About Us

Trusted experts in high growth startups and scaleups

Cheerful Orange ?

Orange is for energy, optimism. It’s the sunrise of a new day, brimful with possibility. It’s hot, like it’s on fire and it’s a fresh citrus burst of flavour. Orange isn’t too sweet and it won’t rhyme with anything (unless you count Blorenge (a mountain in Wales) and sporange (a technical word for a sac where spores are made) which we don’t) – it’ll always be its own self.

Cheerful is a choice, about how we show up; it’s knowing that “impossible” is the stage before “difficult”, which is the stage before “done”. It’s making the most of the journey, forging lasting relationships, being approachable, bringing the energy.

about

Meet the team

We’re a team of Associates: known for our expertise, bonded by our love of startups.

Process

Verity Baldry

Verity is a trusted right hand to CEOs and Founders, with extensive experience working in numerous startups and scaleups, she loves bringing order to chaos with elegant processes. Her energy comes from conjuring; starting at concept and creating momentum, pulling the elements together and driving projects to successful completion.

Fundraising

Malin Patel

Malin specialises in supporting early-stage businesses with fundraising. This includes creating a fundraising strategy and supporting founders through the process of creating financial models and pitch materials to coaching them on how best to tell their story. He is an early-stage investor through his angel syndicate, Safe Space Capital.

Talent

Michelle Gjersoe

Michelle is a champion of executive talent and hiring success within start-ups and high-growth, product-led businesses. Her people driven solutions deliver outstanding talent, service and insight at pace. She is a qualified coach and works in-house to boost leadership team performance unlocking growth potential.

Technology

Mark Ridley

Mark is an entrepreneur and technologist working with start-ups and corporates to ensure that technology is used creatively and effectively to support their strategy. Recognised as one of the top ten CIOs in the UK, Mark writes and speaks regularly about the use of technology, agile methodologies and digital working.

Marketing, PR & Events

Helen Disney

A serial entrepreneur with more than 20 years of founding experience, Helen is a regular conference speaker and commentator on cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology and innovation. Her core experience lies in helping technology companies create engaging content and accelerate their growth through effective storytelling and connections. Over the past decade, she has launched numerous leading brands onto the market.

Project Support

Jo Williams

Jo is a dynamic project implementer and operations manager. She's unflappable and tackles every task with her calm and assured approach. She literally keeps the Cheerful Orange home fires burning and ensures that every detail is taken care of. When Jo's involved we can guarantee the behind the scenes smooth operation and delivery of every project.