Striving for emotional presence—as a leader, and as a man

For years, startup culture has glamorised the grind, with mental health only considered after employees have already reached burnout. Fred Destin understands this better than most.

After a sudden realisation in his 40s, Fred Destin, Founder of Stride.VC, knew he didn’t want to lead a life unlived. He tried CBT, psychedelics—and even staged his own funeral—to get comfortable with the past and forge stronger relationships in the present.

You’ll hear how Fred is helping other men to face the discomfort of their own pasts & emotions, why being more present means the world feels more wonderful, and why empathy and communication aren’t just soft skills for managers—they’re essential.

As Founder of Stride.VC, Fred Destin is comfortable thriving on chaos. He was the lead investor and board member for companies such as Cazoo, Zoopla, Deliveroo, Pillpack, Integral Ads, Secret Escapes, and more. He’s there to ensure every meeting is a whiteboard meeting.

Oliva is the UK & Europe's #1 rated employee mental wellbeing benefit.

We help companies respond to the pivotal moments that impact mental wellbeing at work and beyond—driving employee retention and exceptional effort.

We do this by:

• Empowering individuals to take control of their mental wellbeing
• Developing manager emotional intelligence
• Helping HR teams create org-wide psychological safety