Jo Living

Jo Living

When founder DNA meets poker mindset

Jo is a serial entrepreneur, ex–investment banker and long-time card enthusiast who believes better decisions can change everything.

After a decade in investment banking, she followed her entrepreneurial itch and went on to launch and scale several ventures, including a mindfulness startup, a charity job site, a women’s leadership community, and a HealthTech startup.

Along the way, she realised how strategic play could sharpen the skills she relied on as a founder: managing risk, negotiating effectively and closing high‑stakes deals.

Despite growing up surrounded by cards - with two bridge teachers as parents, Jo came to poker relatively late, falling in love with the game after a big tournament win in Morocco. Hosting monthly game nights at home, she was struck by how few women were at the table - and how much confidence and communication grew when they were.

To change that, she started a beginners’ poker group for women and quickly saw the impact translate far beyond the game: stronger voices, bolder negotiations, clearer boundaries, high-impact decisions.

Aces High grew out of that insight - reimagining the poker table as a powerful, inclusive space for teams to learn how to think, communicate and perform under pressure.