Event urges founders to 'champion each other'

A Teesside organisation supporting women in business has launched a new event series aimed at driving growth, ambition and investment among female founders.

Female Founder UK recently held its inaugural Founder Live event at Teesside University’s The Curve, bringing together entrepreneurs, industry leaders, education providers, finance experts and wellbeing specialists.

The event focused on the barriers facing women in business, including media representation, cultural expectations and gaps in access to tailored support. 

It also explored the economic opportunity of backing female entrepreneurs, with research suggesting £310 billion could be added to the UK economy if women received the same level of support as men.

Female Founder UK was created by brand strategist Max Freer, pictured below, who trademarked the brand three years ago after years of informally supporting women at different stages of business ownership.

Max Freer, founder of Female Founder UK

The organisation now works with female-led businesses across Teesside, providing strategic support designed around each founder’s ambitions, while also placing emphasis on psychological health, wellbeing and long-term sustainability.

Max said: “This was a landmark event, drawing a line in the sand about the lack of support female entrepreneurs have experienced at different stages of running a business and asking what we can do now to support women to help grow the economy – on Teesside and beyond.

“It was unique in bringing together senior leaders across a wide range of sectors and industries – including education and finance – together with female business owners and executives, to discuss the challenges female founders face - and how these can be overcome.”

The event included contributions from journalists and PR experts Sarah Dale and Sarah Walker of SASS Media, Female Founder UK’s official media partner, who explored how portrayals of women in the media have influenced perceptions of female entrepreneurs.

Sarah Walker added: “Talent is everywhere – in the Tees Valley and beyond – but opportunity isn’t.

“With the possibility of creating £310 billion in revenue if women are backed in the same way as male business owners, unlocking female entrepreneurial talent is one of the greatest economic opportunities of our time.

“The question is not whether Tees Valley can afford to invest in women entrepreneurs – it’s whether it can afford not to.”

Guests also heard the story of fashion designer Kate Fearnley, pictured below, whose experience highlighted the challenges facing creative businesses, where passion and purpose often sit alongside the need for stronger commercial, marketing and digital skills.

Fashion designer Kate Fearnley

A roundtable discussion invited attendees to share their experiences and consider how support for women in business across the Tees Valley could be improved.

Samantha Anderson, chief executive of Wolviston Group, added: “I’ve never been around a roundtable with so many women before.

“I’m usually the only woman round a table of men.

“We need more opportunities to come together like this and advocate for change.

“If I had something like this early in my career I would have flown.”

Kelly Whitfield, founder and chief executive of KLIK SaaS©, as well as a mum-of-three, added: “As women, we are far too modest.

“We don’t shout loud enough and I am very passionate about that.

“We have got to champion each other; promote our ideas and the problems we solve.”

The event also featured insight from AI strategy and skills consultant Joanna Wake, pictured below, who discussed the importance of understanding digital markets and the growing influence of artificial intelligence on consumer and business buying decisions.

AI strategy and skills consultant Joanna Wake

Joanna added: “Women’s jobs are three times more likely to be taken over by AI – but there is also a lot of exciting growth opportunity with AI.

“We need more of a focus on women’s understanding of how this could work for them – but could also work against them if they don’t embrace the potential that’s there.

“Teesside could be the AI literacy capital of the UK – we have to be, so we’re not left behind.”

Representatives from HSBC, Atomix Educational Trust and the Education Training Collective also attended, reflecting the event’s focus on building a wider support network for female entrepreneurs.

Female Founder UK has recently supported independent financial adviser Christine Tarran in launching Her Invest, a brand aimed at helping women become more financially confident.

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