About SB&I
Business,
differently.
The Stroud Business & Innovation Network is a community of entrepreneurs, makers and thinkers who believe that how you build a business matters as much as what you build. We meet, collaborate, challenge each other — and make Stroud a better place to work.
Where it started
Stroud is already full of extraordinary businesses.
They just don't always know about each other.
SB&I started with a simple observation: Stroud has an unusual density of independent thinkers, ethical entrepreneurs and creative businesses. More than almost anywhere else per head. But there was no infrastructure connecting them — no shared space for ambition, no honest conversation about the realities of running a business here.
So we built one. Not another business breakfast club. Not another Chamber of Commerce. Something that actually reflects how progressive, creative businesses want to connect.
500+
Independent businesses in the district
40+
Network members and growing
12
Events hosted in year one
1
Town worth fighting for
What we believe
Not principles.
Commitments.
01
Honest over polished
We share real stories — what worked, what failed, what we learned. No highlight reels, no personal branding theatre.
02
Collaboration over competition
The businesses that thrive in Stroud are the ones that lift each other. We are a network, not a leaderboard.
03
Local roots, global thinking
Stroud is the base. Innovation is the ambition. We believe you can build world-class work from the Cotswold hills.
04
Equitable by design
A market stall, a tech startup, a freelance designer — all equally at home here. Community isn't selective.
Who it's for
You belong here if you build things.
- Founders building something from scratch
- Business owners who've been at it for years and want fresh thinking
- Freelancers and independents who work alone but don't want to be isolated
- Makers, creatives and craftspeople
- Professionals who want to connect beyond their sector
- Anyone who gives a damn about Stroud's economic future
Ready?
Get in the room.
SB&I is open to anyone building something in or around Stroud — founders, freelancers, makers, creatives, and the people who support them. Sign up and become part of the movement.