New Story Ventures

The world needs
a new model
of success.

The old ways of operating got us to where we are. The ventures that will lead us forward will be built by people who understand that we are at a bridging moment. The old model is ending and a new one is not yet here. The most urgent thing right now is that the people doing world-changing work build businesses that can succeed at this moment of transformative change.

New Story Ventures was created to incubate, supercharge and amplify businesses that are telling a new story and building a future worth standing for.

Join Our Next Masterclass See how we work

The Problem

Why good visions stay stuck

You have an idea. Maybe you have had it for months. Maybe years. You know the world needs it. And yet, here you are.

They launch the wrong thing

Most founders build something they think should exist, rather than something they have proved is needed. They spend months, then launch into silence. The problem is always the same: no validation before building.

They do it alone

Without a cofounder, a thinking partner, or anyone who has built things before, most founders go around in circles. They second-guess everything. They never quite have the courage to start. And the months keep passing.

They lack the clarity to move

A vision without a clear offer, a clear audience and a clear path to income stays a vision. Getting from one to the other requires a process most founders have never been taught. Getting from one to the other requires a process most founders have never been taught.

The world cannot afford to wait

The ideas sitting in the heads of purpose-driven founders are part of the answer to the biggest challenges we face. Every year spent stuck is a year the world goes without them.

"The ideas that could change the world already exist. The people to build them are already here. They just need the right support to succeed."

The Solution

The rooms. The networks.
The people who matter.

New Story Ventures was built by Nicky O'Malley as the thing she wished had existed every time she was building something from scratch.

£35 million+ delivered for clients and ventures.

New Story Ventures gives you something you cannot manufacture: access. To the rooms where things get decided, the people who have already built what you are trying to build, and the networks that take years to develop alone. Nicky has spent her career sitting alongside some of the UK's most celebrated entrepreneurs and leaders. She brings that access with her.

What sets New Story Ventures apart is the belief that the ventures worth building right now are the ones that stand for our future: for nature, for the next generation, for a world worth inheriting. Every founder we work with, every workshop we run, every stage Nicky stands on. All in service of that.

Twenty years working with celebrated entrepreneurs and leaders

Charles Dunstone. Robert Campbell. Jeremy Gilley, founder of Peace One Day. Dr Scilla Elworthy, founder of Peace Direct and Oxford Research Group. Elliott Coad, founder of Ecologi.

7-fig

Seven-figure founder

Built, ran and led multiple seven-figure businesses and teams. Launched an award-nominated tech startup working with Andy Burnham's team in Greater Manchester, nominated for the Future of Food Awards and B-Corp pending.

x30 UK

Co-founded and leads 30x30 UK, securing 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. Instrumental in launching Emblehope, England's largest rewilding project. Fundraised for globally significant ventures: David Attenborough's Wild Isles documentary, the world's largest marine protection zone in Tristan da Cunha, and a UN campaign to give children the right to breathe clean air.

Cambridge trained

Alumni of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), University of Cambridge, completing the Women Leading Change executive education programme. Trained in high-impact leadership for global change, systems thinking and sustainable strategy alongside a peer network of leaders, founders and changemakers from across the world. Where strategy meets systems change.

What We Do

Three ways to work together

Whether you are a founder building from scratch, an organisation ready to lead differently, or a room full of people who need a vision to believe in. All of it in service of the same thing: ventures that stand for our future.

The Founder Programme

For people with a vision they cannot shake. Over 12 weeks we move through six phases together: your story, your idea, your offer, your visibility, your voice and your first paying client. Every phase ends with something real and usable. Practical work built around where you actually are right now. Start with a single Vision Day, or join the Fractional Cofounder Programme.

For individual founders

Workshops and Training

Immersive half-day and full-day workshops that give teams, leaders and organisations a genuine shift in thinking. Current programmes: Nature as Stakeholder, rethinking your relationship with the natural world and what it means for your strategy; and Ethical AI for Sustainability, navigating the frontier responsibly and with integrity.

Join as an individual or book for your organisation

Vision, Storytelling and Gatherings

Nicky speaks on stages and convenes rooms where people gather to explore what is possible. Keynotes, panels, facilitated sessions, private dinners and retreats at the intersection of nature, leadership, future generations and systems change.

Keynotes · Private dinners · Retreats

The NSV Network

New Story Ventures works on both sides of the table.

If you are an investor, philanthropist or fund looking to connect with the next generation of purpose-led founders, you are in the right place. Nicky convenes private dinners and intimate gatherings that bring serious capital together with the people building ventures worth backing. At the intersection of nature, leadership, systems change and future generations.

For investors and connectors: get in touch.

What People Say

The proof is in the people

From founders who have launched, to organisations who have shifted, to rooms full of people who saw something they had not seen before.

"Nicky guides today's changemakers into future-ready, purpose-driven leadership."

Dr Scilla Elworthy
Three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee

"Nicky is an inspiration. So impressed with everything she is creating. Keep up the great work."

Zoë Arden
Fellow, CISL, University of Cambridge

"If you've not come across Nicky's work, look her up. She's doing incredible things in incredible ways."

Andy George
Founder, CommonGrnd

Is This For You?

Right person. Right moment.

Not everyone is ready. That is fine. Here is how to know if you are.

This is for you if...

You have a vision or idea that will not leave you alone
You want to build something that genuinely matters and generates income
You have been sitting on your idea for months, or years
You are ready to commit but do not want to do it alone
You believe business can be a force for good in the world
You are willing to be honest about whether your idea actually works
You know the world needs something different and you are ready to build it

This is not for you if...

You are looking for someone to build it for you
You want a quick win without doing the work
You are not open to honest feedback on your idea
You need everything to be perfect before you start
You are building purely for profit with no interest in impact
You are not yet willing to put a price on what you offer

What Changes and When

The transformation timeline

From stuck to launched. Here is what the journey looks like.

Before

The vision is in your head

You know something is needed. You cannot quite articulate it. You have not tested it. You are circling.

The Vision Day

Clarity and a plan

One dedicated day. You leave knowing exactly what you are building, who it is for, and the three people you need to call this week.

Month 1 to 3

Validated and visible

Your idea is pressure-tested. Your offer is clear. You have a presence in the world. Real people know you exist.

Month 4 to 6

Launched and earning

Your first paying client. An invoice sent. A business in the world that exists and generates income.

"The goal is a spacious, intentional business. One where you know the one to three things that will shift the dial, and you move forward on purpose, with confidence, on your own terms."

Questions

Things people ask before they start

Do I need to already have a business idea?

Not a fully formed one. You need a direction, a problem you care about, or a sense of what is missing in the world. We work out the specifics together.

How is this different from a business coach?

A coach asks questions. A fractional cofounder builds things with you. Nicky brings her network, her contacts and her two decades of building to every engagement. She is in it with you, not observing from the side.

Do I need to do the Vision Day before the programme?

The Vision Day is the ideal starting point, but the Fractional Cofounder Programme can also be joined as a standalone. If you are unsure, start with the masterclass and see how it feels.

What if I am an organisation, not an individual?

The workshops and Vision and Storytelling work are specifically designed for organisations, teams and leadership groups. Get in touch and we will work out what makes sense.

Can I attend a workshop without committing to anything else?

Absolutely. The workshops are standalone and open to individuals as well as organisational bookings. Many people start there and come back for more.

How do I know if I am ready?

If you have been thinking about your idea for more than six months and you have not launched, you are ready. The masterclass is a free way to find out. Come along and see.

The First Step

Join our next masterclass

The theory is free. The doing is where it gets interesting. Come along, get the framework, and see what it feels like to think alongside someone who has built things the world actually needed.

Free online masterclass

A live session with Nicky covering the NSV venture-readiness framework: how to validate your idea, clarify your offer and take the first real step towards building something the world will pay for. No cost. No commitment. Just clarity.

Also available: live in-person events throughout the year. Watch this space.

The world needsa new modelof success.