After graduating from Oxford University in 2006, Clare spent eight years working as a business journalist in London. In 2013, she left London and moved to Asia. She has launched or helped launch three startups from Asia since then.
As well as founding Start Me Up, Clare runs a PR business for startups called The Story Scientist. Her clients and her writing have been featured everywhere from Forbes and The Huffington Post to The Times, The Telegraph, and Fast Company.
When I was 19 years old I went on a gap year to Honduras in Central America. I was interning with a newspaper there. One weekend we hitched a lift to the capital of El Salvador with a foreign correspondent for Reuters. The next day we hitched again, this time up a volcano. We didn’t see another tourist the whole time.
I was having the time of my life. But when my dad found out about my little adventure, he wasn't best pleased.
Launching Start Me Up has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. And as cheesy as it sounds, I don't really view it as work because every single person has thanked me for the experience.
They have all had amazing adventures. I’m particularly proud of the students who’ve gone on to launch projects as a result of being inspired during their time with us.
By the time Amelia Bargh from the UK had finished her four-weeks on the Startup Internship Program, she had decided to launch her own business, The Odd Earring Company, and was presenting her idea to a room full of experienced entrepreneurs.
Bali is where we started. It’s also where I started my entrepreneurial journey and the people there have had a huge impact on me. It’s an incredibly special place and I wish I could have experienced it when I was younger, which is why I launched Start Me Up.
Loving what you do. I want to encourage more young people to have the confidence to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and I love it when I see my efforts pay off.