Success Suits Her: Inside Karolina Pelc's London Book Launch

The lights were low, the room was filled with conversation and London’s entrepreneurial crowd gathered at one of the city’s most iconic venues for an evening celebrating ambition, resilience and the art of creating your own opportunities.

Hosted by Mumble Forum at Tramp, the official launch of Karolina Pelc’s highly anticipated memoir, Her Play: Make Your Own Luck, brought together founders, investors, entrepreneurs and changemakers for an intimate evening that was every bit as glamorous as it was inspiring.

Set against the elegant backdrop of one of London’s most renowned private members’ venues, guests enjoyed an engaging fireside conversation with Karolina, followed by drinks, exquisite canapés and the kind of meaningful conversations that continue long after an event comes to an end.

More than a book launch, the evening captured the spirit behind Her Play: a celebration of ambition, courage and the people willing to back themselves and build something on their own terms.

Photos: Karolina Pelc

Karolina’s story is one of determination, resilience and reinvention.

At just 19, she left Poland with a one way ticket to London, determined to create opportunities for herself. Starting over in a new country meant adapting quickly, embracing uncertainty and learning to navigate unfamiliar environments, experiences that would later shape her approach to business and leadership.

Over the years, she built an impressive career across marketing, product, strategy and leadership before reaching a point where she knew she wanted to create something of her own.

“There wasn’t a dramatic moment where I woke up and decided to quit,” she said.. “With every promotion I became increasingly interested in diagnosing systemic business problems rather than simply executing someone else’s vision.”

That shift in thinking ultimately led her to launch her own technology company, securing more than €7 million in investment before successfully exiting the business just a few years later.

For Karolina, becoming a founder was never about leaving her comfort zone.

“It was about reaching the point where staying comfortable became the bigger risk.”

Building something on your own terms

The inspiration behind her company came from an unexpected observation.

Watching the way people interacted through technology sparked a fascination with human behaviour and how digital experiences could bring people together in entirely new ways.

“It wasn’t the technology itself that inspired me,” she explained. “It was human social dynamics.”

That curiosity became the foundation of a business that would establish Karolina as one of Europe's most respected entrepreneurs and, today, a sought after investor and speaker.

Photos: Karolina Pelc

Owning your place at the table

Building a business and raising millions in investment meant stepping into rooms where women have historically been underrepresented.

For Karolina, success never meant changing who she was to fit in.

“I never tried to become ‘one of the boys’,” she said. “True authority doesn’t come from mimicking the existing culture. It comes from introducing a sharp, strategic perspective the room is currently lacking.”

Instead, she believes preparation, confidence and authenticity remain a woman’s greatest strengths.

“Competence is incredibly difficult to argue with.”

It is a message woven throughout Her Play, which explores not only the successes, but also the challenges, uncertainty and personal growth that come with building a business.

The reality behind success

While entrepreneurial success can often appear effortless from the outside, Karolina is refreshingly honest about what it really takes.

Her memoir explores raising investment, navigating leadership, balancing motherhood and managing the self doubt that can creep in, even during moments of achievement.

“We need to be honest about it,” she said. “Balancing both is incredibly hard.”

Motherhood, however, also transformed the way she led.

“When your time is strictly finite, you stop confusing being busy with being productive.”

It taught her to prioritise what mattered most, trust the people around her and remember that success is about far more than work alone.

Photos: Karolina Pelc

Creating your own luck

At the heart of Her Play is one simple belief: luck is not something you wait for.

Karolina describes it as “engineered serendipity”, the idea that opportunities are created through curiosity, courage and consistently putting yourself in the right rooms.

“Luck rarely knocks on the door of people standing still.”

Whether through conversations, introductions or simply saying yes to opportunities before feeling completely ready, she believes every step forward begins with action.

Her advice is simple.

Meet more people. Ask more questions. Share your ideas before they feel perfect. The opportunities you are waiting for may already be closer than you think.

A new chapter

Today, Karolina is embracing a new chapter as an investor, author and mentor, supporting founders with ambitious ideas and helping others navigate the realities of building a business.

Her investment philosophy is centred around people.

“I invest in individuals who thoroughly impress me above all else,” she explained. “I want to back companies where I can genuinely add value.”

She is particularly passionate about supporting underrepresented founders and believes greater diversity among investors will ultimately create greater diversity among entrepreneurs.

“Women don’t need lower standards. They need equal access.”

Creating a legacy

As the evening at Tramp came to a close, it was clear that Karolina’s memoir Her Play is about far more than business.

It is about resilience, self belief and having the confidence to write your own story.

For Karolina, success has taken on a different meaning over the years.

“Earlier in my career it was about titles, milestones and proving something to myself. Today it’s much more about expanding what’s possible for other people.”

Through her memoir, her work as an investor and her continued support of female founders, she hopes to encourage more women to stop waiting for permission, embrace uncertainty and trust their own instincts.

Because sometimes the most powerful move you can make is believing that you are capable of creating the future you want.

You can purchase Karolina’s memoir Her Play: Make Your Own Luck  on Amazon in the UK or internationally through Karolina’s website. 

Photos: Karolina Pelc