Sophie Adelman

Serial Entrepreneur | Startup Advisor

Leadership Coaching & Advisory for Post-Seed Stage Founders & CEOs

Leadership Coaching & Advisory for Founders & CEOs

How I Work With Founders

I offer long-term, retainer-based coaching and advisory to a small number of Founders/ CEOs at a time.

My work focuses on the real challenges of scaling leadership:

Leadership clarity - Finding your voice and decision-making framework as the company grows
Operating cadence - Building the rhythms and systems that keep your organization aligned
Senior hiring & organisational growth - Attracting and assessing the executives who will scale with you
Founder dynamics - Navigating co-founder relationships and board dynamics
Sustainable growth - Scaling the company without burning out yourself or your team
Fundraising & Investor Relationships - Building the story to successfully raise further capital, managing the fundraising process and building a strong partnership with VC investors.

I combine practical, hands-on advice with coaching-style support, offering both strategic perspective and a confidential space to think through the hardest decisions. I'm not an investor or board member in the companies I advise, which means I'm fully independent and focused on your success.

My approach is calm, direct, and empathetic. I've been in your seat, and I bring both lived operator experience and deep pattern recognition from working closely with multiple scaling companies.

I advise because I truly believe in empowering founders to succeed with the right support and honesty. With my experience as an entrepreneur, operator, investor, and advisor, I’m here to help you stay resilient and focused on growth.

More details

My Background

I've co-founded and scaled two startups through the exact challenges my clients face today.

I co-founded Multiverse, the European edtech unicorn creating alternatives to traditional higher education. I helped scale the company from its earliest stages through hypergrowth, navigating fundraising, team building, and the complex stakeholder environment that comes with redefining an industry.

I then founded and led One Garden as CEO, an online learning platform and community that I scaled and successfully exited through acquisition by a UK public company (Saga Plc).

Between these ventures, I was Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Index Ventures, and I've since angel invested in over 30 startups. I'm also a parent of two children - both born while I was in the thick of building companies - so I understand what it means to lead while juggling everything life throws at you.

I don't have all the answers, but I have hard-earned experience and pattern recognition from being inside the founder's journey multiple times. I'm here to share what I've learned with a small number of leaders who want to build something meaningful without losing themselves in the process.

Who I Work With

My clients are typically seed to Series B stage Founders and CEOs transitioning from hands-on founder to scale-up leader.

I work best with founders who:

Are building ambitious companies and moving from hustle to scalable growth
Want a trusted thought partner, not surface-level advice
Are willing to commit to working together, not just "check in when things are on fire"
Care about how they lead, not just what they build

If this resonates with you and you're feeling the weight of your growing company and investor expectations, let's talk. I'm here to help you think clearly and lead confidently.

Let's Connect

I work with a small number of founders at a time on a retainer basis, to ensure I can be fully present and deeply invested in your success.

If you're interested in working together, book a 30-minute intro call. We'll discuss your current challenges and whether my advisory approach is the right fit.

Email: sophie @ sophieadelman.com

Based in: Munich & London