2024 Accelerator Founder Story
By Kaly Ryan, Capella Design Founder
At Capella Design, we’re passionate about creating beautifully designed, accessible products for aging in place. Our focus has been on blending style and function, challenging the traditional look of clinical mobility aids. But while we’ve been great at designing, I’ll admit there’s always room to learn how to build a company that can truly deliver on that mission. So when we were accepted into the Remarkable Accelerator, I was very excited to grow Capella within their program.
I expected mentorship, advice, and support - but I didn’t expect an adventure that involved a giant penguin, new farm friends, and a crash course (not literally!) in driving on the left side of the road. As it turns out, building a business and mucking out goat stalls aren’t all that different- you learn by doing.
An Unexpected Adventure with a Champion Mentor
As part of the program, Remarkable’s mentor-matching process paired me with Annie Parker, a powerhouse coach with over 20 years of experience in startups, technology, and consulting. The only catch? Annie lives on a farm in Tasmania and couldn’t make the trip to Sydney for the program’s kick-off. In true Remarkable fashion, they came up with a creative solution: I would head to Tasmania instead.
So off I went. After a quick plane ride from Sydney and what turned out to be a remarkably smooth (and thankfully uneventful) highway drive, I found myself pulling up to what felt like the most idyllic business retreat ever. Ducks, chickens, goats, dogs, and Tatiana the sheep were all there to welcome me to Annie’s farm, nestled in a beautiful valley just minutes from the beach. Let’s just say it wasn’t your typical coaching session.
Mentorship Meets Farm Life
During my stay, Annie’s no-nonsense approach helped me get clear on our goals for the accelerator, but the setting kept things light. Between walking the dogs and dodging Marjory the goat’s attempts to chew my hair, we tackled some of Capella’s toughest business challenges. We worked through questions about scaling, revenue models, and how to grow our brand, all while taking short breaks for farm chores.
Annie taught me how to muck out a goat stall, but more importantly, she taught me how to be a better founder. Our time together wasn’t just about business - it was about personal growth, leadership, and yes, learning that goats have a real thing for hair. I left Tasmania with renewed clarity, not just for Capella’s future but for my own journey as a founder.
The Path Forward
The Remarkable Accelerator has offered us more than just guidance and funding - it’s given us the tools and the confidence to grow. And thanks to Annie, I’m now even more excited about what lies ahead for Capella Design. We’re not just about creating stylish assistive products; we’re building a company that can sustainably serve an underserved $22B market in North America.
What started as an opportunity to refine our business strategy turned into an adventure full of learning, growth, and new farm friends. With Remarkable’s support, we’re better equipped than ever to fulfil our mission of transforming home mobility products into beautiful, functional designs that make people feel proud of their homes.
