Meet the Team: Becky Sage, Entrepreneur in Residence at SetSquared Bath

Who am I and what do I do here?

I’m Becky Sage, and I’m an Entrepreneur in Residence at SetSquared Bath.

That means different things to different people, but for me, it’s about supporting early-stage businesses and helping them take something innovative and turn it into a real company. I coach, train, and signpost. I work closely with founders to help them figure out everything from investment to product strategy to customer engagement. I also help them understand whether their proposition is solid, when to pivot, and how to grow as leaders.

It’s not just about knowledge. It’s about creating a space where founders feel comfortable enough to open up. Once that trust is there, you can get under the skin of what’s really going on, and that’s where the meaningful work happens.

How did I become an Entrepreneur in Residence?

It’s a mix of knowledge, experience, and people skills. I've started my own business, worked in others, and spent a lot of time supporting companies through different stages. I’ve been on the inside as a founder and on the outside as someone helping businesses grow.

I also have a background in coaching, going all the way back to when I was a gymnastics coach at 14. That early experience taught me how to engage people, create trust, and guide them through challenges. I’ve built on that with coaching and facilitation skills in other contexts over the years.

So it’s both the hard stuff like strategy, funding, and operations and the softer, people-focused side that really define the role for me.

Why does this role matter?

From my own experience, having an EIR was hugely important. Founding a company can be a really lonely journey. It’s strange because there’s so much noise from all directions, but you can still feel completely isolated. You’ve got pressure from investors, customers, your team, and your own expectations. It’s a lot.

For me, the EIR was the person I could go to when I was overwhelmed or trying to figure something out. It wasn’t just about problems. It was also about how to make the most of opportunities. But when things did get tough, they helped me break it down and see clearly.

Now, as an EIR myself, I find that accountability is often a big part of the value we provide, especially for early-stage founders who don’t yet have investors or a big team to report to. Keeping momentum going on your own is hard, and regular check-ins really help.

We also work with a lot of academic or technical founders, people who are brilliant in their fields but may not have made the shift into a commercial mindset yet. That’s something I had to learn too, moving from a PhD into running a company, so I understand that transition really well.

Why not just get a coach or mentor?

It depends on the business. EIRs are kind of a blend. We’re part coach, part mentor, part advisor, and part facilitator. I once heard someone compare it to going to an osteopath. They can do a mix of things depending on what’s needed. That’s how I see the EIR role.

Of course, we also signpost founders to other experts when that makes more sense. But because we work with high-growth, high-impact, tech-driven companies, we bring specific experience that a generalist coach or mentor might not have.

I’ve seen it happen where a founder gets advice from someone who doesn’t understand the kind of business they’re trying to build. It knocks their confidence. That’s why finding the right support, in the right context, is so important.

Any misconceptions about the role?

Yes. Sometimes founders think we’re going to have all the answers or open up every investor network for them instantly. There's this expectation that if they talk to us, we’ll solve all their problems straight away.

But it’s not about quick wins. It’s about the relationship. Most companies stay with us for a year or more, and over that time we become an extended part of their team. We help them build the skills they need to lead their company, not just patch things up for them.

We’re not here to give people all the answers. We’re here to help them develop the confidence and clarity to find those answers themselves.

Why do I do it?

Because I’ve seen how powerful this kind of support can be. Some of the founders I’ve worked with have referred to us as an extension of their team. And I know how that feels. One of my EIRs became Chair of my company. That’s how deep the relationship can go.

It’s not about a rigid coaching program or a checklist. It’s about showing up consistently and helping founders become who they need to be to grow their business.

That’s the part I love. And it’s why I’m here.