When desk.coach co-founders Leigh Sherry and Natasha Lee talk about their business, their passion is unmistakable. They are driven by a shared vision to improve workplace wellbeing and to help employees make small, sustainable changes that have a lasting impact.
Empowering growth: How William Buck helped desk.coach build for the future
Drawing on their diverse backgrounds in exercise physiology, health science, banking and regulation, they built a health-technology platform that supports organisations to take a proactive, evidence-based approach to employee wellbeing.
Yet as every founder knows, turning an idea into a scalable business takes more than passion. With the right advisors by their side, they found the structure and clarity needed to grow with confidence.
Turning an idea into a scalable solution
The idea for desk.coach came from Leigh’s experience as an exercise physiologist, repeatedly treating the same musculoskeletal issues – sore backs, necks and shoulders – among corporate clients.
“I found myself treating the same injuries again and again,” she recalls. “It was frustrating because I knew so much of it could be prevented with small, simple changes.”
The concept evolved into a software-as-a-service platform that provides employees with real-time, bite-sized health prompts throughout the day – reminders to move, stretch, breathe or refocus.
desk.coach – Growing with confidence
Leigh and Natasha started desk.coach with a big idea: use technology to revolutionise workplace health. William Buck provided the guidance they needed to set up the right business structure, unlock R&D incentives and make smart financial decisions early.
Setting strong foundations for growth
As a fast-growing startup, the desk.coach team knew the importance of surrounding themselves with the right expertise early on. Engaging William Buck has been a critical part of building a strong foundation and scaling with confidence.
“We have various entities that operate as an ecosystem – it could be quite complicated. William Buck helped us develop a structure that was efficient, cost-effective and minimised risk,” explains Natasha.
That advice extended to the finer details of startup governance including capitalisation tables, equity allocations and employee share option pools.
“You get one opportunity to set them up and if you don’t do it right, it’s expensive,” Natasha continues. “There’s drama and time involved to unwind those decisions so getting those done properly was important. The William Buck team put it all together which was great and takes a lot off my plate.”
Expertise that builds confidence
For Leigh and Natasha, William Buck’s value goes far beyond technical skill, it’s the clarity and confidence they bring to every decision.
“When you work with William Buck, you’re dealing with a team of people who know their stream so well and articulate it in a way you understand,” says Leigh. “You can then relay that information confidently when clients ask questions. We can always say, This is what we’ve done and this is why – this is the advice we’ve relied on.”
From setting up their structure correctly to managing R&D tax incentives, William Buck has been by their side to ensure the business is built on solid financial and operational footing.
“Time is our most valuable resource,” says Leigh. “Knowing we can hand something over and trust it’s being done right is invaluable. They don’t just execute – they’re proactive, asking, ‘Have you considered this?’ That kind of foresight makes a huge difference.”
A trusted relationship that scales
For any scale-up, the quality of advice must grow with the business. That’s why credibility and capability were critical for the desk.coach founders.
“William Buck has a reputation in the scale-up space and knowing that we’re working with people of that kind of credibility – that’s important for clients, it’s important for us and it makes us feel safe,” explains Natasha.
Beyond the technical expertise, it’s the relationship that matters most.
“When you’re a startup founder, it can be stressful and uncertain,” Leigh reflects. “Our advisor, Jack Qi, has been a steady hand – calm, supportive and genuinely invested in our success. That authenticity is rare.”
Looking ahead
The future for desk.coach is ambitious. The co-founders envision the platform being embedded in workplaces across the globe, helping millions of people take small, sustainable steps toward better health. “Our goal is to be in every office worldwide,” says Natasha. “We want to change how health at work is done, to create real, lasting change for people.”
With a strong foundation and the right partners in place, that vision is well within reach.
“William Buck has helped us build from a strong base,” Leigh says. “We trust them to guide us as we grow and that lets us focus on what we’re here to do: improve lives.”
