In June 2025, Sustainabelle launched its first Innovation Bootcamp at the Future Fabrics Expo.
Over 30 start-up founders joined us for a half day of deep, applied sessions on business modelling, investor readiness, legal frameworks, brand partnerships, and commercialization strategy.
That one-day bootcamp proved something important:
There is strong appetite for commercially rigorous, industry-connected support in sustainable fashion innovation.
Now, we’re taking it further.
We’ve transformed that experience into a focused, 8-week online programme designed to reach more innovators and go significantly deeper into the commercial foundations that determine whether innovation scales.
Welcome to...
The Innovator Insider - Startup Edition:
Revenue-Ready in 8 Weeks
Often, the questions that determine your success are not technical, they’re commercial...
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Do you understand your unique value proposition and position in the market?
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Have you mapped a structured go-to-market plan?
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Can you articulate lifecycle cost advantage under regulatory pressure?
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Are your offtake agreements truly de-risking your business?
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Can you explain your regulatory exposure across key markets?
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Are you framing impact as compliance or competitive advantage?
These are the questions that determine whether your innovation becomes a niche sustainability initiative or a scalable industry solution.
The Innovation Insider programme bridges the gap between
innovation and revenue-ready scale.
What's covered in the Innovation Insider programme?
Through a combination of pre-recorded content, live expert-led sessions, and direct introductions to brands and investors, participants gain the tools, confidence, and industry connections needed to grow.
Module 1 - Problem / solution & value proposition
Module 2 - Go-to-market & activity system
Module 3 - Legal playbook for founders
Module 4 - Structuring brand partnerships
Module 5 - Structuring supplier partnerships
Module 6 - Impact playbook & narrative
Module 7 - Managing Boards with style
Module 8 - Investor pitching & storytelling
Additional - Module 8 will include a pitch competition to the Sustainable Fashion Syndicate investor network with the winner receiving one hour of consulting with two experts of their choice from the program.
Following the programme you will receive recorded access to all content and workbooks for continued use.
Meet the Innovation Insider founder.
Christine Goulay
Founder of Sustainabelle Advisory Services, Christine is an expert in sustainability, innovation, business development, supply chain, and thought leadership. Christine's career includes roles as:
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A corporate lawyer in the venture capital and private equity sectors.
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Leading B2B operations with P&L responsibility for ethical fashion startup Edun Apparel and material science company PANGAIA.
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INSEAD's Center for Entrepreneurship, balancing trade-offs between financial returns and impact.
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Leading sustainable innovation and managing sustainable sourcing practices at Kering, a global luxury group.
Additionally, Christine is a board member, advisor, lecturer, speaker, and workshop facilitator, focusing on innovation and sustainability.
Meet the industry experts leading programme modules.
Joanne Brook
Leading module 3: Legal playbook for founders
Joanne is a solicitor of 29 years. She advises businesses and individuals on contract and commercial matters to ensure products and services are sold on appropriate terms and that protection and licensing of intellectual property rights is correctly documented. Joanne's particular focus is working with those in the creative and technology sectors, with B Corps and those working towards accreditation and improving their ESG outcomes. Engaging closely with business owners and directors, Joanne helps clients achieve commercial solutions to legal issues that arise when bringing emerging technologies, new goods or services to market, in undertaking collaborations and recording agreements between businesses, directors, shareholders and other stakeholders.
Nicky Bunce
Leading module 5: Structuring supplier partnerships
Nicky is a supply chain veteran with 20+ years working as a Raw Materials Sourcing, Development and Supply Chain Management Expert based in Asia working with brands such as Nike, Next, Tory Burch, Coach & Kate Spade. Her scope covers all categories of RTW fabrics, leather goods materials including leather and hardware. Nicky's extensive material and supply chain knowledge coupled with her passion for sustainability means that she has always gravitated towards driving the agenda for using preferred materials and this has led her to finding an additional passion finding circular solutions to waste and supply chain decarbonisation strategies that aid brands in working towards their SBTi targets.
Libby Sommer
Leading module 6: Impact playbook and narrative
Libby works at the intersection of sustainability, science and corporate decision-making. From the US Environmental Protection Agency to Nike to small start-ups, she has made a career of enabling better decision-making in service of more sustainable products and companies. Her work covers many industries including cleaning products, chemicals, food, electronics, and apparel & footwear. Most recently she led corporate responsibility for Bolt Threads, a materials start-up focused on mycelium and biomimetic spider silk materials. As an independent consultant, she has advised on circularity, life cycle assessment, green chemistry, biodegradation, and human rights for NGOs, brands and start-ups.
Irene Maffini
Module 8: Investor pitching & storytelling
Irene is an investor, senior adviser and start-up operator with 15 years of experience commercialising clean technologies across various industries. She has invested in 40 climatech start-ups (16 in fashion) and mentored over 100 companies, helping them raise over £70 million in funding. Currently, Irene focuses on operational and advisory roles in innovative companies driving sustainability in the textile industry. She serves as a Chief Commercial Officer and Non-Executive Director at DyeRecycle and is an adviser to a portfolio of sustainable fashion innovators. As an angel investor, Irene continues to support sustainable innovations, particularly in fashion and textiles.
Additional - Module 8 will include a pitch competition to the Sustainable Fashion Syndicate investor network with the winner receiving one hour of consulting with two experts of their choice from the program.
By joining the Innovation Insider programme, you will gain...
Strategic foundations
You will develop the core capabilities required to scale commercially.
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Clear value proposition and go-to-market strategy
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Legal and commercial readiness for partnerships
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Ability to structure brand and supplier collaborations
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Strong impact narrative aligned with business model
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Design thinking applied
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Investor pitching and storytelling skills
Real-world application & market access
Beyond theory, the programme connects you directly to the ecosystem. Those who complete the programme will receive:
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You will receive 5 curated introductions of their choice to brands, suppliers, and investors, carefully matched to your stage and growth objectives.
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The opportunity to pitch to a live panel of Sustainable Fashion Syndicate (SFS) investors.
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Practical feedback from experienced industry leaders.
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A certificate of completion.