The Headspace for Founders
😌 + 🦄 = 🚀
Public Alpha, first 1,000 founders only
We are building the world's largest free online course & community for founders' mental health and wellbeing
Public Alpha, first 1,000 founders only
We are building the world's largest free online course & community for founders' mental health and wellbeing
We want to make it easy for founders, and the people around them to learn about founder mental health and wellbeing in the startup ecosystem.
The course has been designed in 5 chapters covering startup specific pressures, wellbeing and recovery topics. Therefore whether you are a founder, investor, employee, family member, or anyone with an interest in founder wellbeing. You will find something for you.
Founders Taboo, by SuperCharger Ventures, is dedicated to increasing the Awareness, Access and Affordability of support for founders mental health and wellbeing in the start-up space.
We are building the worlds largest online course & community on the topic. We want to strengthen the start-up ecosystem by empowering founders to support their mental health and become more balanced and better leaders.
This module introduces Founders Taboo, our dedicated team and our mission. We outline the purpose of developing this platform, and what to expect as we continue to react to founders needs and expand.
Contributor: Janos Barberis, Co-founder
Learning Outcome: Introduction to Founders Taboo, our purpose and our dedicated team.
This module discusses several likely contributing factors to why founders are disproportionately impacted by poor mental health; founders’ characteristic traits, the pressures of an entrepreneurial career and the consequence of of this taboo startup ecosystem.
Contributor: Annabelle Cameron, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Learning Outcome: Introduction to the topic of founder mental health and wellbeing
This module outlines how to get the most value from this course. Just like the founder journey, this course is not linear. We encourage you to navigate to the modules most pertinent to your current personal and business needs. The expert discussions provide well-informed knowledge and guidance to kickstart or support your own wellbeing discovery and journey.
Contributors: Annabelle Cameron, Mental Health and Wellbeing
Learning Outcome: Understand how to get the most value from this course.
We will update our course bi-yearly with new contributors, in addition to the ongoing online & offline events that we will promote.
We would love to hear from founders and their teams, to shape our course design. Work with academics to create more evidence based research and collaborate with Venture Capitalist & Accelerators to help their portfolio perform better.
Contributors: Janos Barberis, Co-founder
Learning Outcome: Understand our promise and how you can help.
This module highlights the importance of resilience throughout a founders journey, debunks the common misconceptions about resilience and provides practical guidance on how to build and strengthen resiliency.
Contributor: Announced after private beta
Learning Outcome: Reconceptualize your understanding of resilience and learn to foster resiliency.
This module highlights the differences between useful stress and harmful unconscious or chronic stress, as well as how biofeedback and paying attention to our physiology can be instrumental in buffering against inevitable startup pressures.
Contributor: Olivier de Simone, Co Founder & CEO, Sensae & Faidra Papanikolaou, Health & Biofeedback Psychologist, Sensae
Learning Outcome: Understand biofeedback and learn how to develop awareness of our internal body processes.
This module discusses the vital importance of nutrition for supporting founders mental health, performance, and stamina. The discussion will walk you through the powerful connection between nutrition and mental health and the critical role of gut health.
Contributors: Ryre Lee Cornish, Nutritional Therapist, Move Nourish Change
Learning Outcome: Learn how dietary changes can elevate energy, focus and resilience.
This module provides an understanding of burnout and what specific stressors and pressures in the startup environment feed into it. Through increasing awareness, founders can take practical actions to prevent burnout.
Contributors: Gillian Cribbs, Organisational Psychologist and Leadership Coach
Learning Outcome: Learn about burnout symptoms, warning signs, and what preventative action can be taken.
This module covers the critical importance of rest and recovery as a founder, practical guidance and recovery strategies, as well as how rest and recovery can fit into your lifestyle.
Contributor: Announced after private beta
Learning Outcome: Learn rest and recovery strategies to support your wellbeing and performance.
This module looks at finance as a significant source of stress and pressure for founders, and practical guidance to mitigate the impact of financial stress on wellbeing and performance.
Contributor: Patrick Venn, Founder, TOMII
Learning Outcome: Learn how to reduce financial stress and work towards financial wellness.
This module sheds light on Imposter Syndrome amongst founders. Looking at the symptoms, triggers and route cause, as well as practical steps founders can take to manage and resolve the experience of imposterism.
Contributor: Tara Halliday, Imposter Syndrome Specialist
Learning Outcome: Understand Imposter Syndrome and how to manage and reduce feelings of imposterism.
This module covers the critical role physical activity plays in founder mental health and performance. In addition to practical guidance and strategies around how to incorporate movement and exercise into your routine in a way that suits your unique lifestyle demands.
Contributor: David Bowen-Davies, Founder, Actualise
Learning Outcome: Learn to enhance your mental acuity and performance through movement.
The modules provides knowledge and guidance on navigating co-founder relationships. We highlight what characterises healthy relationships and how they can be nurtured and strengthened to support founder wellbeing and venture performance.
Contributor: Gillian Cribbs, Organisational Psychologist and Leadership Coach
Learning Outcome: Learn how to nurture healthy founder relationships
This module discusses why the funding process is such a significant source of stress for founders, how the relationship between founders and investors is changing, and why this approach is healthier for founders and the ecosystem as a whole.
Contributor: Noa Matz, Startup Psychologist & Operating Partner at F2 Venture Capital
Learning Outcome: Understand how mental health fits into the founder-investor relationship.
This module provides knowledge and guidance around how to maintain mental acuity, calm and clarity in decision-making whilst navigating fast-paced and unpredictable startup environments.
Contributors: Jane Burns, Chief strategy Officer
Learning Outcome: Learn how to approach and manage decision-making in unpredictable environments.
This module aims to support founders whilst they lead their teams. The discussion highlights team wellbeing needs, signs of poor mental health, and proactive strategies. This will allow you to create a mental health conscious environment that supports each team members wellbeing.
Contributors: Georgie Drury, Organisational Wellbeing
Learning Outcome: Learn proactive strategies to maintain healthy, high-functioning teams
This module covers what a culture of openness around Mental Health looks like and how to go about establishing and fostering this in your startup.
Contributor: Announced after private beta
Learning Outcome: Learn to foster a culture of openness around mental health
This module covers the importance of leveraging your team and network for support, and how to delegate and trust others whilst navigating growth.
Contributor: Announced after private beta
Learning Outcome: Understand how delegation and trust can help you cope.
This module looks at how founders can approach and manage the transition to becoming an instant leader/CEO, and the importance of this role aligning with a founders interests and strengths.
Contributor: Announced after private beta
Learning Outcome: Understand the founder experience transitioning to a leader and CEO.
This module highlights the physiological and psychological benefits of mindful micro-pauses, as well as practical guidance around embedding these moments into everyday working life and company culture.
Contributor: Alex Strang, Co-founder, Moment & Fiona McKinnon, CEO & Co-founder, Moment
Learning Outcome: Learn how mindful micro-pauses and breath work can support your wellbeing and performance through a guided moment.
This modules looks at how founders must make mental fitness a priority and lifestyle is one contributor to mental health that founders have some power over. It provides practical guidance on how to incorporate mental fitness and tracking into your lifestyle.
Contributor: Jana Dowling, Founder, Arkeo
Learning Outcome: Understand how mental fitness and tracking can buffer against poor mental health.
The modules delves into the underlying neuroscience behind visualization, the tangible benefits, and importantly why this technique can be instrumental for founder wellbeing and performance. Learn about the visualization method and practical tips for its application depending on what founders would like to achieve through this technique.
Contributors: Maya Raichoora, Co-founder, VIVE
Learning Outcome: Practice a Visualization method to support your wellbeing and vision
This modules introduces the emotional freedom technique of tapping. This technique has been gaining recognition amongst founders as a powerful tool for a range of factors, from managing stress and anxiety to clearing limiting beliefs, goal achievement and bouncing back from set-backs.
Contributors: Alisa Tsykhotsky, Health and Wellbeing Manager
Learning Outcome: Follow a guided EFT tapping session to relieve stress.
This module introduces the power of journalling for founders; understand how to journal for higher productivity and for processing thoughts and emotions to achieve that mental acuity needed to excel.
Contributor: Announced after private beta
Learning Outcome: Learn journalling techniques to enhance your performance.
Ash Philips speaks candidly about his experience with imposter syndrome as a founder and insights from the community of founders he supports.
Contributor: Ash Phillips, Founder, Dffrnt
Contributor: Announced after private beta
Learning Outcome:
Experiencing poor mental health is difficult for the individual affected, but less attention is directed to how this can impact personal relationships, and the emotional toll it can take on those who try to support you when you are withdrawing.
Contributors: Announced after private beta
Contributors: Announced after private beta
Contributor: Announced after private beta
The course was primarily designed for founders. However, we know that to build a healthier start-up ecosystem we need venture capital, academia and accelerators to learn about this topic.
The course is to be done at your own pace. With lifetime access, please navigate to the modules that are most helpful for you at each point in along your journey.
Everyone is different. For some this course will place words on what you've been feeling for years. For others it will provide a safe space to meet other like minded people through peer groups. Each module provides access to pre-recorded video interviews with experts, offering knowledge and practical guidance. The purpose is to raise awareness and provide founders with that initial understanding and guidance to empower them to take action. For those wishing for further support, we signpost to additional resources and our contributors services, of which for some there is a Founders Taboo discount.
No. The course is free, forever. We do not wish affordability to be a barrier to building healthier founders. We will closely work with academia in order to keep the course and its content a public good for the eco-system.
The course is meant to raise awareness around founders' mental health and act as a hub for founders to find further support available. For those that wish to continue and take action for themselves, team or company, you can directly engage our contributors, participate in online workshops or offline physical retreats.
Access to monthly founders peer-group, live events and further support services delivered by our contributors, should you wish to take action. Founders Taboo provides exclusive and discounted rates for some offline and online support listed. The best way to stay up-to-date with the ongoing activities is to subscribe to our newsletter.
We will continually update the course as we respond to the wants and needs of founders. If you are a founder, we would love to hear your story or suggestions of future topic areas to address. If you are mental health professional, coach or academic, please reach out if you would like to learn more about how you could contribute. For anyone interested in founder wellbeing, please use our contact page to reach us directly.
Whilst we are here to support founders, and please reach out, we are not a replacement for professional care.
If you are in need of more thorough support, please contact your GP and ask for an emergency appointment.
In the UK to speak with someone urgently about your mental health, call 0800 689 5652 or text SHOUT to 85258, outside of the UK there are local equivalents available. You are not alone.
Wishing to build what I missed whilst being and helping other founders. My previous track record is only indicative, Iskilfully combined academic rigour with an unrivalled entrepreneurial spirit. He has an established a track record in the FinTech Industry (named 32nd Most Powerful Dealmaker globally, Institutional Investors, 2018) and in academia (13th legal scholar in the world, SSRN, 2018). He is driven to deliver actionable insights which have benefited the business transformation and innovation of Tier-1 financial institutions, across 400 B2B partnerships with cutting-edge technology start-ups.
Bsc in Psychology from the University of Bath with a focus on the Developmental Psychpathology of Mental Health Disorders, and current and future interventions. Driven to improve the mental health and wellbeing of founders and create a healthier startup ecosystem that supports and embraces cognitive diversity.
I have spent the past year delving into the psychology of founders and entrepreneurship; speaking candidly with founders at all stages and across the globe about their mental health and the pressures of our current startup landscape.
I have and continue to work with academics, mental health professionals and innovative wellbeing solution providers to understand and source wellbeing tools and strategies that can support the physical, psychological, emotional and social wellbeing of founders as they navigate the peaks and troughs of entrepreneurship.
David Walsh is a King’s alumnus (Human Environmental Science/Natural Sciences), leading entrepreneur, investor, technologist and founder and former CEO of KPMG Crimsonwing. After working at IBM, David founded Crimsonwing in 1996. The tech business made progress without capital or loans and built a solution centre in Malta in 1998 – virtually founding the IT industry there. In 2007 the group business, now operating in three countries, was floated and proceeds were used to expand the business through acquisitions and into new countries.
Alessandro Di Lullo is Co-Founder of SuperCharger Ventures, a leading edtech accelerator with offices in London and Hong Kong, and a PhD candidate at the University of Hong Kong.
Alessandro's previous experience include Director of Academia & Entrepreneurship at CFTE, a world-renowned online education platform in the field of Fintech and Artificial Intelligence, where he worked with governments and financial institutions in Europe, Asia, and Middle East to launch transformational education projects to upskill hundreds of thousands professionals and individuals.
Tamas started in EdTech 4 years ago at an EdTech Startup focusing on FinTech and subsequently co-founded SuperCharger Ventures. With a background in finance, Tamas is a C-Level professional with vast international experience and 20+ years of track record in building and expanding businesses. He worked extensively with the largest companies across all of Europe.Member of the Executive Board for Global Markets at the Swiss entity of one of Europe's largest Banks and currently Board Member at the European EdTech Alliance, Tamas has worked extensively with regulators and supervisory bodies.
Join the VIVE community, access visualisations, a supportive community, events, and in the near future the VIVE app.
Contributor: Maya Raichoora
Work with David to optimise your wellness and performance through mindset coaching, nutrition coaching, personal training or training plans.
Contributor: David Bowen-Davies
Join the Arkeo Community, simply download the app and start taking control over your mental fitness.
Contributor: Jana Dowling
Sign up for personalised nutritional therapy to empower you with the right tools, make lifestyle changes that work for you, and help you thrive.
Contributor: Ryre Lee Cornish
Book a call to explore how the Inner Success 8-week training and coaching programme may help you eliminate Imposter Syndrome for good.
Contributor: Tara Halliday
Join the moment community and try the moment pebble for yourself to experience the full benefits of mindful micro-pauses.
Contributors: Alex Strang & Fionna McKinnon
Join Alisas' tapping an talking programme to identify the issues that are stopping you living a balanced and healthy life.
Contributor: Alisa Tsykhotsky
Drop in for a free 30 minute 1-on-1 financial health check up for founders. A safe space for founders to talk about all things money, Mondays & Wednesdays (5pm - 7pm).
Contributor: Patrick Venn
Join Bessern for their bi-annual Reimagine Wellbeing event, an open fun and informal online event to bring reflection and action to the future of wellbeing.
Contributors: Ivan Palomino & Elena Agaragimova
