Our Story

Founders Forum started in 2005 with a clear vision in mind – to create the perfect environment for collaboration, establishing a credible, peer-to-peer network of European entrepreneurs echoing the innovation unfolding in Silicon Valley.

Our community first convened at a 50-person event in London, where founders met with investors, CEOs, and government leaders to discuss the future of tech-enabled industries, new technologies, and evolving business models.

Since then, we’ve hosted over 40 forums in more than 20 cities worldwide, from Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and Tel Aviv, to Mumbai, Paris and Hong Kong.

As we’ve expanded our global footprint, we’ve also built a group of businesses designed to support entrepreneurs at every stage – from pre-seed to post-exit.

Our Leaders

Brent Hoberman

Co-Founder & Executive Chair

Brent is Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Founders Factory (global venture studios, seed programmes and accelerator programmes), Founders Forum Group (global community of founders, corporates and tech leaders), and firstminute capital ($400m seed fund with global remit, backed by over 130+ unicorn founders). Previously, Brent co-founded Made.com in 2010. He left before it went public in 2021 at a valuation of $1.1bn. Brent also co-founded lastminute.com in 1998 where he was CEO from its inception and sold it in 2005 to Sabre for $1.1bn. Brent has backed 9 unicorns at Seed stage and technology businesses Brent has co-founded have raised over $1bn.

Brent sits on the advisory boards of Google Cloud, the Tessa Jowell Foundation, the UK Government Digital Service and the WEF Digital Europe Group. He has also been an advisor to four UK prime ministers and in 2015 was awarded a CBE for his services to entrepreneurship.

Carolyn Dawson

CEO

Carolyn Dawson is Chief Executive of Founders Forum Group, overseeing all FF events and businesses, and steering the strategic development of our global network. Previously, Carolyn was President at Informa Tech, a FTSE 100 UK company championing specialists in their core markets. Carolyn led a global portfolio of Digital Media, Research, Events, and Training across a variety of technology sectors and presided over the joint venture between Founders Forum and Informa Tech, prior to her assuming her role as FFG CEO.

Carolyn was recently appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for her services to London Tech Week, which she’s led for the past seven years. In this time, she built its global profile and advanced its mission to showcase the best of UK tech. Carolyn is passionate about growing a dynamic and inclusive tech community to realise the positive impact of technology on our world and to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Jonathan (Jonnie) Goodwin

Co-Founder & Board Member

Jonathan (Jonnie) Goodwin OBE is the Co-Founder of Founders Forum Group and the Founder of J Goodwin & Co. With a strong background in finance and media, he co-founded Founders Forum Group in 2005 and PROfounders Capital in 2009. He is President Emeritus of Founders Pledge and serves on the advisory board for Tech City Future Fifty. In 2018, he was awarded an OBE for his contributions to the UK economy.

Henry Lane Fox

Co-Founder & Board Member

Henry Lane Fox is the Co-Founder and CEO of Founders Factory, a venture studio and accelerator operating in Europe, Africa, and North America. He is a partner at Founders Forum Group and firstminute capital, one of Europe’s leading early-stage venture funds. Henry is Chair of Creator Fund, Europe’s top student VC, and serves on the boards of Luther Systems, Acre Software, and Byway Travel. He also co-founded Founders Intelligence, SmartUp, and Grip. He began his career at lastminute.com as Head of Product Development.

Matthieu Comard

Board Member

Matthieu Comard is Managing Director of Informa Festivals and a member of Informa’s leadership team. Before joining Informa in 2024, he spent over 20 years in the consumer goods industry, driving growth through brand building, innovation, and commercial execution. As Managing Director Europe at Natura, he led Avon’s transformation into a digital-first, omni-channel brand. Prior to that, he spent 11 years at Diageo, delivering consistent double-digit growth. An engineer by training, he holds an MBA from INSEAD and is a member of Chapter Zero, the Directors’ Climate Forum.

The rest, as they say, is unwritten...

If you’re looking to found or have already founded a brilliant business designed to support entrepreneurs, we might just be a match made in entrepreneurial heaven.

Get in touch with our team and let’s think big, together.

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