What’s the wildest tactic you’ve ever used to get something for your business?

Have you ever sprinted down a conference hallway to (figuratively) tackle a prospective partner for a chat? Or “accidentally” turned up at the same dog park as a client just to land that impossible connection?

We want to hear your best story of hustle.

Maybe you cold-called someone you absolutely shouldn’t have. Printed flyers at midnight. Pretended to be your own assistant. Maybe it worked. Maybe it didn’t (honestly, those are often the better stories).

Why share it? Because we’ve all been there. And by swapping these scrappy, hilarious, occasionally questionable moments, we chip away at impostor syndrome together, reminding each other that the impossible can actually be done.

The best conversations start with caffeine. ☕

But First, Coffee isn’t your stock-standard meetup or stuffy panel. It’s a casual morning designed to bring good people together, swap stories that don’t always make it to LinkedIn, and remind ourselves that behind every shiny success is a heap of scrappy hustle.

We’re gathering a roomful of founders, builders, and product leaders for meaningful, honest conversations. No awkward networking games, no pitches, and definitely no business card lotteries.

On the day, you can expect:

Enjoy seriously good coffee on us, thanks to our friends at Here and There.
A conversation between Rampersand Venture Partner Helen Souness and Co-Founder of March Collective, Renece Brewster, about the real stories behind building, leading, and occasionally winging it.
A chance to share your own story (if you want to).
Warm conversations with like-minded, smart, ambitious people who get it.
A room where you don’t need to explain why you’re doing this thing the hard way.

50 spots only — RSVP now.

Supported by our friends at AWS Startups

Can't make it? Subscribe to the Rampersand Substack to find out when the next "but first, COFFEE" event is on in your city.

About the speakers

Helen Souness is a digital leader, operator, and investor with over 30 years of experience at the helm of businesses such as Etsy, SEEK, Envato, and Lonely Planet. As founding CEO of RMIT Online, she built one of Australia’s most progressive education businesses, launching industry-first courses in AI, blockchain and digital marketing. These days, she splits her time between boardrooms, startups and venture capital as a NED Chair and Venture Partner at Rampersand.

Renece Brewster is a founder, advisor and unapologetic champion for women-led businesses. She’s Co-Founder of March Collective, supporting women-led scale-ups, and co-MD of Her Tech Circle, a not-for-profit growing the pipeline of women in tech. Renece’s first startup, Visual Domain, grew to be Australia’s largest video production company and was acquired by News Corp in 2021. She’s no stranger to the hustle, and she’s not afraid to talk about it.