, taking a very intentional approach to building relationships with other organisations in the region and ensuring the activity Eagle Labs supports in Glasgow is Founder-first.’
Selby Cary: ‘Their energy to revitalise the startup ecosystem is admirable and unmatched. To bring back the tech meetup and then the startup parties is work in itself but his energy and enthusiasm can invigorate us all.’
Shiv Kodam: ‘Since meeting Shiv almost two years ago, he has consistently gone out of his way to support, be open, and really challenge the status quo of the Scottish startup ecosystem. I have learned a lot from him, from strategy to sales, and to dream big. He is very approachable, gives you time, and has a genuine desire of seeing others succeed.’
Nathalie Cutting: ‘She works across regions to connect founders to the best investment, knowledge and experience they can get to grow. She does this all with knowledge, approachability and empathy. We are all very lucky to have her being a strong voice in Scotland to elevate the profile of the country and the businesses that work within it!’
Amy Kelly: ‘Amy’s straight-talking, pragmatic approach, combined with her collaborative and credible marketing expertise, has solidified her place as a invaluable asset in Scotland's startup ecosystem.’
Nick Bansal: ‘Nick is at the very heart of the Aberdeen startup/scaleup/ high growth ecosystem in Aberdeen and goes out of his way to make sure the right people meet the right people.’
Mike Davies: ‘Mike’s is a champion through his dedication and passion to develop Val our AI assistant who helps organisations deliver their strategic goals, whilst balancing full time work and family. His vision is to build a better world of work is becoming a reality.’
Alisdair Gunn: ‘He encourages people to punch above their weight and is proactive in opening doors - doors that first time founders may not know about. A special human and a strategic thinker single-handedly turning the inward investment dial for Scotland’s start-ups and scale-ups.’
Nicola McIntosh: ‘Nicola’s support has been transformative, helping us overcome critical challenges and bring this groundbreaking technology closer to commercial realisation.’
Kirsty Bathgate: ‘Kirsty is a legend in the leadership development space in Scotland. She's seen it all and guided some of our best startup and scaleup leaders though their journeys.’
Russell Dalgleish: ‘The best Scottish connector in the world and a person who can manage an enormous amount of projects at the same time :)’
Onyinye Igbokwe: ‘She’s one of the rare individuals in the ecosystem who doesn’t just talk—she gets things done.’
Paul Ralph: ‘You’re the best sounding board a person can have - supportive yet challenging and always, ALWAYS up for a more “out there” idea or two…Thanks for being such a rock star this year and looking forward to so many exciting things in 2025 and beyond!’
Robyn Barclay: ‘Robyn does exceptional work for the Third Sector Lab, making sure that all members and partners are communicated with clearly. Her voice and steer in the Glasgow (and wider) ecosystems are essential to ensure best practice and high quality work within their organisation.’
Steph from Eagle Labs Glasgow: ‘Steph always makes sure that staff members in Eagle Labs Glasgow are communicated with, the lab is clean and smells nice, but most importantly Steph is a caring and valued member of our team. We are really lucky to have her, she's great company, cares for all the residents and their furry pals! Thanks for all you do!’
Brian Baglow: ‘In 2023 Brian successfully lobbied for support from the Scottish Government to create a national strategy for videogames, to increase knowledge and understanding of games at all levels of government and increase support for games businesses at every stage to create a more connected, collaborative and successful games ecosystem.’
Stephen Gibbens: ‘Stephen is running a team of exceptional professionals on finance that provide high quality services to biotech companies! He has helped us a lot in our journey and his valuable guidance on finance matters has been proven pivotal the last couple of years!’
Mark Logan: ‘Mark deseves so much credit for his efforts this year, and during the rest of his time as Chief Entrepreneur, helping to energise and improve the infrastracure of the startup ecosystem in Scotland. These contributions will continue to inspire and shape the ecosystem for years to come. Wishing you the very best in your next chapter.’
Sam Holmes & Stephanie Rennie: 'The whole team at Lawrie are so lovely but a special shout out to Sam and Stephanie who have been committed to being chief contributors to the wider Glasgow and Scottish tech community. They are keen and committed to sharing their knowledge and being an honest, approachable and friendly team to work with. Thanks to you and all of your team!'
Keith Marin: ‘Keith set up a national cluster agency for the sports technology sector in Scotland this year, and has provided support, guidance and global connections to my company and the wider sector. A much needed service, and exciting times ahead. A nice guy, to boot :)’
Tadas Labudis: ‘Supported us through hiring our first sales and marketing employees. Extremely helpful and knowledgable.’
📅 Events
🤝 29/12, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Entrepreneurs Social Club (ESC) - Edinburgh Startup Meetup: The social club for founders and aspiring entrepreneurs - skip the talks, presentations and lectures - and go straight to networking! MORE INFO
💡 14/01, 18:30 🗺️ Glasgow: January Meetup - Magically optimising your fonts: Our talks are geared towards introducing members of our community, to facilitate networking, mentorship, learning and collaboration. People with all levels of technical expertise are welcome. MORE INFO
💡 15/01, 09:30 🗺️ Glasgow: Your Voice, Your Story: Discover, create and refine your founding stories in this dynamic workshop led by Catherine Bateson. MORE INFO
👣 15/01, 11:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: NetWalking in the Park (Jan 2025): Join this Mindful Netwalking experience: Meet other Founders, enjoying the healthy way to network, inspired by a gentle walk. MORE INFO
💻 16/01, 08:30 🗺️ Perth: Perth Tech Mornings: Open to everyone, join us in the Famous Grouse Ideas Centre in Perth Creative Exchange to connect with members of the local tech community. Come for a coffee, networking and build connections. MORE INFO
🤝 16/01, 10:30 🗺️ Perth: Perth Coworking Day: Join us at the Famous Grouse Ideas Centre in Perth Creative Exchange for a day of free coworking. This is a great opportunity to connect with the regional tech and business community, use the excellent facilities available and get an extra dose of Friday motivation. MORE INFO
🔴 16/01, 17:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Founders Live Edinburgh: The ultimate entrepreneurial experience and global pitch competition returns to Edinburgh! MORE INFO
🍺 16/01, 18:30 🗺️ Edinburgh: Edinburgh - Small99's People, Planet, Pint™: Sustainability Meetup: Pop down to your local People Planet Pint meetup to find more about what's going on locally with sustainability and how you can get involved. MORE INFO
🌐 20/01, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Startup Founders Meetup - January 2025: Tactical fireside chats with experienced entrepreneurs and speed networking with other founders, potential cofounders, and investors! MORE INFO
🎯 21/01, 10:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Workshop: What is an IP strategy and why do you need one?: Join Potter Clarkson at CodeBase Edinburgh for a 2-hour workshop on IP strategy, hosted by Craig Brownlie and Andrew Pearson. MORE INFO
🤝 22/01, 10:00 🗺️ Aberdeen: Meet the Funder 2025 Aberdeen: Major funding organisations will come together to share their expertise, helping you discover grant opportunities and funding strategies to support your projects and initiatives. MORE INFO
👨🏻💻 23/01, 17:30 🗺️ Aberdeen: Tech Trends 2025 - Aberdeen: This year we’ll be looking at both pushing the limits of the new, some things that help bridge the gap and, as always, we’ll take a peek at what is just hype and how trends from previous years have fared. MORE INFO
🤝 29/01, 18:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Entrepreneurs Social Club (ESC) - January 2025: Welcome to our monthly Entrepreneurs Social Club (ESC) gathering! Skip the talks, presentations and lectures - in favour of going straight to the bar, where real connections are made! MORE INFO
💻 30/01, 08:30 🗺️ Kinross: Breakfast Networking at the Court House: Open to everyone, join us in Kinross' Court House to connect with members of the local tech and business community and regulars of The Court House's workspace. Come along for coffee, breakfast and networking! MORE INFO
🤝 30/01, 09:30 🗺️ Kinross: Coworking at the Court House: Join us at Kinross' Court House for a day of free coworking in their space. This is a great opportunity to connect with the local tech and business community, use the excellent facilities available and get an extra dose of motivation. MORE INFO
⛓️ 30/01, 17:00 🗺️ Edinburgh: Blockchain Scotland Meetup: Welcome to the Monthly Blockchain Scotland Meetup at the Bayes Centre in Edinburgh. The event takes place at the ground floor in G.03. MORE INFO
🎯 Deadlines
🎯 Eagle Labs Funding Readiness Programme by Capital Enterprise: A programme that looks at the different methods of funding – grants, crowd funding, angel investment and VC – giving Founders real hands on support to prepare for funding. Apply by 3rd Jan 2025. The programme will launch on 13th Jan 2025.
🚀 Nominations for the ScotlandIS 2025 Digital Technology Awards are open: Celebrating innovation and talent in Scotland's digital economy and marking its 15th year, the awards include 10 categories. Nominate here by 9 January 2025.
🇬🇧 Upcoming Innovate UK deadlines:
Mindset extended reality (XR): Digital therapeutics for mental health Applications close 15 January
Design Foundations Round 6 Applications close 15 January
Innovate UK Smart grants: November 2024 Applications close 22 January
AI solutions to develop AI competencies in key sectors Applications close 29 January
Think someone would like this issue? Forward it to them! Check out previous issues by subscribing.
That’s all for this week - have a great one, and a happy New Year!
Team 🔥 Campfire