In my journey as a serial entrepreneur in Europe, one topic that often sparks heated discussions is whether someone can be both left-wing and an "elite founder." As someone who identifies as politically progressive and has founded several startups, I’ve encountered skepticism about how these two identities can coexist. Let's dive into this question and untangle the common misconceptions around it.
The Perceived Clash Between Left-Wing Values and Elite Founders
Startups, especially in tech, are often associated with aggressive growth tactics, profit maximization, and a certain level of disregard for rules, the very behaviors left-wing ideologies critique as fostering inequality or exploiting workers. This tension has been amplified by cultural influences, particularly the U.S. "grindset" mentality promoted on social platforms. But being progressive doesn’t inherently mean rejecting entrepreneurship or scaling big ideas. Rather, progressive founders often align their practices with a stronger sense of social responsibility.
Let’s take some examples:
- Inclusive hiring practices: Many progressive founders prioritize diversity in their teams and strive to create equity in work environments.
- Focus on societal benefits: They use their platforms to address social and environmental challenges instead of solely chasing profits.
- Worker-centric policies: Whether offering equitable stock options or promoting work-life balance, they integrate left-wing principles into their company culture.
In Europe, where social policies like universal healthcare are standard, founders often naturally absorb these practices into their businesses. This contradicts the assumption that left-wing ideologies don't align with building high-growth companies.
What the Numbers Say
A survey conducted by The Entrepreneurs Network in 2025 among 250 founders in the UK provided surprising political diversity:
- 33% aligned with right-wing parties.
- 16% supported centrist Liberal Democrats.
- Only 10% identified with the Labour Party, and a modest 3% backed the Green Party.
This breakdown shows that while pro-business, right-wing views dominate, a significant minority of founders support progressive values. This proves that the landscape isn’t black and white, but a spectrum where ideals blend with business objectives.
The American Influence
One of the factors shaping perceptions is the import of U.S. anti-left rhetoric, fueled by influencers and meme culture. Social platforms have become breeding grounds for promoting an individualistic, growth-at-all-costs mindset, often labeling progressive founders as "soft" or unrealistic.
For instance, younger, aspiring founders absorb this right-wing hustle ethos from U.S. startup circles, which doesn’t always translate to the European framework. Here, regulatory policies and societal norms often reward balanced scaling strategies over unchecked growth, leaving room for a more inclusive entrepreneurial mindset.
Lessons from Successful Left-Wing Founders
From my experience, and knowing peers who share similar values, being a left-wing entrepreneur means navigating the delicate balance of rapid growth while staying true to ideals like sustainability, fairness, and quality of life.
Here’s how some have successfully done it:
- Align the mission with societal impact: Founders like Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia have built empires around climate-conscious business models.
- Speak for underserved groups: Many progressive founders focus on unmet needs, using their platforms to elevate marginalized voices.
- Implement worker-first policies: Transparent salary ranges, equal opportunities for advancement, and inclusive benefits show that you can scale while supporting employees.
How to Be a Left-Leaning "Elite Founder"
For those striving to balance progressive ideals with elite-level entrepreneurship, here’s my guide:
- Build transparency into your culture: From salary structures to decision-making processes, openness strengthens trust and helps you scale authentically.
- Be bold about values: Don’t shy away from advocating for initiatives that align with your principles, whether it’s eco-friendly production or flexible work hours.
- Choose your investors wisely: Seek funding from partners who believe in your vision, not just profits. VCs aligned with sustainable development goals can make a big difference.
- Create measurable social impact: Develop metrics around your societal contributions, such as reduced environmental footprints or improved employee retention.
- Lead the conversation: Push back against harmful narratives in founder spaces. Encourage discussions that embrace diverse viewpoints and progressive entrepreneurship practices.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Many founders with left-leaning values make these mistakes:
- Treating growth and values as a binary choice: It’s possible to reach ambitious targets without compromising your principles.
- Engaging only like-minded stakeholders: You’ll need a broad coalition of support, including those from non-aligned perspectives, to thrive.
- Over-policing yourself: There are no medals for martyrdom. Don’t criticize yourself for every small misstep, instead, focus on systemic, continuous progress.
Final Thoughts
Can you be left-wing and an elite founder? From what I’ve seen in Europe, the answer is yes. Entrepreneurship, at its best, is about problem-solving, and left-wing founders bring a fresh perspective on addressing societal challenges. With the right balance of ambition and values, there’s no reason the ascribed tensions can’t be transformed into synergy (yes, I know, synergy!).
This isn’t just some theoretical debate, it’s core to changing the business scene for good. If you’re ready to be bold and build responsibly, progressive entrepreneurship might just be the future. Why not join the movement?
FAQ
1. Can you be left-wing and an elite founder?
Yes, many founders align progressive ideals with high-growth ambitions, promoting inclusive practices while scaling their businesses successfully. This balance demonstrates that left-wing values and entrepreneurship can coexist. Explore whether left-wing founders can thrive
2. What challenges do left-wing founders face in the startup world?
Left-wing founders often contend with perceptions stemming from US-inspired "anti-woke" rhetoric, which associates entrepreneurship exclusively with aggressive capitalism. This misconception creates hurdles but is increasingly debunked. Read about shifting founder perceptions
3. Are European founders more open to progressive values than their US counterparts?
Yes, European founders often align with progressive social policies like universal healthcare and green energy, which are widely accepted as mainstream values in Europe. This contrasts with polarized perceptions in the US.
4. How do left-wing founders combine values and scaling?
They focus on societal benefits such as diversity in hiring, worker-first policies, and direct efforts to address environmental issues, merging their principles with sustainable business practices.
5. What does the data show about political leanings among founders?
A 2025 survey revealed 33% of UK founders aligned with right-wing parties, 16% with centrist Liberal Democrats, 10% with Labour, and 3% with the Green Party, showcasing political diversity in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Check survey insights
6. How does American cultural influence affect European founders?
Social media memes and US "grindset" mentalities promote an individualistic, profit-driven narrative that influences perceptions, even though the reality in Europe often integrates more balanced, inclusive approaches.
7. Are there successful examples of left-wing elite founders?
Yes, founders like Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia demonstrate how to align societal impact with business success, proving it is possible to scale without compromising progressive values.
8. How can left-wing founders navigate negative stereotypes?
By focusing on transparency, measurable social impact, and aligning with values-driven investors, founders can debunk myths about left-wing entrepreneurship being unrealistic or unscalable.
9. Do all founders fit within traditional political categories?
Not necessarily. Many founders combine left-wing social values with aggressive, right-leaning business practices, highlighting the inadequacy of binary political labels in entrepreneurship.
10. What advice is there for aspiring left-wing founders?
Aspire to maintain transparency, advocate for sustainable practices, build diverse coalitions, and choose investors aligned with your values. Scaling responsibly while achieving social impact is a realistic goal. Learn from actionable insights on left-wing business
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.