A founder’s guide to educating the market and scaling towards exit - with Modibodi’s Kristy Chong

Small Steps Vol. 102: Scaling to success in femtech 📈; introducing Giant Leap’s new Investment Analyst 👋; and how to supercharge your climate communications 🌎💥.

Kick start

🩸👙 Modibodi’s breakout success from idea to exit. Kristy Chong is the founder of Modibodi, the well-known leak-proof apparel brand that provides a sustainable and more comfortable alternative to disposable hygiene. Kristy’s vision with Modibodi was for all people to have higher expectations of the emotional and ethical comfort they get from clothing, forgo disposables, and feel empowered to live more comfortably in themselves, without limitations. 

Having weathered the storm as a solo founder and having built her solution into an internationally-recognised brand, we couldn’t think of a better person to ask for their advice on how to navigate creating an entirely new product category, educating the market, and scaling up towards a successful exit.

This is the first interview in our Femtech Series featuring leading founders, investors and thought leaders in the space, so stay tuned for more! 

Read our interview with Kristy here. 

What we’re thinking about 

👋 Meet Giant Leap’s new Investment Analyst. Introducing Jo, our new Analyst, who joined the team last week! Jo has a background in valuations and asset management and is particularly passionate about climate, all things cooking and baking, and muay thai. 

Check out this Q&A with Jo to get to know the ‘why’ behind her journey, her top book and podcast recommendations, and a bonus pic from her training in Thailand!

📢 Want to fight the climate crisis? Talk about it. As we highlighted recently on Earth Day, the most important thing you can do to help fight climate change is to talk about it. With Europe’s swing to the right in the European Parliament elections this week threatening global climate policy and the economic impact of climate change likely to be 6x worse than previously thought, there’s no shortage of calls to action.

But what does this actually look like? How can we effectively engage in meaningful conversations across political lines and levels of understanding? 

We thought we’d hand over to the experts for one of the best resources we’ve found on climate communications - Katharine Hayhoe’s 2018 TED talk.

Hit play - it’s probably going to be the most impactful 15 minutes of your week. 

New paths

🔋 Amber Electric is after a People Operations Business Partner and a Software Engineer (Melbourne, hybrid). 

🧠 Mindset Health is seeking a Head of Finance and two Software Engineers (Melbourne). 

📱 Perx Health is hiring a US-based User Champion (USA).

🌏 Boundless is seeking a Commercial and Investments Director (Sydney). 

🔥 Want to work for an impact company? Fill out our expression of interest form for roles across our portfolio. There’s even more jobs at ethical companies on the global B-Work job board.

Giant leaps

🎉 Conserving Beauty CEO Natassia Grace has won one of the first ever Beauty of Business Global Beauty Awards! 

🐛 Goterra has signed a breakthrough offtake deal for its black soldier fly protein with Skretting, the world’s largest fish feed business. 

🌱 Trace has launched a new, incredibly helpful carbon calculator for individuals, to help you figure out your carbon footprint in under 2 minutes.

For the road

🙅🏽 Avoid these major mistakes on your People and Culture page. Your website is often the first impression future employees get of your company, so it’s super important to get it right. WORK180’s top tips here? Don’t use stock images, any weird photos, toxically positive language, and language or imagery that ignores accessibility. Check out WORK180’s great advice for more detail.

❤️ It pays to be kind at work. Kindness is a necessity, not a luxury, particularly when anxiety is high and morale is low – argues Andrew Swindland in this Harvard Business Review article. This is more important than ever in today’s climate of geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Treating your employees with kindness and respect helps retain top talent, establish strong culture, and increase productivity. What’s not to love.

🧠 Neuralink hits a roadblock. Up to 85% of the Neuralink implant wires in the first human patient’s brain have already completely detached. When patient Noland Arbaugh asked if his implant could be removed, fixed or replaced, Neuralink’s medical team said they would prefer to avoid another surgery. The startup aims to perform an additional nine implant surgeries by the end of the year. 

🍏 Apple pushes Vision Pro for use in clinical settings. Apple is pushing the device as a medical hub, with potential use cases in guiding surgeries in real time, educating patients with virtual reality simulations of their procedures, mental health care and augmented reality nurse training. US healthtech startups are creating platform apps for use with the Vision Pro, with the goal of increasing quality and accessibility of care.

☁️ Atmospheric levels of ozone-destroying gases are declining faster than expected. That’s some great climate news for your Thursday morning. A new study has found that levels of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), the harmful greenhouse gases responsible for the hole in the ozone layer, peaked in 2021 - five years ahead of previous projections. This has been attributed to the success of the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty signed in 2010 that phased out HCFCs and other ozone-depleting gases, providing welcome optimism that environmental treaties can work if properly enacted and followed. Read the original study here. 

🔋 Positive energy. Scientists at the Tianjin University of Technology have successfully released a proof-of-concept implantable battery that runs on the body’s own oxygen. The batteries can be used for a myriad of purposes, from powering pace-makers to killing cancer cells. 

🤖 An ethical AI primer for investors. The CSIRO has released a framework to help investors identify and manage emerging AI risks and opportunities, by providing practical insights into how startups and investors can integrate responsible AI into existing ESG strategies. Check out the report here.

💸 Carbon pricing works. A meta-study of 17 real-world climate policies by the Berlin-based climate research institute Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change has found that carbon pricing policies empirically reduced emissions between 5% and 21% in their first few years of operation. Interestingly, the study found that whether carbon pricing is introduced via an emissions trading scheme or a carbon tax is less significant than the heated political debate suggests. 

🎧 We have your new work soundtrack covered. Have a listen to the amazing work of genetic testing startup Eugene founder Kunal Karo’s (AKA: The Desert Prince) original work turning soundscapes into dance beats. 

📣 Calling all Board members in Australia - What’s your experience serving on Boards? Deakin University, in collaboration with Women on Boards, is conducting a study to explore the lived experience of Board members of Australian companies. All genders are invited to participate in this study.

Board executives or non-executive directors of any gender currently serving on a publicly listed, publicly unlisted, private, government, or not-for-profit board in Australia are invited to participate in this study. Participation will involve a voluntary and confidential online survey (approx. 20-30 minutes).

Should you be interested, click the link below. You will be directed to further information and the survey👇
https://lnkd.in/gTUC9DTx

For any enquiries, contact the principal researcher: arlene.walker@deakin.edu.au
Principal Researcher: Associate Professor Arlene Walker, Student Researchers: Justine Pfitzner, Gina Mancuso & Francie Doolan
This study has received Deakin University ethics approval: HEAG-H 53_2024
You are welcome to share this study with your networks.

Save the date 

We are stoked to be partnering with What the Health to bring you the latest look into the Aussie digital health scene! Join us on 19 July for a digital health showcase featuring a lineup of local digital health startup legends, who will be demoing their work and innovations. Networking to follow with the WTH community, so expect bevs, bants, and bites. RSVP via the link below (tickets are free but sell out fast)!

📅 Date: 19 June, 5.30 pm

📍 Location: The Commons, George Street, Sydney

👉 Register here: https://lu.ma/7qridh9i

📅 June 21: Submissions close for CoLab’s Impact Program. As part of this program, participants will have access to laboratory facilities, free of charge, for a period of up to four months. This includes laboratory space, expert guidance, and a collaborative environment conducive to innovation valued at $20,000. 

📅 July 1: Applications close for the Women of Colour Executive Leadership Program! With a proven track record of success, this 4-month initiative running from August to November 2024 is specifically designed and delivered by Women of Colour for Women of Colour. The program offers in-person workshops, personalised executive coaching and networking opportunities. Apply now, or share with a WoC you know!

📅 August 31: Applications close for the KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator competition! This competition is an unrivalled platform to profile your business. Get international exposure, validation from tech industry partners and potential investors, and mentorship and guidance from KPMG advisors to help your startup. Definitely one to check out!