In the midst of the pandemic-generated panic, the switched-on start-ups saw an opportunity to pivot and apply their experience to ease suffering and provide solutions to help us become accustomed to this “new normal”.

From pet geneticists to gamifying environmentalists and global tech advocates, meet the game changers whose great pivot secured their future.

Our four founders hail from the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Luxembourg and Rishon Lezion, Israel, and typify the type of business owner whose drive for success, moral judgement and speed of delivery found them at the centre of Covid relief efforts.

Learn what it takes to pivot and diversify your business, protect your business against a recession, rewards that motivate and inspire start-up teams to achieve and how to hustle when the world is against you.

Meet the Pivot Masters

Rachel Glover, Managing Director at Taxa Genomics Ltd | Isle of Man
Rachel is an experienced molecular and computational biologist with expertise in molecular ecology, biosurveillance, bioinformatics and genomics. Rachel is the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Taxa Genomics, an environmental and veterinary genomics company and was instrumental in the setting up and running of the Isle of Man COVID-19 test facility.

Caroline Assaf, Founding Director at Coco World | Luxembourg
Caroline is a Harvard graduate in Sustainable Development and social entrepreneur with a focus on youth and communities. Caroline has more than 20 years multi-sectorial management experience in corporate, non-profit and public sectors across North America, Europe and Dubai.

Coco World's solution to address a global problem due to COVID-19 won a government competition with 322 entries and 15 finalists in Luxembourg. The product is about to be launched in September and has secured a lot of interest from schools and the education ecosystem.

Max Simonovsky, Founder and CEO at Soapy | Rishon Lezion, Israel
Coming from a medical science background, Max is the inventor of Soapy. He is a B2B expert with strong technological knowledge in the health, water and chemistry industries. Highly oriented to building global companies with an impact DNA business.

Ryan Howsam, Founder, Chairman & CEO at Howsam Ltd & Staysure | Gibraltar
Ryan started his career selling double glazing at 17, and went on to build an enterprise worth hundreds of millions without external investment, now employing over 1000 people across his portfolio of companies. He is the founder and chairman of the market leading insurance company Staysure, which is regulated in Gibraltar, and over the past few years his group have acquired Avanti and Paying Too Much, bolstering his market share. Ryan invests in a number of tech, financial services, startups and luxury brands.

During the 2020 Covid pandemic Ryan opened up his calendar to help other entrepreneurs with mentoring, and is currently seeking startups and businesses who need investment to apply via his website for an initial zoom pitch.

Game Changers: Make It or Break It is sponsored by Continent 8 Technologies, and organised by Startup Grind Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Luxembourg and Rishon Lezion, Israel.

Registration is free via www.startupgrind.com.