Competitive Sport and Business Are a Winning Pair, Say Women Investors in London
The women were taking part in a panel discussion called 'Empowering Women in Sports,' organized by Mumble Forum, a networking club for women in business, and Iris Ventures, the growth equity firm specializing in next-generation lifestyle and health-focused brands.
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The three panelists — Montse Suarez, founding partner at Iris Ventures, and a lifelong athlete; Sophie Power, an ultrarunner and former investment banker, and Stephanie Wetmore, a former professional WTA tennis player turned angel investor, spoke over cocktails and canapés at 1 Warwick, a private members' club in Soho.
It was a muscular lineup moderated by Sonja Moses, a national Muay Thai champion and human performance coach, with the women talking about their experiences at work and on the playing field, and how they're pressing them into action every day.
Suarez, a former gymnast who now plays field hockey in Spain, said teamwork is critical for any business, but especially for start-ups. When she's deciding which founders to back, Suarez said she imagines playing on a team with them.
'I need to look at their eyes and see how the founders interact with one another. Is there chemistry, or not? Am I going to be able to play with them and pass on feedback? If so, how will they receive it? Is my role going to be on the bench or in the field with them?' said Suarez.
Her Iris investments include Maurten, a global sports nutrition company based in Sweden; Biomel, a plant-based gut health brand, and Superlativa, a drug- and hormone-free supplement that aims to help manage stress and regulate women's levels of cortisol.
Suarez added that as an investor, 'it's very important to have open conversations with founders regarding what the journey is going to look like. Not everything will go according to plan. There will be failures on the way. There will be moments where you're expecting to grow at high speed, but it's actually not happening. And I think that's the best thing that I can bring to founders, is to have those open conversations.'
Wetmore talked about the importance of failure and of celebrating losses as well as wins.
Even if you're a top tennis player, 'you're learning from your losses every week. I think having a level head and being able to take things from losses is really important. When I was young, I wasn't able to celebrate loss. But you can learn from your losses while still celebrating your wins. I think it's about finding a bit of a balance,' and building resilience, she said.
Power, who is also an advocate for mothers in sport, said there are so many parallels between ultra marathons and life.
'You don't set out and feel great all the time. You have ups and downs, and you know that if you keep putting one foot in front the other, you will get to the end of the tunnel. And sometimes it takes a long time, and sometimes it's quick. And while you're doing that, you can be problem-solving. Every single step of the way you can be problem-solving,' she said, adding that long-distance running also puts life into perspective.
During the discussion, she recalled a particularly brutal, multiday marathon in the Sahara desert in the middle of the night.
She was hungry, and still had 20 kilometers before the finish line. She said that what kept her going were memories of a toxic boss at the bank. 'There was a meeting I remembered that was much worse than this,' said Power. 'And I thought to myself I'd rather be here than in that meeting with that absolute bully I used to work for.'
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