How I Made It: ‘I’m a mentor – I see wasted potential all the time’

Welcome back to How I Made It, Metro.co.uk’s weekly career journey series.

This week we’re chatting with Sylvester Lewis, 32, an investment banker who went onto found Coachcube, an online mentoring platform which connects mentors and mentees.

Based in south London, the investor became passionate about access to competitive industries early on in his career, after seeing how much a person’s social circle can influence where they end up.

Hoping to change this, alongside his work in finance and raising investments for start-ups, he now helps connect young people to industries that might otherwise feel unreachable through mentoring.

Showing the importance of not pulling the ladder up behind you, here’s how Sylvester found a career in these two different worlds.

Hey Sylvester. How did you begin your career in investment banking?

While studying engineering science at Oxford University, I completed internships in investment banking at Barclays Investment Bank and Goldman Sachs.

Securing the internships was competitive but proved invaluable for the insight into the industry and the type of skills, knowledge, and attributes I needed to create a successful career.

Upon graduation, I started working in this area at Evercore, an investment banking advisory firm. I then moved on to smaller, more entrepreneurial firms doing similar work to take on more responsibility.

I then started consulting at different start-ups. This business grew into Ayton Capital Partners – to date we have raised over £15 million for UK-based early-stage start-ups, from venture capital firms and high-net-worth individuals.

What made you want to do this as a career?

The world of finance has always been a subject of great interest to me because of its nuances, complexities and fast-paced nature.

It presents a unique set of challenges that I find both fascinating and rewarding to navigate. 

Quite quickly I realised I was most interested in the process of raising seed capital and the impact it has on bringing new innovations and services into society.

The ability to help innovative startups get off the ground and realise their potential is exciting and incredibly fulfilling.

Do you get inspired working in this industry?

Yes. Being around so many entrepreneurs, creators and doers also led me to start my app, Suppa, which connects foodies in London, allowing them to explore new restaurants together. 

This experience gave me a firsthand understanding of the challenges and opportunities that entrepreneurs face, and solidified my desire to pursue a career in raising funds full-time.

Did you have to train? What was the journey into this job like?

Extensive training was provided to all new graduates who joined Evercore, which is typical of most major investment banks.

The finance sector is heavily regulated and client-facing professionals must be approved by the Financial Conduct Authority before they can act as advisers.

I quickly realised the best way to learn and develop my skills was through practical experience, and not being afraid to ask questions.

How difficult is it to work your way up in the banking industry – is networking important?

Working your way up in the banking industry can be challenging, but if you select a particular niche and commit to progressing, it offers exciting opportunities and life experiences.

One of the most important qualities to have is pragmatism and a solution-oriented mindset. Banks are constantly facing challenges and changes, so it’s important to be able to adapt and come up with solutions to problems quickly and efficiently.

Networking is also invaluable. And that’s not just unique to finance. It’s important to build relationships with colleagues, mentors, and industry leaders to learn from their experiences and gain valuable insights. 

What made you start your mentoring platform?

I began to recognise how those who have connections through their family, school, or workplace may have an advantage over others who don’t have the same contacts.

There can be a huge waste of great potential, all because people did not grow up in the right social circle or with the right family network.

This didn’t sit well with me and planted the seed for creating a solution to the problem, which is now in the form of Coachcube.

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