On September 20^th , 2023, Graduate Entrepreneur hosted the second session of Founders Forum: 10 portfolio founders are grouped together for four sessions during a year to create a safe group that can support each other and learn together. “What keeps you up at night?” This is one of the questions of the conversation at Founders Forum with the aim to voice your concerns and share them with those that are probably going through a similar journey. Founders Forum is here to guide and empower founders, helping them take their businesses to new heights.  

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During the first part of the Forum, the founders have a one-hour Q&A with an inspiring founder. This time we were joined by Lieke Pijpers, Founder of The Next Closet. She shared her founder journey and insights on people management. She gave practical insights, elaborated on her fundraising journey and emphasized the need for hiring talented people with more knowledge than you. The Next Closet started out before the sustainability hype in the market and Lieke gave some insights in how they navigated their way through the hype.  

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The second part was all about the ten founders and their challenges. Tim de Zeeuw, leadersip & executive coach at AmNova, is the main moderator for the group and is specialized in helping SME and startup teams reach higher successes. His guidance is instrumental in helping these founders identify opportunities, overcome challenges, and strategically grow their ventures.