We solve the people problems that slow growth down.

Board-level advice for founders and CEOs of scaling businesses — on structure, leadership, and the organisational decisions that shape what comes next.

It’s not just you. Growth always brings friction.

Leadership gets stretched.

Culture starts to crack.

Communication falters.

The magic that got you here starts to wobble.

And when your people aren’t aligned, growth gets messy - or stalls altogether.

That’s where Meraki People comes in.

Meraki People works with founder-led businesses from £3 - £100m, as a board adviser, organisational design practice, and leadership team development partner.

Especially at the moments that matter most: scaling, preparing for investment, navigating succession, or getting the senior team properly aligned.

85% of business failures are people and leadership failures, not product or market failures.
— Harvard Business Review

Investor-Ready

People due diligence is one of the first things serious investors examine.

We help you align leadership, team dynamics and culture to boost investor confidence.

Post- Merger

We help newly combined teams integrate quickly and effectively - aligning behind a shared vision, without diluting your values or culture.

Founder Exit

Planning to sell or step back? We build your leadership bench strength, clarify your culture, develop succession plans and make your business more attractive to buyers while preserving your legacy.

Scale Up

We strengthen your leadership, culture and organisational core to enable sustainable growth that doesn't depend on the founder.

Kate has spent 25 years working at the intersection of people, structure, and business growth. She founded Meraki People to bring board-level organisational thinking to founder-led businesses that are scaling fast and feeling it.

An experienced change consultant, NED, executive coach and mentor, Kate has been nicknamed ‘the Board Whisperer’ to acknowledge her ability to read the room and the structure underneath it, fast.

Meet the Team

Most people problems aren’t people problems. They’re what happens when structure, leadership, and growth get out of step with each other. That’s what we fix.
— Kate Smyth (Davis), Founder

Trusted by growing businesses across tech, recruitment, creative and construction.

We fix the people stuff that’s slowing you down.

Fast-growing business. Brilliant team. Constant people headaches.

People Friction?

Misalignment, tension, or burnout that drains energy and slows momentum.


We get to the root. Fast.

Team diagnostics, psychometric tools, and clear behavioural language to reset and realign.

Leadership Disconnect?

Leaders not working as a team, stuck in silos, pulling in different directions, or the board and senior team not having the right conversations.

We turn your senior team into an actual team.


Coaching, facilitation, and shared language to build trust and accountability.

Culture confusion?

Values on the wall but not in the room. You’ve grown fast - but culture hasn’t kept pace.


We help your culture grow up. Behaviours, systems, and leadership habits that bring values to life.

Your people aren’t the problem. But the structure they're working inside might be.

What you can expect:

Sharper strategic direction & more effective decision making

More confident leadership, less burnout of senior leaders

Healthier team dynamics, fewer silos

Higher performance, stronger retention

We’re not like the big consultancies.
We listen fast.

Read the room.

Cut through the noise.
We help smart leaders build people-powered businesses that scale and last.


We work at board level and we get our hands dirty, too.

Ready to Scale with Soul?

Let’s have a conversation. No pressure, just clarity.

Want to see how you shape up first?

Why Now?

  • You’re growing, and things feel messy

  • You're preparing for investment, a sale, or a leadership transition

  • Leaders are burning out or stepping back

  • Team dynamics are slowing decisions

  • You want people to step up - but they’re not sure how

We help you fix that. Quickly, clearly, and without drama.

Kate has been an essential source of advice in helping me understand how to navigate the many challenges managing a business can bring. She adapts her style to get the best out of you and has a wealth of experience she can reference to truly help me continually improve
— Daniel Dunn, CEO, Paper Planes

Next Steps

Want to explore whether we’re the right fit? We don’t do hard sell - just a good conversation.