Movers and Shakers: Felicia Mattis-Rome

Meet Felicia, a community builder, changemaker, and a true mover and shaker. Felicia leads Business Launchpad and Tooting Works, creating opportunities for young people and communities who don’t always see themselves reflected in business spaces. We sat down with her to find out what drives her and what she’s learned along the way.

Felicia, for readers who are meeting you for the first time, how would you describe who you are and the work you do

I’m someone who is deeply committed to creating opportunities where they don’t naturally exist. I lead Business Launchpad and Tooting Works, which together form a bit of an ecosystem. We support young people from low-income backgrounds to explore enterprise (including employment opportunities) and build sustainable futures, and we do that in a space that is also commercially active and community driven. Alongside the day job, I am a governor and a Trustee.

At the heart of it, my work is about creating opportunities for the communities I serve. It’s about helping talent move from potential to something tangible, whether that’s starting a business, finding meaningful employment, finding direction, or simply believing that they belong in spaces they might not have seen themselves in before.

You are known for your work supporting young people, entrepreneurs and communities. What first drew you to this kind of work?

Honestly, it comes from lived experience. I’ve seen first-hand how talent, ambition and ideas can exist without access, without networks, and without the kind of support that makes things possible. What drew me in was that gap; the space between potential and opportunity.

Once you see it, you can’t really unsee it. And for me, the work became about trying to close that gap in a way that is practical, not just aspirational.

What does leadership mean to you at this stage of your journey?

Leadership, for me now, is less about having the answers and more about holding the weight of the questions for my teams and others. It’s about making decisions that are sometimes difficult, holding boundaries, and making sure that what we’re building is impactful, consistent and sustainable, not just exciting in the moment. It’s about holding an organisation steady, knowing that what we do today shapes someone else’s future tomorrow.

It’s also about responsibility for people, particularly those who have already experienced more barriers than most, for outcomes, and for the culture we create.

At this stage, I see leadership as something that needs to be intentional and disciplined, not reactive.

You lead with both purpose and practicality. How do you balance vision with the day-to-day demands of running an organisation?

Over time, I’ve learned that vision without structure doesn’t go very far. So, for me, it’s about constantly bringing things back to: what does this look like in practice? I hold the bigger picture quite firmly in terms of what we’re trying to achieve, who we’re trying to serve, but I spend just as much time thinking about systems, processes, and whether things are actually working on the ground.

It’s not always perfectly balanced, but I try to make sure that the day-to-day is always moving us closer to the bigger vision, not away from it.

What are some of the biggest barriers you see facing young entrepreneurs and early-stage business owners today?

Access is still one of the biggest barriers I would point to. Access to opportunities, to funding, to networks, to information that is actually relevant. But beyond that, I’d say resilience and support are also huge barriers.

A lot of people start with energy and ideas, but they don’t have the ongoing structure or relationships that help them stay the course when things get difficult. And then there’s confidence, not in the superficial sense, but in feeling like you belong in those spaces. That’s still a real barrier for many of the young people I serve.

What kind of support makes the biggest difference when someone is trying to turn an idea into a sustainable business?

The answer to this question will differ based on the ‘who’. For the young people I serve, what makes the biggest difference is someone/an organisation standing and holding space for them like no one else have or would, and that someone/organisation doing it consistently.

Practical support is also important but that holding space consistently and supporting with long term accountability is key.

You have helped create opportunities for people who may not always see themselves represented in business spaces. Why does representation matter to you?

Because it shapes what people believe is possible. If we don’t see ourselves reflected anywhere, in leadership, in business, in decision-making, it’s very easy to assume that those spaces aren’t for us. Representation isn’t just about visibility, though. It’s about access, influence, and shifting who gets to participate and succeed.

For me, it’s about making sure those spaces are not only visible, but are genuinely open.

Can you share a moment in your career when you had to be brave, take a risk or trust your instincts?

There have been quite a few, but one that stands out is making decisions that go against what feels like the “expected” way, choosing review and rebirth over scale, or pausing something that isn’t working even when there’s the expectation to continue.

Those moments require you to trust your judgement, even when it’s uncomfortable or not fully understood by others. I’ve learned that some of the most important decisions are the ones where you have to be quietly brave rather than visibly bold.

What has your leadership journey taught you about resilience?

That resilience isn’t just about pushing through, it’s about adapting, reflecting, and sometimes restarting. There’s a difference between being persistent and being effective.

My journey has taught me to be more thoughtful about where I put my energy, and to recognise that resilience also includes knowing when to pause, reset, and approach something differently.

Who or what has shaped the way you lead?

A combination of experiences and people.

The way I lead has been shaped by both situations where things didn’t work well and by thoughtful and integrity filled people at pivotal points on my journey. And then there’s the work itself. Working closely with young people and communities keeps you grounded. It reminds you that leadership is not abstract, it has real impact on people’s lives.

What advice would you give to a woman of colour who is building something meaningful but sometimes feels tired, unseen or under-resourced?

Firstly, I would say, acknowledge those feelings. They are real. But also remember why you started, and be intentional about how you build, not just what you build. You don’t have to do everything at once, and you don’t have to prove your worth constantly. You are doing it because you were created to do it.

Focus on consistency, build things that are sustainable, and surround yourself with people who understand the journey.

When you think about impact and legacy, what do you hope people will say about the work you have done?

I would hope for people to say the work I did served the people and the community I love. I would want it to be said that the work I did created generational change, enabled someone to help their mum or dad retire early, changed the course of what had seemed pre-destined for the family.

Felicia won the Leadership Award at the 2025 PRECIOUS Awards.

Connect with Felicia on Linkedin