Small Business Series: Meet the Founder

Join this event to network with like-minded entrepreneurs and hear from guest speakers who started their business from humble beginnings.
About this Event

Join Grow London Local in bringing together female founders from across London. This is a brilliant opportunity to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, share insights from your journey and get support with the challenges of running your own small business.

In this session, hear from our inspiring guest speakers as they explore practical strategies for business growth, building visibility, the power of community and staying resilient while navigating the realities of entrepreneurship.

Date: Monday 19th October 2026

Time: 11.45am to 2pm

Location: St Anne's Church Soho, 55 Dean Street, London,W1D 6AF

To get the most out of the event, please arrive at 11.45am for a sharp 12pm start.

Agenda:

• 12pm to 12.15pm: registration.
• 12.15pm to 12.30pm: welcome from Grow London Local and speedy founder introductions (be ready for a quick-fire round of introductions – just tell us your name and your business).
• 12.30pm to 12.40pm: guest speaker – Joyce Ong, Founder MarketingTech
• 12.40 o 12.50pm: guest speaker – Dr Suela Pirushi, author of The Business Currency is Love and the founder of The Milestone Hub
• 12.50-1.10- Q&A.
• 1.10pm to 1.50pm: networking and refreshments.

Guest speaker: Joyce Ong

Joyce is an experienced Marketer with more than 30 years of experience in large corporations (Credit Suisse, American Express, WPP Group) and small businesses. She has multicultural work experience, having lived and worked in Singapore, Zurich, Glasgow and London.

She heads up a 3-person agency, MarketingTech. Their approach to business: “How we do Anything is how we do Everything” and their favourite motto: taking the guesswork out of Marketing. Joyce applies these principles with the team as well as all their clients.

At the event, Joyce will touch on: What’s SEO, GEO and how it serves the business; when is a good time to invest in paid ads; and how to choose the right SEO partner for your business.

Guest speaker: Dr Suela Pirushi

Dr Suela Pirushi is the author of The Business Currency is Love and the founder of The Milestone Hub, where she helps early-stage founders turn their expertise into revenue. She holds a PhD in human-AI collaboration in the USA and is an alumna of the Executive Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. Today, she serves as a consultant to one of the world’s most prestigious AI labs and as a peer reviewer for the EIU Journal of Action Research at the European International University in Paris. She is also a Global Advisory Board Member of Academy Achievers, advising on AI policy and governance to bring young women into STEM education, and a UN Women UK Ambassador. Suela brings rare depth at the intersection of business, trust and artificial intelligence.

In the event, Dr Suela Pirushi will go through some AI Practical Hacks.

Event disclaimer: Please note that photos and videos may be taken during this event for promotional purposes. If you prefer not to appear in any photos or videos, please inform the event host upon arrival.

If you have any questions about this or any other Grow London Local event, please contact us on [email protected]

Image of Joyce Ong, founder and CEO,

Image of , founder of and author of The Business Currency is Love.

Accessibility

St Anne's Church Soho offers step-free access, wheelchair-accessible entry via a ramp, an accessible toilet, large-print materials, and baby changing facilities.

By Tube: Tottenham Court Road (5 mins), Leicester Square (6 mins) and Piccadilly Circus (7 mins) are all within walking distance.

By Train: Charing Cross Station is approximately a 10-minute walk away.

By Bus: Routes 14, 19, 24, 29, 38 and 176 all stop nearby.