The Discovery Call

What's really in your dog's food? Joy Timmer, founder of Scrumpf, reveals all

Joy Timmer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joytimmer/], founder of Scrumpf [https://www.scrumpf.com/], joins Georgie Brown on the Discovery Call to expose what's really hiding in most dog food — and why the industry's biggest brands aren't the trustworthy choice most owners assume they are. Pet owners are spending more than ever on premium-looking dog food, but the industry is one of the most ultra-processed food categories in existence. Misleading front-of-pack marketing, vague "meat and animal derivatives" labelling, and cheap fillers like rice flour and potato starch are the norm — even in the brands recommended at your local vet's surgery. Scrumpf [https://www.scrumpf.com/] is changing that. Founded by Joy, Scrumpf is a freeze-dried raw food and natural supplements brand built on one principle: every ingredient has to genuinely benefit the dog. No fillers, no derivatives, no preservatives, no shortcuts. In this episode, Joy unpacks why dog health has been declining for decades, why vets aren't always the right place for nutrition advice, and how owners can spot the difference between marketing spin and genuinely good food — just by turning the packet over. What you'll learn in this episode: * Why dog food is one of the most ultra-processed food categories on the market * What "meat meal" and "animal derivatives" actually mean — and why they're allowed * The commercial relationship between big pet food brands and vets (and why nutrition advice is so skewed) * Why fillers like rice flour, potato starch and pea flour dominate ingredient lists * The link between modern dog diets and rising allergy, digestion and lifespan issues * What "complete food" really means and why novel proteins matter * Why joint care is the one supplement Joy thinks every dog over a year old should be on * Which supplements are worth the money — and which (like multivitamins) usually aren't * Honest founder lessons: surviving the trough, ignoring agency promises, and trusting your gut * Startup shout-out: Kwenched [https://www.kwenched.com/]— a canned saké cocktail brand making cleaner, hangover-free drinks Timestamps: * 00:00 — Meet Joy and what Scrumpf is * 01:50 — How a new puppy and an industry insider's view sparked the brand * 02:09 — The ultra-processed truth about most dog food * 03:22 — What "meat meal" really is * 04:46 — Why vets aren't nutrition experts (and the Royal Canin problem) * 07:58 — Why fillers like rice flour and pea flour dominate ingredient lists * 09:19 — The impact of poor diets on gut health, lifespan and allergies * 12:16 — Inside the Scrumpf range: freeze-dried food, treats and supplements * 13:21 — What "complete food" actually means * 14:37 — Joy's non-negotiables: human-grade, novel protein, no fillers * 15:46 — Why joint care should start years before your dog gets old * 18:36 — The supplement Joy says is a waste of money * 19:36 — Real customer results: from coat clarity to calmer walks * 20:59 — What's actually in the bestselling calming supplement * 23:13 — How to try Scrumpf (including as a topper for larger dogs) * 24:31 — The hardest part of building Scrumpf * 27:33 — Joy's biggest lesson: be wary of agencies and shows promising the world * 30:37 — Startup shout-out: Quenched Try Scrumpf: Website [https://www.scrumpf.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/_scrumpf/] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@_scrumpf] Connect with Joy: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joytimmer/] Discover more startup stories: Visit Discover Startups [https://www.discoverstartups.org/]and subscribe to the newsletter for weekly founder insights. Never miss an episode: Subscribe to the Discover Call on your favourite podcast platform.

Building the Infrastructure for a $1 Trillion Creator Economy with Jen Hartman, founder of Pitch Please

What if creators didn’t have to wait around for brand deals to land in their inbox… and could start pitching the right people, with the right message, at the right time? That’s exactly what Jen Hartmann [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-hartmann-mba-b667b8149/] is building with Pitch Please [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pitchplease.app&hl=en_GB]. As the creator economy enters a huge new growth era, more people than ever are building careers online through content, community and influence. But while the opportunity is massive, the tools behind the scenes still haven’t caught up. In this episode, Georgie Brown sits down with Jen Hartman, founder of Pitch Please, to talk about the next wave of creator infrastructure — and why helping creators pitch smarter could unlock a whole new level of income, independence and control. Pitch Please is a platform that helps creators and influencers instantly find the real people behind influencer marketing budgets, pitch them with confidence, and track exactly when their emails are opened. No more guessing. No more generic inboxes. No more sending messages into the void. Jen brings more than a decade of experience in the creator economy, including years running her own agency and working directly with thousands of influencers. That front-row seat gave her a clear view of one of the biggest problems in the space: creators are doing huge amounts of work, but they’re still missing the tools, access and protections they need to grow sustainable businesses. In this episode, we cover: • Why the creator economy is growing so fast • The access problem creators face when trying to land paid brand deals • Why so many pitches never reach the right person • What creators are really losing when they rely on managers or marketplaces • How Pitch Please works: search brands, find the decision-maker, pitch with AI • The future of creator tools — from auto-pitching to contract support • What Jen has learned building a tech product after running a service business • Why creators need more ownership, not just more exposure • Startup shout-out: Pony Boy If you’re a creator, influencer, marketer, or someone building in the future-of-work space, this episode is packed with sharp insight into where the creator economy is heading — and the infrastructure it still needs. Key Takeaways: • The creator economy is growing fast — but creators still need better business tools • Access is one of the biggest blockers to brand partnerships • Pitching is still too manual, too slow and too opaque for most creators • Managers can be valuable — but they also come with a real cost • Pitch Please helps creators pitch smarter and keep more control • AI can support creators far beyond content creation • The next generation of creator tools will be about ownership, leverage and efficiency 00:00 — Meet Jen & what Pitch Please is 01:39 — The creator economy growth moment 02:49 — The biggest challenges creators face today 05:55 — What actually happens when creators pitch brands 07:35 — The cost of managers, marketplaces and missed opportunities 12:04 — How Pitch Please works 14:09 — Building smarter creator tools with AI 18:30 — Early users & traction so far 20:12 — Founder lessons from building in tech 23:04 — Hiring, culture and startup growth 26:10 — Startup shout-out: Pony Boy

Why most university mentoring programs fail - and how Latte is fixing It , with Jerry Chen

What if the most valuable part of university wasn’t just the degree — but the people you should’ve met along the way? In this episode of Discover Startups, Georgie Brown speaks with Jerry Chen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/literallyjerry/], co-founder of Latte [https://www.latteconnect.com/], an EdTech startup helping universities connect students and alumni through smarter mentoring and AI-powered introductions. Mentoring programs are meant to unlock the real value of higher education — networks, advice and career guidance. But behind the scenes, most universities still run these programs manually or through clunky internal platforms that students and alumni rarely use. The result? Students struggle to access alumni networks, staff burn out trying to manage programs, and alumni engagement stays low. Jerry experienced this problem first-hand as an international student at NYU Stern, where he felt huge pressure to maximise the ROI of an expensive degree. After struggling with ineffective mentoring programs himself, he set out to build a better solution. Today, Latte [https://www.latteconnect.com/#WhatdoIdo] helps universities automate mentoring programs and create meaningful student-alumni connections without forcing users onto yet another platform. The product now has two key components: * Latte Mentorship — automates mentor matching, introductions and follow-ups for university mentoring programs. * Latte Connect — an AI-powered system that introduces students and alumni through email or text, while simultaneously updating and enriching alumni data for universities. Instead of surveys and cold outreach, Latte creates conversational introductions that make mentoring easier, more human and far more scalable. In this episode, we cover: * Why mentoring programs in higher education often fail * The hidden admin burden on career services teams * Why internal “LinkedIn-style” alumni platforms don’t work * How Latte automates mentor matching and introductions * The importance of belonging in the university experience * Why conversational engagement beats surveys for alumni data * Founder lessons from building an edtech startup * Startup shout-out: Synaptrix Labs If you work in higher education, alumni relations, career services, mentoring programs or edtech, this episode offers a fascinating look at how AI can strengthen human connection rather than replace it. Key Takeaways: • Mentoring is powerful — but difficult for universities to scale manually. • Internal networking platforms struggle because students and alumni prefer tools they already use. • Strong alumni relationships improve both career outcomes and student belonging. • Latte automates matching, introductions and follow-ups for mentoring programs. • AI can enable better conversations rather than just collect survey data. • The best B2B EdTech products serve both administrators and students. Chapters: 00:00 — Meet Jerry Chen & Latte 02:33 — The mentoring problem in higher education 06:36 — Why alumni networking tools fall short 08:49 — Belonging and the real ROI of university 09:52 — How Latte Mentorship works 13:09 — Introducing Latte Connect 16:06 — Why conversational engagement beats surveys 24:06 — Early results from mentoring programs 29:29 — Founder lessons from building Latte [https://www.latteconnect.com/#who] 35:07 — Startup shout-out: Synaptrix Labs [https://www.synaptrix-labs.com/] Links: Latte — Website [https://www.latteconnect.com/] Jerry Chen — LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/literallyjerry/]

The much needed “astro-dote” to bland Banter with Amie Farrell from Tame the Taurus

What if your zodiac sign could replace small talk forever? That’s exactly why Amie Farrell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amie-farrell-7175162b/] built Tame the Taurus [https://tamethetaurus.com/]: an astrology-based party card game designed to be the “Astrodote to Bland Banter” — turning polite catch-ups into chaotic, hilarious roast sessions powered by the zodiac. In this episode, Georgie Brown sits down with Amie Farrell, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amie-farrell-7175162b/] founder of Tame the Taurus, to unpack how a pre-wedding roast spiralled into a fully-fledged card game — and why astrology might be the ultimate shortcut to deeper (and far more entertaining) conversation. Amie didn’t set out to build a board game. She set out to recreate a moment — the instant a room shifts from mortgage chat and safe questions to bold opinions, inside jokes and stories you didn’t expect to tell. We talk about the bigger cultural shifts driving this: 1. We’re craving more IRL connection and less screen time 2. The board game market is booming — yet women represent 50% of players but only 7% of designers Tame the Taurus sits right at that intersection — astrology, roast culture, female-led design, and the modern desire for structured fun. In this episode, we cover: * The wedding-night moment that sparked the idea * Why astrology works as a conversation catalyst (even for sceptics) * How Tame the Taurus works: roast cards, zodiac matches and storytelling chaos * Why no astrology expertise is required * The surprising gender gap in the board game industry * The rise of indie card games (think Exploding Kittens, Cards Against Humanity) * What it’s like building as an indie founder vs giants like Hasbro and Mattel * The hardest part of physical product startups: playtesting at scale * Founder lessons: launch before you’re comfortable * Startup shout-out: Babaschini (a children’s fashion brand spotting trends years ahead) Key Takeaways: * Conversation itself is a product opportunity. * Cultural shifts (screen fatigue + astrology revival) create new category space. * Women are underrepresented in board game design — and that’s an opportunity. * Physical products require scrappier validation than software. * If you’re not slightly embarrassed by your MVP, you launched too late. Chapters / Timestamps: 00:00 — Meet Amie Farrell & Tame the Taurus 02:20 — The wedding roast that sparked the idea 04:50 — The board game industry opportunity (and gender gap) 07:30 — How Tame the Taurus works 09:40 — Do you need astrology knowledge? 10:30 — The spicy roast origins 12:15 — 2026 plans: PR, events & merch expansion 14:50 — The hardest part of building a physical product 16:55 — Founder advice: ship the MVP sooner 18:30 — Startup shout-out If you’re into astrology, party games, indie brands — or you’ve ever wanted a better way to break the ice than “so… how’s work?” — this one’s for you.

The Platform Turning Kindness Into Currency with Lauren Scott-Harris from EARNT

Join the EARNT newsletter (and get first dibs on upcoming “do good, get rewarded” drops) via ⁠⁠earnt.co.uk⁠⁠. [https://earnt.co.uk/] What if the best seats, the best perks, and the most exclusive brand offers weren’t reserved for people with the biggest wallets… but for people who did something genuinely good for their community? That’s the world Lauren Scott-Harris [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-scott-harris-990777b/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base%3BCn0VN2aUT%2F%2BxNYPeESTsuw%3D%3D] is building with EARNT — a social impact platform that turns volunteering into a new kind of currency. Born out of a very specific COVID-era disconnect (nurses and teachers relying on food banks while influencers unboxed endless freebies), EARNT flips the reward system on its head. Instead of brands handing perks to the loudest voices online, EARNT helps brands reward everyday people who show up: for a litter pick, a school repaint, a food bank shift, a community centre refurb — real work that makes communities better. The result is what Lauren calls a “golden triangle”: causes get volunteers, brands build deeper loyalty, and people get an “EARNT thank you” (an ETY) — exclusive perks unlocked through social good. In this episode, Georgie Brown and Lauren Scott-Harris talk about: * The moment that sparked EARNT — and why it felt urgent * Why traditional volunteering doesn’t work for most people (and what “bite-sized” help changes) * How brands can use their reach to mobilise communities in a way charities can’t * “Late stage capitalism”, the collapse of community, and why people are craving purpose * Why influencer marketing is starting to feel hollow — even when it works * How EARNT works behind the scenes (brands, causes, consumers — and the ETY) * The unexpected outcomes: new friendships, local reconnection… and even dating * Lauren’s long-term vision: kindness as a “Strava for social good” Whether you’ve been wanting to volunteer but can’t commit every Tuesday at 11… or you run a brand looking for a more meaningful loyalty play — this episode will change how you think about rewards, community, and what “value” really means. Key Takeaways: * Volunteering has a UX problem. Most people want to help — they just can’t commit to rigid, recurring slots. * “Bite-sized” social good unlocks scale. Short, flexible opportunities bring in the 84% who don’t volunteer regularly. * Brands can mobilise communities. Their marketing reach, databases, and cultural pull can do what causes often can’t. * Kindness can be a currency. Exclusive rewards feel more meaningful when you’ve earned them through real action. * Community is the real product. EARNT creates connection: friends, intergenerational links, local pride — and yes, dates. * Social impact needs business rigour. If you want a movement to last, it has to be sustainable — not just “nice”. Chapters / Timestamps: 00:00 — Meet Lauren Scott-Harris & what EARNT is 00:40 — The COVID moment that sparked the idea 02:30 — The “golden triangle”: brands, causes, consumers 04:30 — Why volunteering doesn’t work for most people 06:30 — “Bite-sized” volunteering (and why it changes everything) 08:10 — How brands help causes reach people 09:10 — Why kindness can finally work at scale 12:55 — The backlash to old status symbols (and influencer culture) 14:40 — How EARNT works (and what an ETY is) 18:10 — What users actually get out of it (community, confidence, connection) 23:35 — The long-term vision: “Strava for social good” 26:10 — Getting involved with EARNT 26:35 — The hardest part of building it 29:15 — Founder advice: trust your gut + build proof 31:45 — Startup shout-out: Tonic by Sophie Fawcett Links & Resources: EARNT: ⁠⁠earnt.co.uk⁠⁠ [https://earnt.co.uk/] Instagram: ⁠⁠@earnt_ [https://www.instagram.com/earnt_/] Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by Georgie Brown in this episode are her own and do not represent the views of her employer.