John Stapleton

John Stapleton

John Stapleton is an entrepreneur, investor and founder-led media operator. Over the past 30+ years, he has built and exited two businesses while heavily supporting entrepreneurship, investment, leadership and business growth. John also built one business which didn't work and which never got to exit. He learned more from this failed venture than the two that succeeded.

Today, he is building a media platform focusing on celebrating and implementing entrepreneurship, innovation, investment and what actually makes businesses succeed. Through his content, he helps founders navigate risk & uncertainty and the growth pains and realities of scaling a successful business to exit. Using podcasts, documentaries, founder reviews, roundtables and commentary, John dives into the decisions founders face from a position of having done it himself. John advises directly on scaling businesses in uncertain times and in constantly changing environments.

John’s, audience is startup founders, investors, operators, high-agency professionals and brands who service the needs of entrepreneurs across the UK and European startup ecosystem. John hosts the podcast Cutting Through The Fog and works selectively with brands, venture firms and ecosystem partners looking to engage entrepreneurial audiences through trusted, founder-led media.

John is launching The Stapleton Academy (TSA) – a community-led cohort of practical advice and knowledge amassed over 30 years of entrepreneurship and a further 10 years as an investor in early-stage businesses (both Angel and VC). TSA blends the two key elements of mindset and motivation and business practice through examples, anecdotes and lessons from John’s own direct experience.

In 1987, John co-founded the New Covent Garden Soup Co Ltd., which pioneered and grew the fresh soup category in the UK. John sold this business in 1998. In that same year, John co-founded Glencoe Foods Inc., to bring the fresh soup concept to the US. This business failed. In 2025, John co-founded Little Dish, which supplies healthy, natural and convenient meals and snacks to Children. Little Dish created the fresh toddler food category, developing full UK retailer distribution to become the go-to brand in fresh toddler food and healthy snacks. John exited Little Dish in 2017 .
John is an investor and NED providing value-added business growth advice, guidance and mentoring to business owners. John is a business thought leader and delivers keynotes on a range of entrepreneurial, management and motivational leadership topics. John now actively manages an investor/ NED portfolio. John is co-founder and investor director at Mission Ventures, a progressive business accelerator designed to build challenger brands in the UK, primarily through Corporate Venture Partnerships.