Member Event: From Seed to Scale

Getting your business off the ground may have been challenging, but scaling it successfully brings a whole new set of issues to contend with.

In our event featuring Dan Martin (Swarm Energy), Danny Wade (Wade Construction Management Consultants) and Charlotte Staerck (The Handbag Clinic), we’ll uncover what it takes to successfully scale a thriving business from a standing start.

Our speakers will share their journeys from day one, including how they turned their idea into reality, their experiences in recruitment and becoming a leader, how they financed their growth, as well as value creation and exit strategies.

They'll also discuss achievements, the obstacles they’ve faced along the way and the lessons they’ve learned as an entrepreneur, before we open up to a Q&A session.

This event will be of interest to any entrepreneur who is looking to scale or who has already embarked on their growth journey and is looking for ideas and inspiration on how to do so sustainably.

About Our Speakers
Dan Martin 
After building from scratch and growing his previous business Elmtronics, the UK’s largest Fleet EV charging company (which he sold to Norwegian EV public giant Mer in 2022) and EV Charging software company Hubsta, Dan and business partner Anthony Piggott founded Swarm Energy in 2023. Their aim is to change the way people buy, generate, and use energy in their homes. Based in Newcastle, the business has launched ‘Q-bee’, one of the first home energy management solutions, which is empowering people to move to a cleaner, greener life. As CEO of Swarm, Dan focuses on the sales & marketing strategy, as well as building and developing the company’s team and culture, cementing Swarm's place as a leader in the green energy revolution, with plans for a global rollout. He is the winner of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum's Emerging Talent award and a champion of cleantech businesses making a positive impact.

Danny Wade
Danny is the Founder of Wade Construction Management Consultants. A unique construction and project management company for the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. Wade’s projects have helped to accelerate the delivery of medicine by using a tailored, agile and effective approach to construction.  From their Teesside HQ, Danny has managed the meteoric rise of Wade since its inception in 2018. He has managed a 410% increase in company growth, investment of £800k and grown a team of 30 members of staff. His passion for creating more transparency in the construction industry is felt throughout the team and he is the driving force behind their impressive growth over the last five years.

Charlotte Staerck 
Charlotte Staerck, co-founder and CEO of leading luxury handbag restoration and preowned retailer, The Handbag Clinic, is a maverick on a mission. Ten years ago, building on a family legacy of leather restoration and her lifelong passion for handbags, Charlotte launched the first ever luxury aftercare and restoration service into the UK market. Swiftly pivoting the business into the resale market, she then pioneered one of the first retail marketplaces for preowned luxury handbags with the opening of its flagship store on King’s Road, Chelsea in 2015. Rapidly expanding the operation, further stores and concessions were also rolled out in Newcastle, Colchester, York – followed, more recently, by concessions in Harrods and Selfridges.  Through its integrated offering of ‘Buy, Sell, Restore, Authenticate’ it’s the only fully circular platform solving the ‘end of life’ issue by adding value back into wardrobes through an ongoing loop of circularity. With investment in bespoke technology, new pop-up location plans afoot, and a third investment round to drive its growth and expansion, 2023 looks set to be its biggest year yet.

The small print - Member events are open to all members and partners of the Forum. Two guest places are available to ‘Ultimate’ and ‘Premium’ members. Please note guests must be from your own company.

If you are a ‘Core’ member and would like to upgrade your membership, or find out more please email info@entrepreneursoforum.net or call one of the team on 0191 500 7780.