Founders Unplugged: Burnout, Boundaries and Balance

Startup life is fast, demanding, and often unsustainable - but it doesn’t have to be. Founders Unplugged: Burnout, Boundaries & Balance brings together founders, early-stage employees, investors, and leaders for an honest, practical discussion on how to stay focused, build resilience, and lead sustainably. Expect real stories, sharp insights, and tools to help you grow your business without losing your balance.

🗣 Our Panel:

Rich Wilson - Co-Founder & CEO - Gigged.AI

Rich Wilson is Co-Founder and CEO of Gigged.AI, the platform that is helping FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies navigate the tech talent shortage through their AIpowered Blended Workforce Platform. Prior to founding Gigged.AI, Rich spent 12 years in senior leadership positions at prominent US staffing firm Allegis Group and 3 years working with Gartner where he worked with CIO's on how to navigate Digital Transformation, AI adoption and the Future of Work. Rich is a thought leader in the Digital Transformation, Agentic AI and the Future of Work and has contributed in articles with Forber, Raconteur and the Financial Times. 

Rich was also a board member with The Data Lab advising on how to solve the skill shortage of data scientists. Rich is the host of start-up podcast First Time Founder.

Mehalah Beckett - Leadership, Team & Business Coach - Lead Powerful Impact

Mehalah Beckett, Founder of Lead Powerful Impact, coaches impact-driven leaders and sustainable businesses to accelerate their impact with ease and energy; struggle and stress are not necessary conditions for success!

An Economist by background, she has worked across the public and private sectors, at home and abroad, managing teams, businesses and multi-million turnovers. She has a tendency to over-work and people-please, so boundaries between burnout and balance are well tested and are a major focus of her success-partnerships with her clients. 

Rob Lough - Head of Growth - MHouse

Entrepreneur, startup specialist and advisor. Former founder and Chief Growth Officer of KidsKnowBest. Business was ranked 33rd on Deloitte Fast50 in 2023 with over 869% revenue growth across a four year period.

Lorna MacDonald - Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist, Leadership & Career Coach - The Hypnotherapy Nook

Backed by 20 years of HR experience, the last 10 in senior HR roles in various tech businesses (from startups to most recently at DuckDuckGo), Lorna understands the fine line between high performance and burnout. Lorna helps businesses and individuals spot the early signs of burnout and take practical steps to avoid it. She blends neuroscience-backed psychotherapy and hypnotherapy with practical coaching to help rewire stress responses and rebuild balance - wellbeing and achievement really can thrive together! Lorna also has a keen interest in the role neurodivergence can play in burnout.

Ingrid McGhee - Employment Law Partner

Ingrid McGhee is a reputable go-to employment lawyer, who has supported and advised businesses ranging from SMEs to FTSE100s and senior executives across a variety of sectors. She prides herself in her pragmatic, direct and personable approach and has built a solid reputation as a valued business partner and advisor. 

Agenda:

1. Welcome & Networking

2. Let's Get Talking - Panel Session

3. Q&A followed by open mic session where any attendee is free to speak their mind or ask for a piece of advice (60-seconds each) from the community and receive feedback.

4. Continued networking, there's no Startup Grind event where you don't leave with new friends and exciting connections.

How to attend?

📅 Date: Thursday 13th November 2025

🕔 Time: 18:00 - 20:30

📍 Location: CT, Second Floor, 201 West George Street, Glasgow, G2 2LW

Only 10 minutes walk from both Queens Street and Glasgow Central Station.

We are delighted to be hosted by CT for this event. CT is an accounting and advisory firm offering services in tax, audit, corporate finance, and business consulting. Founded in 1885, they have offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and London.

Why attend?

- Learn from Scotland's leading startup founders & experts

- Catch up with friends and make new ones

- Drinks and delicious food

- Share an ask with the community via our open-mic

Whether you're a founder, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply curious about the stories behind successful startups, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.