Sophie Ritchie

Sophie brings experience working not only within the Ventures space at KPMG, but also a rich background in emerging technology consultation, from her time working in the commercialisation space in the University sector – where she led a program focused on driving growth in the ESG sector through technological innovation.

Sophie has an Executive MBA in entrepreneurship from UTS, an area of academic expertise very relevant to HGV’s startup and scale-up clients.

I'm most proud of...

Landing a job at the UN at age 23 and moving to NYC alone. I took a leap of faith with no network or support, and set myself up to thrive professionally and socially in one of the most demanding cities and working environments I’ve ever encountered.

A close second on the list has to be travelling to Uganda at age 20 to do an internship at a grassroots non-profit. I was terrified before leaving, but had the most fulfilling and fun three months of my life!

The most valuable lesson I've learned was...

With determination, hardwork, and a growth mindset, most things can be mastered.  

In the startup ecosystem, I'm most passionate about...

Without a doubt, cleantech! I’m so excited by the passion of founders who are looking for both commercial and impact returns in the businesses they start. I find this to be a more evolved and progressive form of entrepreneurship, and I’m most keen to support founders who have both sets of ambitions.

We will need all types of organisations (government, civil society, corporate, and startups) involved in making the progress we need to protect the lived environment we are lucky enough to inhabit.   

I believe the most important thing for founders in today's environment is...

Resilience and self-care. The job of a founder has never been more challenging, given the current macroeconomic environment – so understanding how to be resilient, pivot where required, and take care of oneself as well as ones’ investors, staff, customers, and loved ones will be crucial to founder success in this environment. 

My words to live by

To be interesting, you have to be interested.

"The job of a Founder has never been more challenging, so understanding how to be resilient, pivot where required, and take care of oneself as well as ones’ investors, staff, customers, and family/friends is crucial to founder success."