Supporting Founder to restructure for a stronger future
At a key moment of change for Enterprise Learning Projects (ELP), a fresh perspective and new models were needed to help the Founder exit and the organisation to grow and deliver on their mission.
Melbourne – Australia
Opportunity
After 10 years of driving outcomes for enterprises in remote Indigenous communities, the Founder of ELP was ready to step out of leading and managing the organisation. This moment of change provided an opportunity for ELP to think about the makeup and role of the board, the business model and the restructuring of both legal structures and key personnel roles in order to support ELP’s future and the Founder’s legacy.
Approach
We have a deep understanding of what is required to move an entrepreneurial project towards being a thriving business.
Founders often give their all and run to the point of exhaustion. In the case of ELP we used a combination of our PT – Coaching and Studio to identify problem areas and opportunities; model possible scenarios forward; and support the Founder in implementing the necessary changes.
Our work was equally about setting ELP up for success into the future as well as supporting the Founder to step away to pursue new opportunities.
Reflections
The breadth of our experience in this sector and our extensive personal experiences allowed us to spot and anticipate emerging problems, common pitfalls, and to give the Founder comfort that she was not the first (and wouldn’t be the last!) to experience the growing pains that were facing her organisation.
Combining a design-led approach to shaping a vision for the future with practical steps to bring that vision to life in a way that supported the Founder on the journey is a process we are uniquely positioned to do and which we thoroughly enjoy being part of.
Outcomes
Complete restructuring of the Board
Hiring of a new CEO
Establishment of a new separate entity to better allow growth and begin the demonstration of how the organisational model needs to operate moving forward
“I felt confident engaging with Benefit Capital on this project. They brought a high degree of professionalism, together with extensive real-life experience in designing and navigating social impact business models. The thorough needs and situational analysis they undertook established the project goals and deliverables, and they worked iteratively with me to ensure these were comprehensively addressed.”
Laura Egan, Founder, Enterprise Learning Projects