Helena Turpin was leading HR projects to tackle rising employee turnover, when she noticed a bizarre gap. At the crux of the high rate of employee turnover was a lack of career development.
It inspired her to create GoFIGR in 2020. Since then, they have raised their seed capital to $2.8 million – and Turpin, who was a finalist in the 2023 Women’s Agenda Leadership Award for Entrepreneur of the Year, is showing no signs of slowing down.
It’s Thursday, Day 4 of Global Entrepreneurs Week, a week dedicated to recognising those who are paving the way for a better future with innovative business ideas.
Today, Women’s Agenda shares the story of Helena Turpin and GoFIGR.
Can you give us a brief description of your business?
GoFIGR is an internal talent marketplace platform tailored for mid-large enterprises. It bridges the gap between employees’ skills and ambitions with in-house opportunities for learning, projects, and further development. By aligning individual career objectives with organisational needs, GoFIGR not only empowers employees to realise their career aspirations but also enables companies to economise on external recruitment expenses while nurturing a skilled and motivated workforce.
What inspired you to start your business?
It was a mixture of frustration and good timing! I’d become a bit stale in my corporate role and had the opportunity to apply for a startup accelerator via Antler. I took my experience from my experience in the HR sector, where I led projects to tackle rising employee turnover. It became evident that the core issue was a lack of career development. It struck me as an odd gap that there wasn’t a streamlined method to match the supply of skills with the demand for them so alongside two former HR colleagues, we pitched the idea and raised some pre-seed capital to start the business.
What are some challenges you have faced, and how have you overcome them?
I don’t look like the stereotypical founder, I’m always very honest and maybe a bit too self-critical which I’m sure has cost me deals and definitely hindered my ability to raise capital. Raising our Seed round earlier this year ($2.8m AUD) was my biggest challenge and also my biggest success! When I was able to shift my mindset into the value I know our business is going to create for investors and customers rather than feeling worried about asking for investment, it made all the difference. It took a lot of preparation, a lot of practice and a lot of discomfort but my advice is to push on through, you’re capable of so much more than you think you are.
Do you have a vision for the future of your business?
I’d love to see GoFIGR become the destination for all things work and career no matter your age, stage or location. Imagine a place where you can learn about and get matched to new careers, be shown ways to develop skills and understand the impact of your career choices in terms of salary, impact, impact of automation. I’d love to see GoFIGR help people reach their full potential!
Do you have any advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs?
My advice is to surround yourself with great people you can turn to for advice, support and guidance. I have the most amazing network of investors, advisors, colleagues and other women founders who are my biggest cheerleaders, I could never have done this without them (and my amazing co-founder)!