Regulatory compliance consultancy Arcus Compliance has launched a new SaaS tool to streamline the arduous but vital task for small businesses of monitoring and adhering to UK and European regulatory requirements.

Designed to support founders, start-ups and brands in the beauty and nicotine industries, MAVRYX® Assistant is a centralised compliance command centre. It provides easy access to the information owners need to ensure their products are, and remain, compliant. Built using Arcus’s consultancy knowledge bank, the tool draws on years of experience and the latest relevant regulations which are continuously updated. Key features include a written or audio summary of the latest compliance news, an overview of the regulatory horizon, an ingredients checker, portfolio monitoring and a chat assistant for extra support.

With The EU Safety Gate — the European Rapid Alert System for reporting dangerous non-food products — announcing its highest ever number of alerts last year, and growing scrutiny from retail platforms, it’s clear to see why brands need support when it comes to compliance. In this age of increased enforcement, businesses are subject to commercial as well as compliance risks.

Currently, compliance professionals spend around 15%* of their working week — roughly a full day — just researching regulations. According to Arcus, the new tool will significantly reduce the amount of time needed by founders to manually monitor compliance, ensure products meet requirements and stay ahead of any future changes.

One of MAVRYX® Assistant’s key features is the ingredients checker. By providing information on new and impending ingredients bans, the tool will also highlight in advance which products require reformulation and count down the days until the ban comes into effect. This makes it ideal for businesses with a portfolio of products and numerous formulations to resolve potential issues before the deadline.

While it doesn’t replace the need for independent regulatory advice, MAVRYX® Assistant is designed to aid and speed up the decision making process. By asking simple questions, founders will receive the technical information required to meet their obligations and their specific needs, rather than having to wade through pages of information which are not always applicable.

MAVRYX® Assistant has been six years in the making and builds on Arcus’ extensive expertise working with brands in more than 50 countries. It is the brainchild of founder Lee Bryan whose mission is to protect consumers and champion entrepreneurs who want to do things right. For Bryan, compliance is a weapon, helping founder-led brands in industries such as beauty, personal care and nicotine punch up in regulated markets.

Lee Bryan, founder of Arcus Compliance, said: “For years, real regulatory intelligence has sat behind the walls of big multinationals with in-house teams. MAVRYX® Assistant is about levelling the playing field. Founders get the answers, the regulatory horizon and their ingredient checks in plain English, so they can stop guessing, punch up and compete with brands many times their size.”

With language options currently in English, Korean, Spanish and Chinese, and more to follow, MAVRYX® Assistant is available now for brands selling into the UK and Europe. It is offered on a 12-month subscription model with one, three or five seats as standard. Roll out across the US and Asia is set to take place in Q1 2027, before it will be made available globally in mid-2027.

For more information, see https://arcuscompliance.com/mavryx/

*Source: Based on research by Reuters and RAPS

_

About Arcus Compliance

Since 2017, Arcus Compliance has supported over 680 brands across more than 50 markets to understand their regulatory obligations, gain market access in the UK and EU, and keep their products on the market as enforcement tightens.

Used by entrepreneurs and founders, Arcus Compliance operates across a range of regulated industries including cosmetics, personal care and novel nicotine. Its aim is to empower bold, disruptive businesses by taking care of compliance and enabling them to focus on building powerful brands.

Press Enquiries:

Ambition PR

biztech@ambitionpr.co.uk

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Arcus Compliance launches new ‘regulatory assistant in your pocket’ — MAVRYX® Assistant was originally published in Bold Ambition Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Retirement is a life-changing event, yet many underestimate the profound impact of this transition. While this newfound freedom can feel exciting at first, the sheer amount of time and choice can quickly become overwhelming, leaving many asking, “What do I do now?” According to the 2025 Money and Happiness in America survey from retirement author Wes Moss, as reported in Forbes, happy retirees spend more time on activities they enjoy and find meaningful than unhappy retirees, highlighting that identifying and pursuing these activities can make all the difference to later-life satisfaction. So, why is retirement planning still so often focused on finances and practicalities, rather than the wider shift and possibilities of life beyond work?

This question is at the heart of Designing Your Second Act: How to Create Meaning and Confidence Beyond Full-Time Work (Productivity Press), the empowering new book by seasoned executive and founder of Next Chapter Life Design, Tammy Martins. Reframing retirement as a bridge to a purposeful new chapter, not a cliff or an endpoint, Martins provides a much-needed flexible roadmap that invites readers to rediscover themselves and deliberately design the enriching second act they deserve.

When reflecting on more than 20 years of experience devising resilient business systems, Martins recognized that the iterative principles used to drive effective organizational transformation could also help people reinvent and build fulfilling lives. With this in mind, the book synthesizes design thinking, Lean management principles, continuous improvement, adult development theory, scientific research, and stories from individuals navigating major transitions to introduce a structured Life Design framework. Crafted for mid and later-career professionals, the framework culminates in the Life Design Playbook™ — a single-page living plan that brings together the book’s practical tools and models so readers are equipped to translate them into action and refine along the way.

Packed with reflective exercises and real-life examples, this hands-on, interactive guide teaches readers how to imagine, prototype, and implement a second act that fits their values, personality, strengths, and aspirations. Martins intentionally covers both the how and the why of building a retirement grounded in agency, showing readers how to identify their current state and what energizes them, craft their plan, and put their ideas into practice through small experiments using the IDEA Cycle™.

Martins keenly demonstrates that retirement is not linear, nor is there only one option. Designing Your Second Act outlines a variety of retirement paths, such as phased retirement and portfolio career, explores how to evaluate the three foundational areas of health, wealth, and purpose needed to form a stable retirement, and offers strategies for when things do not go to plan. Furthermore, Martins shows employers how they too can support positive retirement experiences and makes the case for why retaining access to some of their most experienced and knowledgeable workers is a sound business decision.

Whether actively preparing for retirement, facing it unexpectedly, or simply keen to make the most of the years ahead, Designing Your Second Act is the ideal roadmap for moving forward with intention and confidence. With Martins’ tried-and-tested tools and encouraging guidance, readers can continue to leverage their talents, adapt as life changes, and create a rewarding retirement on their own terms.

Designing Your Second Act is available on Amazon and in all good bookshops from the 4th November 2026.

New book “Designing Your Second Act” reveals how to create meaning and confidence beyond full-time… was originally published in Bold Ambition Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Untapping Innovation: An R&D Playbook for Products and Stories That Sell, by Deirdre Walters, Sally Kemkers and Suzanne Allers, has been selected as a Distinguished Author by the International Impact Book Awards. The distinction recognises a limited number of authors whose work demonstrates a meaningful impact on the readers and communities they serve.

Published by Practical Inspiration Publishing in June 2026, Untapping Innovation draws on the authors’ decades of experience in research and development at Procter & Gamble and their work helping global consumer packaged goods companies develop breakthrough products. Addressing the challenge that 75–85% of consumer product launches fail, the book offers a practical, connected R&D playbook to help teams uncover deeper user insights, make better decisions earlier and turn technical innovation into products that succeed.

The book sets out eight agile tools designed to reduce rework, focus investment and bring R&D, marketing and leadership closer together around what consumers genuinely need. It also explores how emerging trends, including AI, are shaping the future of product development.

Walters, Kemkers and Allers are founding partners of Untapped Innovation, a global consultancy helping organisations create breakthrough products and compelling product stories.They also co-founded STEM Untapped, a non-profit supporting underrepresented students in STEM.

The International Impact Book Awards celebrates authors whose work makes a meaningful contribution to their fields and the communities they serve. The recognition highlights the contribution of Untapping Innovation to the ongoing conversation around how more effective, user-focused innovation is better for consumers and ultimately the businesses that serve them.

_____

About the authors:

Deirdre Walters, Sally Kemkers and Suzanne Allers are founding partners of Untapped Innovation, a global agency helping R&D teams at companies like PepsiCo, P&G, Unilever, and Reckitt create breakthrough products and compelling product stories. Having met at Procter & Gamble, they combine expertise in user psychology, product insight, and commercial strategy. They all have degrees in science with additional diverse experience — Suzanne’s scientific PhD, Sally’s consumer insight background, and Deirdre’s experience in manufacturing and marketing — helping them bridge R&D and business functions. Since launching Untapped Innovation in 2012 and working with CPG clients, they have honed their innovation skills while also co-founding STEM Untapped, a non-profit supporting underrepresented students in STEM.

About the book:

Untapping Innovation: An R&D playbook for products and stories to sell® is available on Amazon and in all good bookshops

Hardback:

ISBN: 978–1–78860–951–7

Price: £34.99

Paperback:

ISBN: 978–1–78860–952–4

Price: £24.99

R&D playbook Untapping Innovation recognised by International Impact Book Awards was originally published in Bold Ambition Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

R&D product innovation agency, Untapped Innovation, has launched Innovation Gym — a new toolkit to support effective and efficient product development by in-house R&D professionals.

Created by Untapped Innovation’s founding partners, Innovation Gym turns decades of FMCG R&D experience into guided digital tools that teams can apply directly into real life product development. It aims to support the swift creation of successful products which resonate with consumers.

Innovation Gym provides a ready-to-use framework for live projects at any stage. It uses eight tools designed specifically to develop better products faster, including the Ideal Product Model and Product Story. Designed as a complete toolkit, it helps teams to clarify product briefs and hone in on what consumers actually want.

The tools can be used throughout product development to help maximise chances of success from the outset. R&D teams simply work with the tool themselves, using their own research, technical knowledge and project inputs. As a result, processes are more diligent and effective, minimising opportunities for rework or delays.

Deirdre Walters, founding partner of Untapped Innovation, said: “Innovating today is harder than ever — 75–85% of consumer product launches fail. R&D teams need to move faster to develop better products more consistently. With Innovation Gym, we’ve specifically designed the tools to help teams elevate their product development hit rate.”

“Speed is key within today’s R&D environment but rigour remains paramount,” continues Sally Kemkers, founding partner of Untapped Innovation. “Having spent years directly within R&D and then advising teams ourselves, we understand the challenges and have created Innovation Gym to deliver what R&D teams need right now.”

Innovation Gym is available on an annual subscription. Additional tools and add-ons including live case studies and project application sessions, plus more seats, can be purchased as required.

For more information on Untapped Innovation’s Innovation Gym, see www.untappedinnovation.com/innovation-gym

-ENDS-

About Untapped Innovation:

Untapped Innovation is a global agency helping R&D teams at companies like PepsiCo, P&G, Unilever, and Reckitt create breakthrough products and compelling product stories. Having met at Procter & Gamble, founding partners Deirdre Walters, Sally Kemkers and Suzanne Allers combine expertise in user psychology, product insight, and commercial strategy. They all have degrees in science with additional diverse experience — Suzanne’s scientific PhD, Sally’s consumer insight background, and Deirdre’s experience in manufacturing and marketing — helping them bridge R&D and business functions. Since launching Untapped Innovation in 2012 and working with CPG clients, they have honed their innovation skills while also co-founding STEM Untapped, a non-profit supporting underrepresented students in STEM.

Press Enquiries:

Claire McGill / Alex Showell — AmbitionPR

biztech@ambitionpr.co.uk

Tel: 01603 743 363

Untapped Innovation launches R&D toolkit for FMCG teams was originally published in Bold Ambition Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Governing the Machine: How to navigate the risks of AI and unlock its true potential by Ray Eitel-Porter, Dr Paul Dongha and Miriam Vogel has been named Specialist Business Book 2026 at The Business Book Awards.

The book, published by Bloomsbury Business, was recognised at the awards ceremony at The Drum, Wembley, London, where it was selected as the winner in the Specialist Business Book category. The 2026 awards featured their largest-ever shortlist, with 130 books from around the world shortlisted, reflecting the growing importance of business publishing and practical expertise in a rapidly changing world.

The award comes as organisations face increasing pressure to adopt generative AI and AI agents while managing the legal, operational, ethical and reputational risks that come with them. The Amazon best-seller, Governing the Machine, addresses this challenge by providing a practical framework for organisations seeking to use AI responsibly while still capturing its transformative potential.

Drawing on the authors’ combined experience across business, financial services, technology, policy and AI governance, the book examines nine core categories of AI risk: accuracy and reliability; fairness and bias; interpretability, explainability and transparency; accountability; privacy; security; intellectual property and confidentiality; workforce; and environment and sustainability.

Rather than treating AI governance as a barrier to innovation, the authors argue that effective governance is what enables organisations to adopt AI with confidence. The book offers a step-by-step approach designed to help organisations of different sizes and levels of AI maturity establish governance that can adapt as the technology, regulatory environment and use cases evolve.

Ray Eitel-Porter, Dr Paul Dongha and Miriam Vogel bring complementary perspectives to the challenge. Eitel-Porter advises multinational companies and the public sector on AI governance and responsible AI, having previously led Accenture’s global Responsible AI program. Dongha leads Responsible AI and AI Strategy at NatWest Group and holds a PhD in AI agent technology from the University of Manchester. Vogel is President and CEO of EqualAI and served as inaugural Chair of the US National AI Advisory Committee.

Rather than adding to the hype or fear that can surround AI, Governing the Machine takes a practical, evidence-based approach to the challenges organisations face, helping leaders understand how to manage risk while creating the conditions for responsible innovation. The authors argue that effective governance should not be a barrier to AI adoption, but a foundation for using the technology with greater confidence.

On the win, Ray Eitel-Porter said:

“We are delighted that Governing the Machine has been recognised by The Business Book Awards. AI governance is sometimes presented as something that slows innovation down, but our experience is the opposite. Good governance gives organisations the confidence and clarity to use AI well. This award is a wonderful recognition of the importance of making responsible AI practical and accessible to the people who are actually deploying it.”

Dr Paul Dongha said:

“AI is moving from experimentation into the core of how organisations operate. That makes governance an increasingly important business discipline, not simply a technical or compliance exercise. We wrote Governing the Machine to help leaders navigate that transition in a practical way, and we are thrilled that the Business Book Awards has recognised the contribution the book makes to the conversation.”

Winning the award marks a significant milestone for Governing the Machine, recognising its practical approach to the challenges facing business leaders, technologists, policymakers and governance professionals as AI reshapes modern business.

[ENDS]

About Governing the Machine

Governing the Machine: How to navigate the risks of AI and unlock its true potential is published by Bloomsbury Business and is available in hardback, ebook and audiobook.

ISBN: 978–1399426299

Price: £25.00 (Hardback)

Publisher: Bloomsbury Business

Publication date: 23rd October 2025

About the Authors

Ray Eitel-Porter advises multinational companies and the public sector on AI governance and responsible AI. He is a Senior Research Associate at the Intellectual Forum, Jesus College, Cambridge University. He led Accenture’s global Responsible AI practice and established Accenture’s AI governance program.

Dr Paul Dongha leads Responsible AI and AI Strategy at one of the UK’s largest banks, NatWest Group. He ensures AI innovation drives value while rigorously adhering to regulations and protecting customers. He was also Group Head of Data & Ethics at Lloyds Bank, chairing both the AI ethics boards at both banks. Paul holds a PhD in AI agent technology from the University of Manchester and teaches AI Governance Oxford Said Business School.

Miriam Vogel is the President/CEO of EqualAI, a nonprofit supporting AI adoption by promoting AI governance and literacy, and served as inaugural Chair of the US National AI Advisory Committee, mandated by Congress to advise the President on AI policy.

Further information

Business Book Awards 2026 — Winners

Ray Eitel-Porter on LinkedIn

Dr Paul Dongha on LinkedIn

Media enquiries:

Alex Showell

Ambition PR

T: 01603 743 363

E: alex.showell@ambitionpr.co.uk

Governing the Machine wins Specialist Business Book 2026 at The Business Book Awards was originally published in Bold Ambition Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Everyone is talking about what AI can do, and what it is doing to the world. But what is AI doing to people? And what does that mean for the leaders who are steering their businesses and communities through this immense change?

The new book, Mind Your Self: How leaders can integrate AI without disintegrating humans (Rethink Press), written by founder of Yellowrattle Collective, coach, and consultant, Katie Muldoon, explores the supreme paradox emerging from the application of AI: the best application of it relies on partnership between AI and the most advanced, innately human traits: creativity, deep thought, embodiment, and relational skill. But early indications show that using AI can erode the very skills needed from the human side of the partnership. How can leaders of all stripes harness the advantage of AI, without corroding the human brilliance on which it relies?

Drawing on a decade of leading at the edge in her military service, a decade of working in tech and innovation, and her psychoanalytic training, Muldoon offers an incisive diagnosis of the impact AI risks having on the workforce, alongside practical strategies on how to lead in a way that preserves the human capability that will truly give AI-supported organisations the edge.

Her insight into human development, what is required of leaders, and how tech is being integrated in organisations brings a powerful and unique perspective on how to navigate a moment of immense possibility and peril. Mind Your Self: How leaders can integrate AI without disintegrating humans is an invitation and a provocation for readers to think differently and clearly about AI and their organisation — offering a map on how to lead in an AI era and how to act now to give readers and their organisation a defining edge.

This urgent and engaging read will help individuals to preserve their essential human advantage alongside AI integration. Whether a business leader, an educator, a technologist or simply keen to work wisely with AI, Muldoon offers actionable tools and a framework for thinking about the greatest tech disruption of our time, whilst always putting humans at the centre.

Mind Your Self: How leaders can integrate AI without disintegrating humans is available from 7th October on Amazon and in all good bookshops.

Katie Muldoon launches new book, Mind Your Self, revealing how leaders can integrate AI without… was originally published in Bold Ambition Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Psychological safety is built in the everyday work of a team: how a new person is welcomed, how feedback is given, how disagreement is handled, and how mistakes are discussed. Amongst increasing pressure and workloads, emerging technologies, and global uncertainty, these moments have never been more important. Team leaders have a crucial opportunity to embed practical, supportive, and humanistic ways to help people thrive.

This is the call-to-action of Psychological Safety in Practice: An evidence-based guide for HR Professionals (Kogan Page), the new book by international consultant and pioneer of person-centred approaches in health, social care and education, Helen Sanderson MBE. The founder of Helen Sanderson Associates and creator of Wellbeing Teams — self-managing teams in home-care services — Sanderson is globally recognised for building cultures that combine kindness and high performance.

Much of the writing on psychological safety treats it as something leaders create through their behaviour. Sanderson’s book takes a different view. It sets out fifteen practices that a whole team owns and uses together, so the conditions for speaking up are built into how a team meets, decides and reviews its work. Team leaders shape the conversations where psychological safety is formed and HR leaders shape the systems around them. Because the practices are shared, any member of a team can begin them and they continue working when a leader changes.

While psychological safety is commonly discussed, it is not always understood or translated into consistent daily practice. Central to her approach are the Five Foundations for psychological safety, and each one asks a question anybody would recognise: Mattering, ‘do I matter here?’; Clarity, ‘do I understand what is expected of me and how I contribute to decisions?’; Voice, ‘can I speak up and will it be taken seriously?’; Connection, ‘do we know what is expected in how we behave together?’; Learning, ‘do we use experience to improve how we work?’

Fifteen practices answer those questions. Workplace relationships are fundamental, with Sanderson reminding readers that psychological safety is not only strengthened — or undermined — by processes, the everyday interactions between colleagues, and the shared routines of team life, especially day-to-day meetings. To embed these practices as daily habits, Sanderson summarises rigorous research, real-world examples, and reflective exercises for readers to explore with their own teams. Amongst the resources are one-page profiles, which set out what people appreciate about somebody, what matters to them and how best to support them.

For team leaders, HR and OD professionals, and managers in health and social care, Psychological Safety in Practice provides an immediately actionable process to consistently model psychological safety and build the conditions and systems needed to support individual and team development. It isn’t a one-size-fits-all or tick-box exercise; it is about recognising and reflecting the different strengths and working styles of individuals to create a culture where people feel safe to contribute, learn and grow. When psychological safety is a continuous thread built into everyday work, it becomes lived experience, not an aspiration.

Psychological Safety in Practice: An evidence-based guide for HR Professionals (Kogan Page) is now available to buy on Amazon and in all good bookshops.

Helen Sanderson MBE Launches New Book Psychological Safety in Practice, Revealing How to Create the… was originally published in Bold Ambition Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Global production consultancy MurphyCobb has launched Amplify — a new business venture to help clients navigate the complexity of emerging technologies and prepare for the next era of production.

Production is being reshaped at an unprecedented speed. Brands face constant pressure to produce more content, faster, across an expanding number of platforms. As advances in technology continue to emerge and converge, for organisations, the question is no longer whether these technologies matter, but where, when and how they create value.

Amplify from MurphyCobb has been launched in direct response to these challenges, to help clients build better operating systems using independent, vendor-neutral guidance. Its scope is broader than just AI, spanning digital twins, virtual production, experiential and automation, alongside the content systems, data and production intelligence that underpin future production ecosystems. By harnessing emerging technologies, Amplify will streamline, connect and transform advertising production across the entire content lifecycle — from upstream planning and creation to downstream, adaptation and optimisation.

The new venture will help clients convert early experimentation into operational reality. By using validated, scalable production workflows, Amplify aims to deliver improved efficiency, cost, speed and quality. Through the creation of an innovation roadmap, the business will also continue to work in partnership with clients to support ongoing exploration of further technologies.

Francisco Lima, General Manager of Amplify, said: “Amplify is our response to a fundamental shift in the market. Clients aren’t asking why they need to invest in emerging technologies but where, how and what to do to govern, measure and scale it effectively across the organisation. As a production‑specialist partner sitting firmly on the client side of the table, we can diagnose, validate and implement what truly works by building better operating systems. Amplify seeks to bridge the gap between a client’s production ecosystem and the capabilities these new technologies can deliver. As Amplify is not tied to any vendor, platform or technology stack, we can ensure wholly independent advice and are uniquely positioned to support clients on that journey.”

The new venture combines MurphyCobb’s 20+ years of production expertise and intelligence with a global ecosystem of emerging-technology companies and specialist practitioners.

Pat Murphy, founder and CEO of MurphyCobb, said: “We are excited to announce this new venture which will help clients navigate a crowded environment and prepare for the next era of production. With the launch of Amplify, we’re able to draw on our own expertise from the evolving technology landscape, underpinned by two decades within the production industry and an existing vendor-neutral approach. Technology should amplify creativity, productivity and what production makes possible, and our aim is simple — to reduce complexity, prove value and build solutions that deliver measurable impact at scale.”

Amplify seeks to support clients across a range of areas:

● Rapid clarity — identifying where technology is genuinely useful and where it isn’t

● Proof before scale — establishing evidence and validating that a new approach delivers better results than the existing one

● Governance by design — building IP, provenance and risk controls in from the start

● Minimising wasted effort — ensuring technology is tested against real problems with measurable baselines

● Independent advice, with technology and partners selected around client needs

● Providing a strong evidence base for investment decisions and future operating‑model change.

For more information on Amplify from MurphyCobb, see https://murphycobb.com/amplify

MURPHYCOBB LAUNCHES NEW VENTURE THAT REIMAGINES ADVERTISING PRODUCTION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY was originally published in Bold Ambition Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

LaunchLemonade, the no-code AI platform enabling businesses in regulated industries to build and deploy secure AI agents, has announced the appointment of Rt Hon Chloe Smith as an adviser to the company.

Smith officially joins LaunchLemonade in September 2026, bringing extensive experience across government, technology, business and public policy. In her new role, she will advise LaunchLemonade’s founders, Cien Solon and Joe Leung, on strategy and partnerships, with a particular focus on regulated industries, AI governance, workforce adoption and the challenges and opportunities facing small and medium-sized businesses.

Smith brings more than a decade of senior government experience, having served as a government minister between 2010 and 2023 and as a legislator from 2009 to 2024. Ministerial roles included Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Minister for Disabled People, and Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

Her experience also extends into the heart of the UK’s future of work, emerging tech and innovation agenda. As President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the professional body for HR and people development, Smith has focused on the implications of AI adoption for organisations, workers and productivity. Spanning economic policy, workforce transformation, skills and productivity, she continues to engage with and advise organisations working at the forefront of innovation and business strategy.

LaunchLemonade was created by CEO and Founder, Cien Solon as an AI agent platform that helps small and medium-sized businesses in regulated industries build and customise AI agents through a secure, governed and connected workspace. Unifying over 100 AI models, LaunchLemonade’s interface brings specialised agents into one secure connected system that complete tasks from project management and report analysis to research and compliance checks, trained from users’ unique data. The platform was included in Entrepreneur UK’s 2026 Top 100 Startups to Watch.

As an adviser, Smith will support LaunchLemonade as it continues to develop the supporting infrastructure for its marketplace. Developers can turn their specialist knowledge and workflows into AI agents that can be built, deployed and monetised on LaunchLemonade. Meanwhile, supported by agent evaluation, on-chain verification and a governed workspace, businesses can access these specialist AI capabilities with greater confidence. The vision is championing an AI economy and a revolutionised future of work, that doesn’t replace humanity, but amplifies human expertise.

Speaking about her appointment, Smith said:

“I’m keen to work with the growing platform to help offer safe and governed AI to small businesses, while securing a role for professionals whose knowledge makes that AI useful. I’m particularly excited by the opportunity to work at the intersection of technology, productivity and inclusion.”

Smith was also drawn to LaunchLemonade’s practical approach to innovation and its ambition to make advanced AI more accessible:

“I really enjoy working with start-ups, who are often at the most practical end of innovation. I’ve always been excited by the UK’s tech ecosystem, and Cien and Joe’s strong vision shows how much is offered by determined innovators who’ve built a way to contribute to productivity and inclusion.”

On Smith’s appointment, CEO and Founder, Cien Solon said:

“Chloe brings a unique combination of experience across government, business and technology, as well as a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing organisations as AI continues to become part of everyday work. Her perspective will be invaluable as we continue to develop LaunchLemonade further into an advanced platform that helps smaller businesses access AI in a way that is safe, practical and genuinely useful.”

Solon added:

“Our ambition has always been bigger than simply giving people access to AI tools. We want governed AI to reach the businesses that need it most, while creating a legitimate income path for the experts whose knowledge makes that AI useful. Productivity, access and workforce resilience are all part of the same story, and Chloe’s experience and advice will help us bring that vision to life.”

To learn more about LaunchLemonade, visit https://launchlemonade.app/

Former MP and Government Minister Rt Hon Chloe Smith joins AI agent platform LaunchLemonade as… was originally published in Bold Ambition Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

After more than two decades of hospital admissions, heartbreak and setbacks, a mother and daughter say they want to prove that recovery is possible, even after years of living with anorexia.

For more than twenty-three years, anorexia dominated every aspect of Sophie Baker’s life. The illness dictated what she ate, how she thought, and even how she saw herself. It led to repeated hospital admissions, relapses and periods when recovery seemed out of reach. For her mother, Lindsey Agness, every day was spent watching her daughter fight one of the deadliest mental health conditions while wondering whether there was anything else she could do to help.

Now, after more than two decades living on opposite sides of the illness, the pair
have transformed their shared experience into a new book, The Anorexia Breakthrough, which they hope will offer practical support to others facing eating disorders.

“For many years, anorexia was the third person in every conversation, every decision and every relationship,” Sophie says. “It convinced me that recovery wasn’t possible and that this was simply who I was.”

The book combines Sophie’s lived experience with Lindsey’s background as one of the UK’s first female Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Master Trainers. Together, they explore how practical behavioural tools may help people alongside professional treatment as they navigate recovery. Their story comes as demand for eating disorder services continues to grow and NHS waiting lists remain under intense pressure. While specialist medical care remains the cornerstone of treatment, many families say they are searching for additional ways to understand the fears, beliefs and behaviours that can make recovery so difficult.

“Writing the book with my mum has shown me just how far recovery can take you,” Sophie continues. “We wanted to create the resource we wish we’d had when we were living through the darkest times.”

Lindsey believes one of the biggest misconceptions is that anorexia is simply about food. “People often focus on the eating disorder itself,” she says. “But every eating disorder affects an entire family. As a mother, there were times when I felt frightened, frustrated, heartbroken and completely powerless. What kept us going was the belief that recovery was possible, even when progress felt painfully slow.”

In The Anorexia Breakthrough, Sophie and Lindsey argue that lasting recovery involves far more than restoring weight. They feel it also requires rebuilding identity, confidence and hope after years of living under the control of the illness. It introduces what they call The Anorexia Breakthrough Model, a six-stage framework designed to help readers better understand the thoughts, fears and beliefs that can reinforce anorexia, while encouraging greater self-awareness and resilience.

The use of NLP is likely to prompt debate. The approach has attracted scepticism over the years, particularly where exaggerated claims have been made about what it can achieve. Lindsey says she understands that criticism and believes it should be openly discussed. “People should be sceptical of any approach that promises miracles,” she continues. “Recovery often requires people to challenge limiting beliefs, manage fear, build resilience and create a different vision for their future. These are areas where many NLP tools may be helpful.”

Neither Lindsey nor Sophie views NLP as a treatment for anorexia. “We’re absolutely clear that NLP is not a cure and should never replace professional medical care,” she says. “The important question is whether practical psychological tools can help people increase self-awareness, strengthen motivation and challenge unhelpful thinking while they are recovering. We believe they can play a valuable supporting role.”

For Sophie, one of the book’s central messages is directed at people who have lived with anorexia for years and fear recovery is no longer possible. “There were times I genuinely believed this illness would always define me,” she emphasises. “I know how hopeless that can feel. If sharing our story helps even one person believe recovery is still possible, then every difficult conversation we’ve had over the last twenty-three years has been worth it.”

Lindsey hopes families will also recognise themselves in the book. “So often parents, partners and siblings feel as though they’re walking on eggshells. They desperately want to help but don’t know how. We wanted to write something that acknowledged their experience as well.”

Together, the pair hope their story challenges one of the most persistent myths surrounding severe and enduring anorexia, that after years of illness, recovery becomes impossible.

“Our message is simple,” Lindsey concludes. “Hope doesn’t have an expiry date.”

The Anorexia Breakthrough: NLP Strategies for Recovery and Resilience is
available now.

New book challenges anorexia’s biggest myth was originally published in Bold Ambition Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.