Gokce Gizer Clover’s Entrepreneurial Journey: an Interview with Bold Journey Magazine
“Work is no longer just a place we go from 9 to 5 to make money; it’s where we find meaning, belonging, connection, and purpose for our capabilities and passions. I believe we all deserve to work in organizations where we feel like we are thriving. That’s why I want to ensure that founders shaping these organizations are intentional about their responsibility and the influence they have on all aspects of our lives."
In an interview with Bold Journey magazine, our founder Gokce Gizer Clover spoke about her own entrepreneurial journey, where she finds her resilience, and the skills and knowledge she has developed along the way.
Growing up in an entrepreneurial family in Adana, Turkey, Gokce [GG] took inspiration from her father and grandfather, who built a retail business spanning 20 department stores since 1976. She admired how they always pushed boundaries, and viewed setbacks as opportunities. Gokce brings this mindset into her own business today, and supports other founders with how they can do the same.
As a serial entrepreneur, coach, investor, and advisor in the tech ecosystem, she has supported hundreds of tech founders from ideation and fundraising to scaling. GG described how she loves working with founders because they are creating the organizations that shape every aspect of our lives—how we work, live, learn, play, and engage with each other.
For over a decade, GG has been involved in designing programs and building communities, currently in London and previously in New York. Through this experience, she has observed recurring patterns among companies that go bust and founders who go on to build impactful companies that scale sustainably. Despite their brilliance in product development, many founders struggle to lead and grow their businesses beyond the initial products. This growth requires different skills and a shift in mindset, leading to a failure rate of over 65% up to and beyond Series A, with founders often experiencing burnout.
Bold Journey asked GG what the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge were that were most impactful in her journey, and how others can best develop or improve on them:
Clarity of vision. “Having clarity of vision about the kind of life I wanted to live and what mattered most to me has been crucial. Be intentional about your path and vision for your life. Do introspective work and be explicit about your values and how you live by them.”
Being a giver. “I have always had a giver mentality—I like to help and offer support to others. Shift your mindset from having expectations of others to being intentional about how you can help and create value for them.”
Striving for excellence. “My focus is on putting my best effort into whatever I’m working on, big or small, whether or not I receive acknowledgment, credit, or compensation for the outcome. No effort goes to waste; it only prepares you for that great opportunity. Striving for excellence will only make you better and better.”
