Steve Phillips on building ZappiYour Forum
Your friendly non-executive board.
Hear from members on how a group of scale-up founders works as their second non-exec board.
No stake in your business and no agenda but yours. Just honest challenge from founders who have been there.
“Helm is like my friendly board who help me navigate difficult situations and choices.”
What a friendly board does. The board meeting you look forward to.
Your Forum gives you what a good board gives you, without the politics.
- Honest challengeNo shares, no votes and no agenda but yours, so the challenge is straight.
- Experience you can borrowYour Chair has built and sold a business, and the room has usually seen your problem before.
- AccountabilityEach meeting, the group asks whether you did what you said you would.
- Complete confidenceForum is fully confidential, so nothing is off the table.
How Helm works: one membership, all of this included. Not one thing. Everything a founder needs.
Forum is the bedrock, but it's one part of the membership. Use what fits you, when it fits you.
- 01How Forum works
Forum
Six to eight founders at your stage, chaired by a founder who has built and sold a business. A second board, on your side, matched on stage, experience and personality.
- 02See events
Events and guest dinners
Dinners, roundtables, breakfasts and masterclasses in London and online, plus guest dinners with the founders of Reebok and Vinted and Dyson's former CEO.
- 03Inside a retreat
Retreats and trips
Time away with other founders: Founders' Retreats in Menorca and Tuscany, and the members' ski trip, with invited guest speakers.
- 04About Investment Day
Investment Day
Four times a year, member investors hear pitches from up to 10 businesses. Come to raise, to invest or to learn how others do it.
- 05Member benefits
Introductions and the member community
Put any question to a community of 400+ founders and CEOs, and we'll help you find the right person to talk to.
- 06Watch Founders' Brew
Expert sessions and Founders' Brew
Expert-led online sessions, a library of recorded talks to watch when you like, and filmed interviews with founders who have been there.
- 07See the perks
Founder perks
Savings on the workspaces, software and services you already pay for, from Runway East to HubSpot.
How to join Helm. Four steps. No hard sell.
- 1ApplyTwo minutes. Tell us about you and your business.
- 2Talk to usA 30-minute call with our team, to check Helm is right for you.
- 3Get approvedOur membership committee reviews every application, usually within 48 hours.
- 4Meet your ForumBook events straight away. We match you to your Forum within three months.
Helm FAQs. What founders ask us first
Something else on your mind? Talk to our team
What happens in a Helm Forum?
A Forum is six to eight founders at a similar stage, chaired by a founder who has built and sold a business. It meets ten times a year for about three hours. Members bring real challenges and opportunities, from hiring and fundraising to selling the business, and leave clearer on what to do next.
What is confidential at Helm?
Forum is fully confidential: nothing said there leaves the room. Other Helm events run under the Chatham House Rule, so you can use what you hear, but never say who said it.
Who can join Helm?
Founders and CEOs of businesses with £3m+ revenue. Every sector is welcome and every application is reviewed. Advisers and service providers cannot join.
How much does Helm membership cost?
Membership is a small monthly business cost that should pay back many times over. It includes your Forum, Helm's events and the member community, and you can cancel any time. Helm talks you through the options on a short call.
YouThere's a seat at the table.
It's yours.
Join 400+ founders and CEOs who know exactly what this job feels like.