Leadership – what will it teach you?

AS our CEO, Saffron Saunders, celebrates 5 years in position, what are her reflections?

It’s now five years since I stepped into the role of CEO of Startup Croydon. Today, that organisation is known as UP — a bold new brand for a new era, but with the same heart: supporting people to build, grow, and believe in themselves. 

This milestone isn’t just about time served. It’s about growth — personal, organisational, and collective. It’s about navigating uncertainty, backing ourselves when it would be easier not to, and choosing progress even when the path isn’t clear. 

Here are five reflections from the journey so far, shared in the hope they inspire those we support every day. 

1. Step up, even when doubt is loud 
   Growth rarely arrives when you feel “ready.” Stepping into a challenge means learning to move forward despite imposter syndrome, sceptics, or naysayers — both external and internal. Confidence often follows action, not the other way around. If you’re being stretched, then you are growing into your next stage. 

2. Transforming an established organisation takes courage and patience 
   Leading an organisation into a new era is not about erasing its past but honouring it while reshaping the future. Doing this through significant periods of time, like COVID demanded resilience, adaptability, and belief. Change is rarely easy, but it is always necessary if we want to stay relevant, impactful, and alive. 

3. You grow more than you ever expect 
   Leadership doesn’t just deepen your expertise — it broadens you. You stretch across strategy, people, culture, creativity, finance, crisis management, and vision. You become more human, more resilient and more aware of what you don’t know. That breadth is not a weakness — it’s a strength built over time. 

4. The people make everything meaningful 
   One of the greatest privileges of this role is meeting extraordinary people every day — founders, creatives, innovators — and supporting them as they change their lives. Watching confidence spark, ideas take shape, and futures shift is a constant reminder of why this work matters. 

5. Looking forward: growth, clarity, and boldness with UP 
   The evolution from Startup Croydon to UP represents more than a new name or visual identity. It signals intention, ambition, and belief in what comes next. Through planning, strong creative assets, and a bold brand, UP is positioned to grow and to help even more people rise with us. Having an attitude of trust and an openness to new ideas and contributions has worked well for me during a time of much uncertainty for our sector.

Five years on, I’m proud of what’s been built — and even more excited about what’s ahead. The journey continues, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: progress belongs to those willing to step up. 

The Croydon Business Support Programme

We are currently delivering a programme of business support for Croydon Council. The Croydon Business Support Programme. (CBSP)

Since launching the Programme, we’ve had the privilege of serving 64 entrepreneurs and small business owners across our borough, through partnering with other coworking hubs in Central Croydon, Coulsdon, Purley, New Addington, and South Norwood.

This cohort reflects the vibrant diversity of Croydon itself: 51 women, 10 disabled business owners, and at least 30 participants from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds. We’ve delivered support through workshops, an intensive incubator programme, 1:1 drop-in sessions, and a first-of-its-kind partnership with London South Bank University that provides student consultancy to eight local businesses.

What makes me proudest is that we’ve grounded this work in Croydon. Our facilitators and advisers are drawn from the community, and participants tell us they feel it. One of our participants offered her feedback

“I just want to really praise UP! for reaching a real demographic diversity in Croydon. It is exciting and feels vital and right to be in a properly diverse age, gender, ethnicity group full of capable and inspiring individuals and also trainers.”

This is what inclusive economic development looks like: practical, accessible, borough-wide support that meets entrepreneurs where they are and helps them build resilient, ambitious businesses.

We look forward to bringing more dynamic and appropriate support to our community and raising aspirations.

If youd like to be part of our community – get in touch.

Fire UP Your Funding: An Evening with Mario Aleppo + Expert Finance Panel

Scaling secrets from Mario Aleppo followed by a tactical funding panel with experts from NatWest, SBI, The WIP, and Execution Capital.

Join us for a powerhouse double-feature evening: Scaling secrets from Fireaway Pizza’s founder, followed by a tactical funding panel with experts from NatWest, SBI, The WIP, and Execution Capital.

As part of the Croydon Business Support Programme (CBSP), this evening is designed for local founders who want to move beyond the start-up phase, understand what scaling actually looks like, and learn exactly how to fund it.

Part 1: Fireside Chat with Mario Aleppo

In 2016, Mario Aleppo left his job to open the first Fireaway Pizza. Today, it is one of the UK’s fastest-growing franchises. But the journey between those two points wasn’t a straight line, it involved massive financial risk, operational headaches, and learning how to lead a national brand.

Join us for a candid fireside conversation about the financial decisions, growth mistakes, and the reality of scaling fast when you’re still figuring it out.

You’ll hear about:

• The financial reality of opening the first Fireaway store and how he funded it.
• Moving from one location to a franchise model.
• The biggest mistake he made while scaling and what it cost him.
• How he manages quality control across 160+ locations.
• His advice for founders who are still employed or just starting to see traction.

Part 2: Fire UP Your Funding Expert Panel

Immediately following Mario’s session, we will pivot from inspiration to implementation. This expert panel will break down the different routes to finance your own growth.

The Panel:

• Kevin Monserrat, Execution Capital: CEO and expert in alternative investment models that bridge the gap between seed and scale.
• Viveck Patil, State Bank of India UK: Head of the UK Business Hub, bringing expertise in commercial lending and debt finance for established businesses.
• Nick Howe, NatWest: Strategic Partnership Manager, specialising in startup banking and connecting founders to the wider support ecosystem.
• Lucy Kebbell, The WIP: Founder and grants specialist, focusing on non-dilutive funding and financial sustainability.