Helm’s Founders Network Members
Members Spotlight
Steve Phillips
Steve Phillips, founder of Zappi.
Founder of Zappi, a leading consumer insights platform, and Chair of the MRS Sustainability Council. Steve has also won the ‘Best New Thinking’ award at the MRS Conference, is a recipient of both the ARF Great Minds certificate and the UK industries Innovation award.
Clare Harris
Clare Harris, founder of Talking Tables.
Founded Talking Tables back in 1999 in time for the millennium celebrations and now employing 50+ people and selling worldwide from FMCG to small independents and everything in between.
Robert Ginsberg
Robert Ginsberg, founder of HiB.
CEO of HiB, awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation in 2020 and has been selected as one of the LDC’s Top 50 Ambitious Business Leaders in 2019.
Why choose Helm?
Helm’s community has become the most established Club for scale-up founders in the UK. Our member's businesses spread across all industries, ranging from SaaS, deep-tech and bio-tech to property, manufacturing and retail.
Apply to become a member of Helm’s Founders network
Join Helm’s network of likeminded founders to gain access to exclusive networking events, support for scale-ups, talks on business growth and exit strategies.
FAQs
What is Helm?
Helm is a private membership club for founders and CEOs of UK scale-up businesses. Founded in 2003 asThe Supper Club, Helm brings together 400+ members through chaired peer Forum groups, member eventsacross London and key UK hubs, and an active digital community. No sales. No ego.
Who can join Helm?
Membership is for founders and CEOs of scale-ups, typically with £3m+ in revenue (or £3m+ raised) and ateam of around 20 or more. Every application is reviewed for fit, and non-founder executives, advisers andservice providers are not admitted as members.
What was The Supper Club?
The Supper Club was Helm's original name. The club was founded in 2003 and later rebranded as Helm.Same community, same give-and-get ethos, new name.
What is a Forum group?
A Forum is a chaired peer group of six to eight founders that meets ten times a year. It works like a personaladvisory board: confidential, practical and direct, chaired by an experienced Helm member who is usuallyfurther along the founder journey.
How does joining work?
You submit a short application form, then have a 30-minute call with the Helm team to make sure the room isright for you. Once approved, you can book into events and the digital community straight away, and you'll beplaced into your Forum group within your first three months.
How often does Helm run events?
Helm runs two to three events per week, from private dinners with special guests to workshops, roundtablesand digital seminars. Members typically attend an event every month or two; there is no required attendance.
How much does Helm membership cost?
Membership is an annual subscription that includes Forum, all-inclusive member events and the digitalcommunity. Current fees are confirmed during the selection call, and cancellation terms are set out in themembership agreement.
How does Helm compare with other CEO peer groups?
Helm is UK-based and founder-led: every member is a founder or CEO of a scale-up, the club has beenrunning since 2003, and the no-sales ethos is enforced. Founders comparing peer groups such as Vistage,YPO or EO usually weigh format, peer mix and cost; Helm's format is chaired Forums of six to eight foundersplus 160+ events a year, with a curated UK membership of 400+.
FAQs
Who should apply?
Helm members are founders of established, high-growth businesses. Many have been with us as they took the journey from scale-up through to exit or stepping away from the business. We welcome applications to join from founders of any stage from scaling (£1-10m, 10 staff), through scaling and stepping back (£10M-£20M / 100+ staff) to life after your business.
What is the time commitment?
You get out of Helm what you put into it. There are multiple ways to get value from accessing the experience of other members in our digital community, to attending Forum (for 3 hours per month) to attending our digital or in-person events but there is no fixed time commitment. But you will get more value from Helm the more you spend time sharing insights and experience with fellow members.
How many events are there?
We run 2 to 3 events per week but do not expect you to come to them all. We put on a variety of events to help members with different challenges and interests. We normally see members come to an event every 1 to 2 months.
Will this be a distraction?
No. One additional benefit that Helm members often mention is how a tip, insight or piece of wisdom from a fellow member has saved them repeating mistakes made by others. Helm can help you navigate a better route to business success.
I’m fairly well connected and plugged into other communities, do I need this?
We have a lot of respect from the entire founder ecosystem. But from experience, each network offers something unique. If you’re looking to support business growth and develop your own personal journey to health, wealth and your positive legacy, there isn’t a better place than Helm.
Will members be trying to sell to me?
Helm was founded in 2003 to create a space for founders to have open and honest conversations, without being sold to. A lot has changed since those early days, but our 'Give and Get' ethos has held true. Helm started as a reaction to the feeling of being sold to at networking events and we protect that feeling every day for our members.
I work in corporate finance/law/recruitment, is this community for me?
No. While our members might be your target market, we’re a network for pioneering founders. Our events are a safe space for members to share experiences and be open and honest with other founders and to learn from each other. We don’t accept non-founder staff as members.
What are the Guiding Values of Helm?
You can view our Guiding Values here, including the Give and Get ethos which shapes everything we do and ask of members. To summarise though we are inspired and driven by growth. We want to help our members succeed in their journey of business and personal growth that creates positive impact and delivers more than it takes.