Almost 15 years ago, I took part in Through the Looking Glass, a programme that had a bigger impact on my life than I could have imagined at the time.
Growing up in an inner-city environment, I had very little exposure to the professional world. Through the programme, I was introduced to firms and people across the City of London - from lawyers and bankers to traders and other professionals. A year later, the programme gave us the opportunity to spend a week working inside a major financial institution, meeting people across different teams and experiencing the working world first-hand.
What I took away wasn't necessarily a desire to pursue a career in finance. In fact, I ended up doing the complete opposite.
What Through the Looking Glass gave me was confidence - and an appreciation for the power of a network.
It showed me that these worlds weren't inaccessible, that I could walk into a room and hold my own, speak to people from completely different backgrounds and build genuine relationships. It also showed me what can happen when someone opens up their network and gives you access to people and experiences you otherwise would never have had.
Those lessons have followed me throughout my career.
I went on to study Computer Science, graduating with a First Class degree and a Master's. At university, I became fascinated by startups and entrepreneurship and got involved with the Entrepreneur Society. I built a strong network of fellow students, many of whom would later become friends, colleagues and employees.
The month I graduated, I decided to start a company with my best friend from university rather than take a traditional career path.
We built Yoke Network, an influencer marketing platform helping some of the world's largest apps grow through TikTok and short-form video. Over six years, we grew the business to $7.5 million in annual revenue, a team of 35, billions of views and millions of new users for our customers. In 2020, the journey was recognised with a feature in Forbes.
Looking back, I don't think the most important thing I learned was how to build a business. It was how important people are to everything you do.
Having the confidence to introduce yourself. Building relationships before you need them. Learning from people who are different from you. And understanding that sometimes, all it takes is one person opening a door for you to see a completely different set of possibilities.
That is something I have carried with me ever since.
Today, in 2026, I'm still building businesses, although in a very different industry. After a chance encounter with my current business partner, we became interested in applying AI agents to what might traditionally be considered a "boring" but stable business: dentistry.
Together, we launched Dentra, building AI agents that help dental practices follow up with patients and recover otherwise-lost revenue.
The industries have changed. The technology has changed. But the principles haven't.
Be confident. Meet people. Build your network. Stay curious. And never underestimate what becomes possible when someone gives you access to a world you didn't know existed.
Through the Looking Glass did that for me many years ago. I'm still carrying those lessons today.