What is your name and background?
My name is Pamela Aculey — I’m an award-winning author and entrepreneur passionate about reimagining how children experience stories and learning. My background spans fifteen years in the fitness industry, a formative chapter as an investment banker, and now the creative-tech and publishing worlds. I’m an autistic mother of three, including my eldest son Walter, who is also autistic and the inspiration behind everything I create. My career has been beautifully squiggly each turn teaching me resilience, empathy and the importance of creating spaces where every kind of mind can thrive.
Tell us about your business and how you started it.
My business, MIXD Reality, bridges storytelling and technology to make learning more inclusive. We created Buster Finds His Beat — the world’s first interactive and inclusive Augmented Reality (AR) picture book. Inspired by my autistic son Walter, who was non-speaking at the time, the book was designed to help children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who are disengaged from reading, connect more deeply with stories. When readers scan the book’s pages with a phone or tablet, the characters and scenes come to life in 3D — blending sight, sound and movement to enhance focus, comprehension and enjoyment.
What began as a bedtime idea to help my child experience reading in his own way evolved into a mission: to ensure no child feels left out of the story. Today, MIXD Reality is developing an AR platform that enables publishers, educators and authors to transform their own content into immersive experiences — democratising access to inclusive storytelling on a global scale.
Walter has since gone from a frustrated non-speaking child to a confident young boy who now never stops talking — a daily reminder of the power of stories that speak to every child.
How did you come across BEO’s F100 Growth Fund programme?
I had been following BEO on LinkedIn for some time, so when I saw the announcement for applications to the new F100 Growth Fund cohort, I jumped at it. I’d long admired BEO’s commitment to championing Black entrepreneurs and levelling the playing field when it comes to access to capital, visibility and opportunity. When I learned that Sky was backing the fund, it felt like a powerful alignment — creative innovation meeting representation and impact. It was clear that this was more than a funding programme; it was a movement built around empowerment, collaboration and long-term growth.
What made you want to apply for it?
I applied because I recognised the F100 Growth Fund as a rare ecosystem where innovation meets inclusion. As a founder in the creative-tech space and as a Black autistic woman — I’ve often found that access to the right rooms, where decisions and investments are made, can be more transformative than funding alone. The F100 offered both: the community and the capital.
The opportunity to pitch for funding was especially powerful. It wasn’t just about raising money — it was about being seen, heard and valued in a space that too often overlooks underrepresented founders. It provided the chance to articulate the vision for MIXD Reality to investors who understand impact, inclusion and innovation in equal measure. I also wanted to stand alongside other visionary founders breaking barriers and redefining what leadership looks like in the UK’s innovation economy.
What have been the key benefits of joining the F100 Growth Fund?
The F100 Growth Fund has been transformative. Financially, it’s helped us accelerate development on our AR SaaS platform, but the true value has been in the people — the mentorship, investor insight, and the collective brilliance of fellow founders. It’s given me renewed confidence to speak boldly about our mission, refined our investment strategy, and opened doors to partnerships across education, publishing and technology. BEO and Sky created an environment where authenticity and ambition coexist — where you’re encouraged to build, but also to breathe. That kind of community is gold.
What would be your top tip for business owners applying to the next cohort?
Be clear about your why — because that’s what sustains you when the ‘how’ gets hard. The F100 Growth Fund isn’t just about business growth; it’s about founder growth. Be open, curious and coachable. Lean into the community, share your challenges honestly, and remember that representation is not a burden — it’s a beacon. Your story, your lived experience, and your innovation all have value. The question isn’t if you belong in the room; it’s what impact you’ll make once you’re there.
