In this episode of Zero.24%, Michael Livingstone speaks with Judy Leung, founder and CEO of Sweqlink, a platform helping early-stage founders access the skills and expertise they need through fair and transparent sweat equity partnerships.

Many founders face the same challenge: they need a strong team to develop their idea, build a product and demonstrate traction, but they cannot afford to hire experienced professionals before securing investment.

Sweqlink is working to break that cycle by connecting founders with talented individuals who are prepared to contribute their time and expertise in exchange for a share in the future success of the business.

Michael and Judy explore how sweat equity can help founders make progress before investment, while giving skilled professionals an opportunity to become more than employees or volunteers—they can become owners and long-term partners in the businesses they help build.

They also discuss the barriers faced by women and underrepresented founders, the importance of making entrepreneurship more accessible, and why early-stage partnerships must be built around transparency, realistic expectations and shared values.

• What sweat equity is and how it works
• Why early-stage founders struggle to access experienced talent
• The relationship between investment, talent and startup growth
• How founders can build an initial team before raising funding
• The difference between sweat equity, employment and volunteering
• Why ownership can create stronger alignment and commitment
• How to protect both founders and contributors in equity-based arrangements
• The importance of clear expectations, responsibilities and agreements
• The barriers facing women and underrepresented entrepreneurs
• Judy’s experience building Sweqlink as a first-time technology founder
• Why a founder’s background should not determine their potential
• How a more inclusive startup ecosystem could unlock overlooked ideas and talent

Judy Leung is the founder and CEO of Sweqlink, a Manchester-based platform connecting early-stage businesses with skilled professionals through sweat equity opportunities.

With more than two decades of experience across digital marketing and project management, Judy founded Sweqlink to help entrepreneurs overcome the financial and talent barriers that often prevent promising ideas from progressing.

Her mission is to make entrepreneurship more accessible by enabling founders to build capable, committed teams while giving professionals the opportunity to invest their skills in businesses they believe in.

Judy is a recipient of the Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award and is an advocate for greater representation, fairness and accessibility within the startup ecosystem.

Sweqlink is a sweat equity talent platform that helps pre-investment startups find skilled people who are prepared to exchange their expertise and time for equity.

The platform aims to make sweat equity arrangements clearer, fairer and more transparent while opening up business ownership to a wider range of professionals.

Learn more about Sweqlink:

https://www.sweqlink.com/

Zero.24% explores the experiences, strategies and resilience of Black and underrepresented founders building businesses within an investment ecosystem where access to funding remains deeply unequal.

Hosted by Michael Livingstone, the podcast features honest conversations with founders, investors and ecosystem leaders about building businesses, overcoming barriers and creating meaningful change.

Follow, subscribe and share the episode with someone who is building a startup, searching for a co-founder or considering contributing their expertise to an early-stage business.

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