Martyn G 🇬🇧🇨🇦

I’m giving X another go. Not to become a “content creator”, but to document what happens when you try to build something ambitious, and slightly unconventional, from the UK…

No overnight-success stories and no pretending everything is going brilliantly, though I will aim to keep a positive tone. Just an honest account of trying to build something meaningful that has economic impact on my regional economy of Gloucestershire. Let’s see where it goes.

I’m now bootstrapping a SIDEKICK in a UK ecosystem that, frankly, isn’t quite ready for the venture studio model yet. That makes it harder. It also makes the journey worth documenting.

My priorities and perspective on success changed significantly but I love building & supporting others wins, so when I thought the time was right, I designed and built my own Venture Studio based on what I learned in Toronto 🇨🇦 and Lisbon 🇵🇹

18-months ago I stepped away from the day-to-day following my son’s autism diagnosis to focus on supporting the family to enable the support he needs. We found the school environment wasn’t right for how our children saw the world and began home educating.

The past six years have changed a lot, moving from employee to entrepreneur. I spent the first five co-founding, building and scaling ORNA, taking a cybersecurity startup from an idea through funding, growth, customers, awards and all the pressures that come with it.

Proud dad moment 🥹 with Atlanta making a little history (we believe) being the first @KingsSchoolGlos @KSGSport 2nd Form (Y8) to play for the Senior 1st’s (Sixth Form) #cricket team & finishing joint top batter as well is such an achievement 🏏

Always a tough away day down the M5 that one Darren! I remember it well with @CityofGlosWFC #grassroots #football