Sara Gerard’s Post

Only 15% of businesses in the UK are women-led.   Around a year ago I joined Female Founders Rise a brilliant community that supports female and non binary business owners. This community really opened my eyes to the challenges women face when starting and scaling businesses, from being primary carers in the home to a lack of VC money being invested in female-led organisations.   And there are even greater challenges for women of colour.   It’s doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. £250 billion of value could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men. This benefits everyone. Both Labour and Conservative governments have spoken at length about growth... well here is a solution!   But, you can’t be what you cant see. It's why I’m so proud YeahNice is partnering with Female Founders Rise for their biggest EVER campaign ‘You’ve Got What It Takes’ a celebration of women-led businesses. It features real women & NB founders of today, sharing their stories to help inspire diverse business owners of tomorrow.   Lots more content to come over the next couple of weeks. Please like and share and visit the campaign page at femalefoundersrise.com to find out what more can be done to support female led businesses. And if you want to really show support download the purple linkedin banner and update your profile.   #FemaleFoundersRise #YouveGotWhatItTakes   Emmie Faust YeahNice.

❌ Only 15% of UK businesses are owned or led by women, the lowest that figure’s been since before the pandemic. To highlight this issue, Female Founders Rise have partnered with creative agency YeahNice. for their biggest EVER campaign: “You’ve Got What It Takes”, a celebration of women-led businesses. It showcases 15 female founders sharing their stories to help inspire business owners of tomorrow. Did you know: 🤯 Only 15% of UK businesses are owned or led by women, a figure that has declined since before the pandemic 🤔 81% of 11-18 year olds can't name a single female entrepreneur Yet: 🤩 Startups founded by women generate 78 cents per dollar of funding, while male-founded startups generate just 31 cents 💰 Up to £250 billion of new value could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled new businesses at the same rate as men That’s where Female Founders Rise, led by the amazing Emmie Faust, comes in. It breaks down those barriers and empowers women with the resources, community, and support to succeed. #FemaleFoundersRise #YouveGotWhatItTakes 🌟 Do check out some of the incredible founders featured in the campaign, to find out more about their stories: Dr. Dupe Burgess Burgess, who founded gynaecological health app Bloomful after seeing women were not getting the care that they needed. Debbie Zaman, who founded and sold PR business With that helps clients in the technology sector. Pamela Aculey, who founded Just Like Me Books to improve representation in children’s stories after her eldest son was diagnosed with autism. Catherine Ann Reid, who founded Doqit, an app that gives people a single place to manage their day-to-day life admin. Did any of these stats surprise you? Have you heard about this campaign already? ❤️

Why Supporting Female Entrepreneurs is More Important—and Harder—Than Ever 🚺 Starting and growing a business is tough for anyone, but for women, the challenges can be uniquely daunting—especially for mothers. A recent study by Valentina Rutigliano reveals that women are 42% less likely to start a business in the year they give birth. For those already running a business, motherhood often leads to sharp declines in sales, profits, and survival rates. Meanwhile, male entrepreneurs remain largely unaffected when they become fathers. This gender disparity isn’t about women’s capabilities; it’s about systemic barriers. Rutigliano’s research highlights the importance of reliable childcare and family support. Proximity to grandparents, especially grandmothers, significantly improves outcomes for mothers running businesses. In regions with limited childcare options, retired grandmothers can bridge up to half of the performance gap for entrepreneurial moms. These findings aren’t just statistics—they reflect why I started The Elan Project. Women are less likely to pursue entrepreneurial dreams and more likely to see their businesses struggle because the systems around us weren’t designed to support them. This is why we champion human-centric, women-focused workplaces—environments that acknowledge and accommodate the realities of motherhood, caregiving, and the dual roles so many women carry. But here’s the truth: supporting women entrepreneurs is hard work. It’s not just about cheering them on—it’s about showing up. It means advocating for better policies, offering childcare solutions, and recognizing the immense value women bring to leadership and innovation. Support the women in your life who own businesses—recommend them, invest in them, and make space for them to thrive. Change starts when we see these challenges not as roadblocks, but as opportunities to build better, more inclusive systems. What’s one way you’re supporting women entrepreneurs in your community? Let’s inspire each other to do more, I’d love to hear how you stand up for or support women entrepreneurs! *Article linked in comments! #WomenInLeadership #SupportMothersInBusiness #FemaleEntrepreneurs #TheElanProject #HumanCentricLeadership #WorkingMom #WomeninPower #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneur

Scottish female business founders please do take the time to complete the survey below with AccelerateHER

Girls – it’s time to roll up our sleeves. It’s taken me a few days to process the outcome of last week. Although I am not American, this feels personal. Personal that in the 21st century, women do not have a say over their bodies. Personal that as women, we need to continue clawing our way through life to be seen as equals. But I also want to remind you – there is so much good out there. There are tonnes of women (and men), fighting the good fight in progressing women’s healthcare and lifting up communities. 🌟They say that for every dollar spent on a woman, their whole community benefits three-fold. I choose to spend my energy on what we CAN do, instead of making sense of a senseless outcome. Here are a few ways we can turn this disappointment into action: 🩵 Support women founded businesses. I am part of Epic Angels, and we fund female-founded startups in APEC. We are Asia’s 4th most active angel network and the biggest female angel network in the region. Join us in changing the game for female founders. 🩵 Take part in an NGO that supports girls and women.  From empowering financial literacy in marginalised communities, to inspiring young girls to build a career in a male-dominated field… There is something out there for everyone, and we all have something we can offer. 🩵 Continue investing in yourself. Our girls need women like you, who they can look up to. Keep striving, keep going. Show them what it’s like to have the courage to love and the courage to lead. As Kamala so rightly said herself, “Only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” I’m still processing the grief and shock… but not for too long. There’s a lot of work to be done. 📷: With my niece, who’s my biggest motivation for building a better tomorrow for our girls

Wisdom Wednesdays is a monthly virtual workshop where one of our members or a women leader shares their knowledge and experience for a collaborative session. November's Wisdom Wednesday was hosted by Saloni Bhojwani, co-founder of Pink Salt Ventures, sharing why and how more women should invest in women. Saloni brough an extensive range of figures, facts and knowledge around how underserved women are in global health, care and many other industries. Although, despite this - women are the custodians of the household and typically have higher purchasing power than men, as they distribute their household funds. We already know that female founded businesses receive less funding compared to male founded businesses, although, statistics show women exit with higher returns and much quicker compared to their male counterparts. Thank you Saloni for this wonderful webinar, we all learnt so much and took away plenty food for thought. Members who couldn't make the session, the recording is now live on Circle ⭕ #WomeninvestinginWomen #FemaleFounders #AngelInvestment #AngelInvesting #FemaleFund

💡Did you know that 81% of young people aged 11-18 can’t name even ONE female entrepreneur? This highlights the importance of visibility - you can’t be what you can’t see. And unfortunately, the number of women starting businesses has dropped to just 15%. We need to reverse this trend! Today, Emmie Faust and her amazing team at Female Founders Rise, in partnership with YeahNice., glooh., and others have launched a powerful campaign to raise awareness and inspire more women to pursue entrepreneurship. 💥 Here’s why it matters: Up to £250 BILLION could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men. By supporting women-led businesses, we empower not only the women behind them but also the economy and society at large. ✨ Our mission is clear: - Encourage female entrepreneurship. - Celebrate the women already leading. - Inspire others to buy from and support women-led businesses. Let’s work together to close the gender gap in entrepreneurship and create more opportunities for female founders. 🙏 Please get involved and meet the inspiring women behind this campaign https://lnkd.in/eaFhRks6. #FemaleFounders #SupportWomen #WomenInBusiness #Empowerment #Economy #YouveGotWhatItTakes

It's not enough to just talk about supporting women in business. You should be taking action. Here's how you can step up... 🌟 Shop women-owned  Your pounds have power. Next time you're shopping, choose women-led brands. Every purchase sends a message that we support women entrepreneurs and their innovation. 🌟 Mentor and connect Got some advice to share? Share it! Know someone who could use an intro? Do it. Networking is building contacts and helping other women thrive. I mentor at Bloom UK. 🌟 Invest wisely Let's be real - more women need a seat at the investment table. If you have the means, consider backing women-owned startups. If you don't support those who do. Big ideas need big support, and women have no shortage of either. 🌟 Advocate for change Whether it's pushing for equal pay, better parental leave policies, or more flexible work environments, use your voice to advocate for policies that help women succeed in business. #WomenInBusiness #SupportingWomen #BusinessWoman

This needs to change... Did you know: 🤔 A whopping 81% of 11 to 18 year olds can't name a single female entrepreneur. & 🤯 Only 15% of businesses in the UK are owned or run by women. 🤦♀️ I asked my 13 year old and she didn't even name me (though she did mention Selena Gomez and US based company Rare Beauty). Did you also know that: 💷 Up to £250 billion could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled new businesses at the same rate as men. So, what can we do? ➡ Female Founders Rise along with YeahNice. have launched the 'You've Got What It Takes' campaign to highlight the opportunity that supporting women starting businesses could have for the UK economy. The campaign featuring female founded businesses is all about women sharing their stories and experiences to inspire future women business leaders. To learn more about how you can join a growing community of women entrepreneurs, visit https://lnkd.in/eaq-rQfy #FemaleFoundersRise #YouveGotWhatItTakes #FemaleFounder -with thanks to Emmie Faust & team for creating this!

75% of Women Business Owners Have Imposter Syndrome. That’s right. ¾ of us. While we’re all out changing the world, starting businesses, making profits, and innovating… we’re all also SEVERELY doubting ourselves. Despite growing multiple million-dollar businesses, I’ve experienced imposter syndrome more times than I can count. And in all that experience, I’ve found only ONE solution to feeling like I’m not enough. The answer: Community. I’ve cultivated a community of hundreds of empowered, self-sufficient, always-striving-for-more, unstoppable women who know EXACTLY what you’re going through right now. And today is the last day to join this incredible network. Stop doubting yourself. Start knowing your worth. Join the HerBusiness Network NOW. https://buff.ly/3nAgp2F