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| Jade Bentwood, Founder/CEO of TALO |
What happens when a finance powerhouse hits a wall?
For Jade Bentwood, it was the catalyst for TALO. After a decade of working in finance and building a women’s wealth division from the ground up, Jade knew the corporate landscape well, but it wasn’t until maternity leave that she saw the cracks in how senior female talent was really supported.
The real story behind TALO began at the kitchen table, surrounded by a group of senior female leaders and their babies, admitting that the “corporate dream” wasn’t built for them.
Experiencing the sharp disconnect between corporate leadership and the reality of motherhood, Jade realised that “support” for women in business was too often just a policy on paper, not a lived reality. So, she built TALO to change that.
Today, we go Off the Record with Jade, as she gets candid about leaving corporate life, the loneliness of the founder journey, and why she’s stopped manifesting a 5 a.m. start.
Jade, what was the defining moment that convinced you to take the leap into entrepreneurship?
That's such a great question.
I spent ten years running a women’s wealth division, but I always had this "niggle", a persistent itch to build something entirely my own. So much of my identity was wrapped up in my work, but that changed when I moved from a fast-paced career to maternity leave.
Being at home with a newborn, I felt incredibly detached and struggled from a professional standpoint. I started reaching out to peers in my network and realised they were all going through the same transition and struggling with the exact same things.
I decided to start hosting group meet ups at my house; we’d have women and babies everywhere, speaking openly about their businesses and how they were being supported, or, more often, how they weren't.
We explored how to create an environment where women could thrive. It started with matching them to mentors and peers who "got it," creating a space where they could be vulnerable and receive practical guidance.
I eventually went back to work, but the vision for TALO stayed with me until I went full-time. Now, we’re scaling that support so women can have mentorship through all life transitions, while using data to help corporates actually improve.
Why did you feel like women needed something different than what companies were already offering?
I asked hundreds of women on my maternity leave and their feedback was all the same.
What I saw consistently was a disconnect between what leadership teams believed women were experiencing and what was actually happening on the ground.
Policies and benefits are important, but they’re only one part of the picture, and during key life moments, many women can go nine to twelve months with very little meaningful contact or support from their employer. That absence creates uncertainty, anxiety, and miscommunication at exactly the point where women are most vulnerable.
TALO was built to sit in that gap. We support women when they need it most, provide practical and relatable guidance through external mentors, and surface challenges early. That makes the experience smoother for women, clearer for line managers, and far more effective for the business as a whole.
How are corporate partners responding to the TALO mission?
The response has been positive, because our partners see TALO as a true partnership. Creating real value requires trust on both sides; high-quality mentoring for participants, and a genuine willingness from leadership teams to engage with what’s happening internally.
What really resonates is the insight we provide. We give companies access to honest, meaningful data they don’t always see, which builds trust, drives better decisions, and strengthens the impact for everyone involved.
As a female founder, what’s been the most unexpected challenge you’ve faced?
I really underestimated the loneliness of being a founder.
In the corporate world, I drew so much energy from being around people, sharing ideas, and learning in a team. In the beginning of the founder journey, it’s just you. It can be incredibly isolating.
To navigate that lack of community, I’ve had to be very intentional. I work in shared spaces around great people, I’ve built a board of advisors I check in with regularly, and I’m very selective about the groups and networks I join. You have to curate your own "team" when you don't have one provided for you.
Was there a risk you took early on that scared you, but ultimately taught you a valuable lesson?
There have been so many!
One of the biggest hurdles was my own perfectionism. I wanted the business to be perfectly valuable for everyone right out of the gate, and I didn't want to waver on that. But you can't have "perfect" at the start.
The biggest risk was simply going "all in" and trusting the process. I learned that you have to start before you’re ready; you can't refine the value until you’re actually in the room doing the work.
How do you define leadership at TALO and how do you protect organisational culture as you scale?
At TALO, we define leadership as creating genuine value for everyone involved. That means taking responsibility for outcomes and being deeply invested in the quality of each match. The experience of our mentors and mentees is extremely important to us, and the real impact is what we’re delivering; not just activity.
As we scale, the challenge is protecting that standard. We’re intentional about staying personable, thoughtful, and authentic, and resisting the pull to become transactional or clinical.
Growth only matters to us if it strengthens the quality and impact of what we do, not dilutes it.
Is there a personal habit or routine that has surprisingly influenced the way you run the business?
I’ve experimented with everything - the 5 a.m. starts, the manifesting, the morning runs.
Honestly? I’ve stripped a lot of that back.
What works for me now is finding one hour of quiet before my kids wake up. That time for myself is vital to start the day strong.
I’ve also learned to prioritise ruthlessly. As a founder and a mum, there are a million things to do, so I focus on just three top priorities a day and make sure the first 3 hours of work are with zero distractions. I also make sure to schedule things into the diary that I enjoy, which keeps me sane.
I also find that when I get stuck with something, I just need a new perspective on the situation. Going to sit somewhere high-up to gain a birds eye view of the world helps me to reflect on the bigger picture.
What is one piece of advice that you’d share for aspiring female founders entering traditionally male-dominated industries?
Just go for it. It is truly the best thing I’ve ever done.
My advice is to find your tribe early; gain as much insight as you can on your idea and build a network of people who support your vision.
Remember, there is nothing to lose. You can always go back to the corporate world if you need to, but you owe it to yourself to try.
What does the next 12 months have in store for TALO?
The focus is on growth.
We’re expanding the platform, hosting more events, and helping more women "level up" in their careers and lives.
The feedback is strong and that’s what drives me. Seeing the meaningful impact we’re having on women’s careers is incredibly rewarding and I truly believe at TALO, we’re just getting started.
A big thank you to Jade for sharing her founder story with the 'Off the Record' blog. I can’t wait to see what 2026 brings for TALO!
Founder/CEO: Jade Bentwood
Author: Ella Bramhall