From left: Michelle Safo, Tuuli Platner, Rich Young, Annice Green and Georgina Eaton

Last year we said goodbye to some of the Business Link team as they stepped down, and a new team was formed to take us into the next season.

We are very grateful to Chris Page, Jeff Warin, Lizzie Rogers and Onno Westrate for their time, passion and dedication to the Business Link network. The community benefitted in many ways from their expertise and experience over the years. They all felt it time to step down from this team for various (good!) reasons, and are serving God in new and different ways - may the Lord bless them in their endeavours.

A new team

In the spring of 2024 Mike Betts invited five individuals to form the new Business Link leadership team.

Michelle Safo

Part of the original leadership team, Michelle feels called to continue serving in this role. She is a business owner with decades of experience in management and consultancy. She is excited about how Business Link can transform communities - from mentoring business start-ups internationally that support the church and create jobs, to gathering business leaders locally in the church to equip, develop and support them.

Richard Young

Richard is based in North London and is a keen advocate for business and church planting working in tandem so that lives might be empowered and communities transformed. He is an Elder at Revelation Church London, and has been self-employed for many years to remain flexible for church leadership. More recently, Rich has started a property company with his wife.

Georgina Eaton

Since moving to Lille, France 11 years ago to pioneer Église Coeur de Grace with husband Roger and two amazing kiddos, Georgie has been a self-employed business English trainer in higher education institutions and businesses. In January 2024, she become a co-owner and manager of BCLS, working with small, medium and large multinational companies in Lille, and managing a growing team of language trainers. She also works in partnership with Roger at the Good Space La Maillerie co-working space.

Tuuli Platner

Tuuli has been gaining expertise in graphic design, photography and related fields since her late teens, and has been using her skills in local church settings ever since, which for the past 15 years has been Revelation Church London. She believes there is world-changing potential when ordinary people yield to God’s supernaturally creative solutions - and sees pioneering business-church partnerships playing an exciting role.

I have also asked Annice Green to join the team in this interim period to project manage this transition.

Annice Green

Having worked for Relational Mission since its beginning, Annice is probably the longest-serving staff member. She has had various roles over the years and now serves Mike Betts as part of his Core Team. Annice can usually be found in her 'second office' at a cafe in Kentish Town, London, fuelled by coffee to help her think strategically and creatively. Married to Tim, mum to two teens and a young adult, and part of Revelation Church, London.

A New Chapter

In February of this year the team emerged from a time of reflection, stillness, prayer, discernment and waiting on the Lord’s direction before taking the next steps.

Michelle shares the results of that time:

Sometimes waiting can feel unsettling, especially when the desire to progress is strong. However, we knew that moving forward without clear guidance would be action without meaning.

Now, with fresh clarity, we embrace this new season and are excited to share the next stage of our journey under the new name Pioneer Business.

July 2024: The new team spent a day in Lille, France, praying into the next chapter

A New Name, A Fresh Vision

Pioneer Business: Work Done Differently

Previously known as RM Business Link, our new identity, Pioneer Business, is more than a new name. Building on all that has gone before, it reflects a deepened commitment to aligning faith with business for greater impact.

Our Vision

Realising the potential of Christians in business to bring godly influence into wider society by empowering churches and equipping pioneers to impact communities.

At our core, we believe that business, working alongside apostolic mission, is a powerful vehicle to empower churches, equip pioneers and transform communities.

Whether you are a church leader navigating the intersection of faith and commerce, an entrepreneur shaping new initiatives or a corporate professional influencing boardrooms, we believe God has positioned you for impact and we are looking forward to exploring together how we can best outwork this vision.

Who we are

Pioneer Business is a community that is committed to doing work differently; devoted to integrating faith with work in a way that brings true transformation.

Our desire is for the Pioneer Business community to include:

Church Partners - those within local churches who sense a call to business in some way, whether it be as voluntary elders/leaders, bi-vocational professionals or leading businesspeople within the congregation.
Entrepreneur Partners - those that feel a specific call to start businesses either to support themselves, church planting, or to effect change in a community or industry. They might be embryonic or established.
Corporate Partners - those in the corporate world carrying expertise and responsibility who have a vision to bring godly influence in corporate business.

We exist to envision and equip those in church, entrepreneurial and corporate spheres who feel called to connect the working world to the wider Relational Mission vision and see communities transformed by Jesus.

Our community aspires to a culture that embraces the following seven values.

Our Values

As we step into this new season, these seven values will define our culture and practice, serving as guiding principles shaping how we work and serve.

Time
Money
Imagination
Power
Decision-Making
Community
Communication

A New Journey Together

To bring these values to life, we are launching monthly articles that explore each principle in depth and offer practical applications. In addition, we will be hosting virtual ‘Round Table’ gatherings to create space for meaningful discussions, deeper exploration and shared times of prayer.

We believe that this transition is the Lord’s leading and are stepping forward in faith, not with every detail mapped out, but with confidence that the Lord who began this good work will be faithful to complete it.

Looking ahead, we are excited to embark on this journey together.

Connecting with Pioneer Business

To join the community and receive future updates, sign up here to receive email updates from the Pioneer Business team.

Introducing Pioneer Business