Brand Strategy London

Lean, Loved & Fundable: Raising for Consumer Brands in the Age of AI

**Lean, Loved & Fundable: Raising for Consumer Brands in the Age of AI** *A fireside with Ananya Chowdhury, Growth Equity Expert at The Craftory* Capital is flooding into AI. So where does that leave founders building real products people can hold, use and love? Investors haven't stopped backing consumer brands. They've raised the bar. Today's fundable product founders run leaner, grow smarter and build brands with loyalty that no algorithm can replicate. Join us for an honest conversation with Ananya Chowdhury, Growth Equity Expert at The Craftory, one of the leading investors in challenger consumer brands. She'll share what it really takes to raise right now, and what separates the brands that scale from the ones that stall. **We'll cover:** * 💰 What investors look for in product businesses in an AI-first market * ⚙️ How to use AI to run lean and stretch every pound of capital * ❤️ Why brand, community and customer love are your real moat * 📈 The metrics and story that get you from pitch to term sheet **Who it's for:** Product-based founders preparing to raise, or raising now, who want a clear view of what matters in today's market. **Food & drinks Included: a full buffet!** Expect straight answers, practical takeaways and a room full of founders building the same way you are. 🚀

Investing and Trading in Financial Markets - Discussion & Networking

**Join the London Investors and Traders Group for an afternoon of discussion and networking focused on trading and investing** Whether you are a short-term trader or a long-term investor, this event offers a platform to discuss market trends, exchange ideas and strategies, and potentially collaborate on future trade and investment projects. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your trading and investing knowledge and skills while making valuable connections in the trading and investing community. **This event is only for members who have posted RSVPs here on Meetup.** *(If you are unable to attend please change your RSVP)* **AGENDA** **15.00 Meet Greet and Network** **16:30 Discussion** Topics for Talks & Discussion: **Current Developments** in the Financial Markets **Active, Passive & Systematic** Investing Strategies **Trading Strategies for** Short, Medium & long-term **Followed by Q&A** **18:30 Close** **We look forward to meeting you at this event!** *(We are a peer group of Investors and Traders, not an advisory service)*

Harms mapping: What's the worst that could happen?

Most teams are good at asking can we build it? Far fewer have a practice for asking what happens if we do? Harms mapping is that practice. It's a structured way of finding the ways a product, service or experience could hurt people, early enough that you can still do something about it. Not a compliance exercise, and not a feel-good one either. Teams that do it well find opportunities others miss, avoid expensive rework, and build things people actually trust. This is a working session, not a talk. UX for Change Fellow, Christina Lai, will introduce the method, and then we'll use it on something real. **The real thing:** East London Waterworks Park is a volunteer-led charity turning a 14-acre former depot on Lea Bridge Road into a biodiverse park with natural swimming ponds, forest schools and community spaces. They're also our partners on the UX for Change Fellowship. They do something remarkable: they invite people to help shape something that doesn't exist yet. Children, residents, people whose views on green space have never been asked for. We'll map the harms in that invitation: what it promises, who it reaches, who it leaves out, and what it costs the people who say yes. **Why this matters beyond ELWP:** The EU AI Act contains two duties worth knowing about. One demands to tell people when they're talking to a machine and mark AI-generated content. The other requires you to work out who could be harmed and how, before you deploy, and say what you'll do when it happens. On 2 August, the first became enforceable. The second isn't due until December 2027. You don't have to wait for the law to ask the questions. That's what this evening is about. **What you'll leave with:** Not mastery. One evening doesn't make a practice, and we're not going to pretend it does. You'll leave having done it once, with a story about what surfaced that's worth telling your team next day, and with a few questions that are hard to unsee once you've asked them of your own work. Who it's for: designers, researchers, product people, engineers, anyone who makes decisions about what gets built. No prior experience needed. **Free spots available** We believe access to these conversations matters. If you'd like to be considered for one of the 5 free tickets, please fill out this short form: 👉[https://forms.gle/YgPFKeSXtZDMVaVU9](https://forms.gle/YgPFKeSXtZDMVaVU9) Bring anything that you like to bring to a workshop and an open mind. We'll do the rest. Doors 5:30. We start at 6:00 sharp and finish at 8:30 pm

Friday Strategy Board Games at the Coat and Badge, Putney

Strategy Board Games at the The Coat and Badge, Putney. **Is this event for you?** If you have been to a few WLGC events, or are used to playing modern board games with a significant amount of rules, then this event is for you. If not, please join us at our "Beginner Friendly" event every other week. This is an event to play Strategy games which range from medium to heavy in complexity and last 2-4 hours, depending on the game. It can take about 15-30min to teach, again depending on the complexity of the game. I usually advertise which game I am going to bring a few days in advance, as it can be helpful to at least be familiar with the rules. Other gamers may bring another selection of games, so be prepared to be surprised on the day. Here are more details specifically about the Putney events: We’re a friendly, social group that regularly play a range of board games and card games. This event has been running since June 2022 and we have a core group of regular gamers but welcome new members who are looking for a games group to play on a regular or fairly regular basis. Games we play range from, 30min - 1hour games, to the heavier 2-3hour games. We alternate the weeks we play shorter games versus the longer strategy games (check the event title for which type of games are being played). Quicker, fun, social games we play: • Just One https://youtu.be/0DDRxztfJP0?si=QPavmMFE3DFipM-x • Skull King https://youtu.be/xlFHfCqY-5Y?si=X-U1WLP5JOI0oTcB • Planted https://youtu.be/BB5mwXFPrUA?si=oLor8WTSpLUs7B12 • Project L https://youtu.be/EFV-qavWUlE?si=41_XhoZQvWs_9Zp2 • 7 Wonders https://youtu.be/z_Wfdn5Es8U?si=-L3cLo2Uppdip2ow Longer, Strategy games we play: • Lost Ruins of Arnak https://youtu.be/Kg2z4ApABY8?si=l46LNYRjQA_0QoZS • Terraforming Mars https://youtu.be/n3yVpsiVwL8?si=SW7VCdJpnqErKlIO We like to start on time but if you do arrive late, don’t worry, it may mean you have to wait a bit until the next game starts, but we always try to accommodate where we can. If it's Strategy games night, it is more important that we start on time as the games are longer and we want to finish on time. If you know you are going to be late please just let us know your eta. The event is free but please keep in mind that in order to have the space and run the event on a regular basis we need to purchase drinks/food from the venue. Also, please don’t sign up and not show up. Not only do you take up a spot for someone keen to play games but we have limited space that we need to reserve with the venue and no-shows jeopardise our relationship with the venue. Thanks for your understanding. Hope to see you at a games table!!

LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Taster workshop

A fun and hands on introduction to LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, ideal for those who have not experienced the method before. After being welcomed by our experienced facilitator Liam Isaac, you will explore building models as an individual and as a group. You will become practiced at several methods of communication and learn to hear and understand others, all using LEGO! Following the workshop we will send you a free pdf copy of the book "SeriousWork" - a hands on guide to using LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® yourself (5\*\*\*\*\* reviewed book that sells for £25 on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Facilitate-Meetings-Workshops-Serious-Method/dp/0995664706) Ideal for those who are interested in participatory leadership, better communication and creativity. If you have attended a taster workshop before, you are welcome to attend but please note this introductory workshop will be a similar experience.

Marketing Networking London | Founders, Growth & Brand Leaders

The one pitfall every transformation needs to avoid

I’ve worked on several large-scale agile transformations, and one theme has consistently stood out: lasting change depends on leadership being part of the transformation, not simply supporting it from the sidelines. Leadership endorsement matters, but sustainable change comes when leaders understand, role-model and reinforce the new ways of working themselves. Their behaviours, decisions and the environment they create can either accelerate progress or unintentionally pull an organisation back towards old habits. **In this talk:** * I’ll share real stories from large-scale transformations where teams demonstrated measurable improvements, and explore how leadership behaviours influenced whether those improvements were able to grow and endure. * I’ll share examples of significant successes, supported by data, and what helped create the conditions for those results as well as what happened when those conditions later changed. * I’ll explore why leadership development is such an important part of organisational change, and how bringing leaders into the learning journey early can help new ways of working become embedded and sustainable. Ultimately, transformation is not something leaders sponsor for others to do. Leadership behaviour is part of the system — and can make or break the conditions for lasting improvement.

The Product Group London October 2026

Join fellow product people on Thu 8th October for an evening of learning, sharing and networking at The Product Group London . **Topic of the Night: AI & the Product Role** AI is here to stay, so how is it impacting all levels of the product role, from CPO to Associate? What stays the same and what needs to change to successfully operate today and going forward? How can product people develop and maintain the AI skills and knowledge required? Looking ahead, what might the role look like in a few years? All these and much more will be discussed in the night. **Featured Guest: Onder Altan, Head of Product Management, Innovance Consultancy** Onder is a senior product and technology leader with 16+ years experience taking AI-enabled products from idea to market in EdTech, financial services, defence and smart cities. As Head of Product at Innovance Consultancy, he leads the development and adoption of AI and data products for UK financial services. He is also interim Chief Product Officer of an AI-powered learning platform used by over 110 UK schools and 7,000 students. He is Senior Strategy Officer (AI) at the Blockchain Climate Institute, where he advises on AI governance for international climate programmes and contributes to global ethical AI standards through the ITU. Before this, Onder was at iPipeline and ASELSAN. **A word about our sponsor and host, AG Grid** [AG Grid](https://www.ag-grid.com/) is a JavaScript data grid designed for Enterprise Applications. Built by developers for developers, AG Grid is a self-funded, bootstrapped company with thousands of customers globally. **About The Product Group London** **The Product Group London** is a monthly meetup designed to bring product people of all levels together for topical discussions, as a group and with our guest speakers. With attendees from startups to large enterprises, there is no shortage of opportunities to network and make new connections. And whilst the focus is on product management, we welcome product designers and engineers to join for some friendly and lively discussions. **The Product Group** is supported by [The Product Way](https://www.patreon.com/TheProductWay). An online community offering new member-only content every week, including practical frameworks, case studies, and strategies to help you go further in your product career. Join [ The Product Way ](https://www.patreon.com/TheProductWay)to invest in your professional growth.

Creative Coffee & Mingle ☕️ | Help Shape Our New Look

Break the Pattern: Safe idea is taking a break

**What if the fastest way to a better idea is to stop trying to have one?** **Come and stretch your thinking at Disruptive Creativity.** We see creativity as a potential within everyone, not something mysterious or rare. You don't need to think of yourself as "creative" to find it — it's already there, waiting to be nurtured, if we only find the right conditions for it to grow. Education and the demands of work can sometimes channel our thinking down narrow corridors. In these workshops, practical exercises give us a chance to step outside them: to make unusual connections, trust our intuition and give ourselves permission to follow an idea even when it first seems strange. **For example, what does a penguin have to do with your next big idea?** Probably nothing. Which is exactly why we’re interested. In this 90-minute workshop, we’ll take your thinking down the rabbit hole using surprise, random associations, strange constraints and unexpected prompts. We’ll start with ordinary problems, then deliberately make them stranger — following connections that seem irrelevant, or improbable. You might find yourself enthusiastically defending an idea that, five minutes earlier, you would have dismissed as far-fetched — good, you’re doing it right. Surprise captures the attention by breaking mind predictions. We’ll use it deliberately — alongside collaboration and a little productive absurdity — to loosen up habitual thinking and see what appears when the obvious route is blocked. **Bring your curiosity, leave your sensible shoes and your judgement at the door. Meet interesting people. Have some fun. Leave with techniques to disrupt the predictable.**

Networking for founders, creators, freelancers + rebels ⚡

**Free monthly meetups for Rebels of all kinds, to connect, learn and share.** **Topic:** Small audience, big business: How to create content that actually sells **Guest**: Our guest this month is THAT Jess Bruno, a content strategist who has helped over 600 small business owners turn followers into paying clients. In our fireside chat, you will learn how to create content that drives sales, build an engaged community and grow a profitable business without needing a massive following, going viral or posting constantly. **Format:** 6:30 pm - Doors Open & Networking 7:00 pm - Fireside + Q&A 8:00 pm - Networking **About:** Founder-led networking events from founders, creators and successful business owners. There will be a fire side chat with opportunities to network before and after. No formal agenda, or dress-code (please wear *something* though). *** Est. 2013, meetups active globally 🌍 🚀 This event is free thanks to our members (join here: dffrnt.so/join), our partners (dffrnt.so/partners), our hosts [Rachael](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwelford/), [Vinay](linkedin.com/in/vinay-sharma-96432b9b/?skipRedirect=true), [Ken](linkedin.com/in/helloekow) and our generous hosting venue [Juntos](https://www.juntosoffices.com/). \-\-\-\- **Looking for a new co-working space?** A free day of coworking, plus 20% off all future paid meeting room and coworking bookings. (email BedfordRow@JuntosOffices.com). **Offer Conditions** Only available for attendees of Rebel Meetups. **Want more from Dffrnt?** [Learn more](http://dffrnt.so/) or [join here](http://dffrnt.so/join).

Networking Breakfast ☕🧋

We're excited to announce our next breakfast networking event! ☕ Join us at [Redemption Roasters (Holborn)](https://redemptionroasters.com/pages/locations_sub_page/holborn), for a tea or coffee and a chat before you start the working day! This event will be relaxed and informal, with the chance to meet and connect with other Women in Product London members. There's no presentations, it's just about making connections and starting the day feeling energised and refreshed. Free to attend, you can buy hot or cold drinks and breakfast items from the cafe. Children 👶🏼 welcome. Please note this is not a private space, so you'll see us at the venue securing some tables.