ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company)’s Post

Today, I want to celebrate an extraordinary woman my source of inspiration & strength: "my Ma", Faieza Sanders, original CREATIVE DIRECTOR of my life. Her journey is a testament to resilience, adaptability, & unwavering dedication. Most know her as the amazing Specialist Sourdough Baker, founder of Cooking Culture-- but this is a mere slice in her list of innovation. Started as a bank teller fresh out of high school, she quickly realised that growth required change. Moved into the Design & Print Industry, she transformed challenges into opportunities, mastered every new skill required. From operating switchboards to becoming a graphic designer, she learned the intricacies of design before the digital age, using dry-transfer lettering sheets, grid paper & markers. When technology revolutionised the industry, she didn't fear change. Instead, she embraced it, becoming proficient in Mac OS, Aldus PageMaker & Macromedia Freehand, ensuring she understood the tools she was selling. This adaptability not only advanced her career but also brought Apple Computers into South Africa, always fostering environments of learning & innovation. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to start multiple successful businesses, from Design services to photobooks & personalised printing solutions. In fact, she was a pioneer in establishing the photobook market in South Africa as. She saw the potential of digital photobooks long before they became mainstream, organising distribution points & working with printers to offer personalised, high-quality photobooks that became a game-changer for photographers & families alike. If you need verification on who started photobooks in South Africa, just ask RapidStudio & iStore South Africa. Taught herself advanced software skills, became a certified expert, shared her knowledge generously, training other designers & empowering them to start their own ventures. Her love for learning & sharing knowledge extended beyond design. She explored various creative avenues, including gourmet cooking & floristry, turning her passions into successful businesses. She believes in the power of continuous learning, research & adapting to new challenges. Every business process she created flourishes, empowers many, and still exists today, even if no longer under her direction. One of her most profound lessons is that there are no problems, only opportunities. She taught me to always think ahead, use the right tools & never stop learning. Her living legacy is one of innovation, creativity & an unwavering belief in the power of perseverance. Thank you, Mummy, for showing me that no matter how many barriers are put in front of us, there is always a way. You are a true superwoman & you continue to inspire me. Here's to all the amazing mothers who shape our lives with their love, wisdom, creativity & strength. 🌟 #BecauseEverydayIsMothersDay The Graça Machel Trust Women Creating Wealth Programme Graça Machel Trust

“The private equity and venture capital industry has so much potential to champion women as entrepreneurs, so it’s an absolute vital engine for growth.” As part of the BVCA’s recent Inspiring Women breakfast event, the latest in our #Diversity, #Equity and #Inclusion (DE&I) Series, we spoke with former government Minister Seema Kennedy OBE to learn more about her first-hand experience working in politics and regulation and to get her view on the ways the #privatecapital industry can increase the proportion of female senior investment professionals in the UK. Listen to Seema on: ◾ Her personal journey. ◾ Top tips for women wanting to break barriers and overcome challenges. ◾ Ways to overcome the lack of women in senior leadership roles.  ◾ How the private capital industry can play a role in this.  ◾ Best practice resources such as Anne Boden’s Women-Led High-Growth Enterprise Taskforce report (available here: https://lnkd.in/e_e3fuiN) and more.

Honored to have been nominated by Kayo Conference Series as a 24 in ‘24 Woman Championing Women in Finance. The challenges women face in finance today are real and persistent, but they come with a transformative opportunity. When we actively champion the voices, talents, and perspectives of women, we’re not just leveling the playing field—we’re building an industry that’s more resilient, innovative, and forward-thinking for everyone. A finance sector where diverse voices lead is one that can better address complex, global issues, adapt to change, and envision a future that benefits us all. Elevating women in finance doesn’t only support women; it strengthens the ecosystem for men as well. When men and women (*and non-binary folks) collaborate in truly inclusive environments, we all learn from one another, we all innovate, and we all grow. Together, we have the chance to redefine what finance can be—a field driven by both profitability and purpose, a place where all voices are heard, and a profession that reflects the diverse world it serves and rewards the best thinking. This is why our work with Women in Climate Investing & Finance is tremendously critical and energizes me to keep pushing forward. Please see here for the list of other winners https://lnkd.in/g7JaftUF including our incredible WICIF DC Chapter lead Samantha (Thomas) Norquist

This week, Beauhurst data featured in a UK Government Equality Hub report, identifying how to remove barriers to female entrepreneurship. We were delighted to work closely with both the Cabinet Office and the Women-Led High-Growth Enterprise Taskforce on this, with our research providing a baseline for the recommendations. Our very own Henry Whorwood and Bila Turay will also be attending the launch event tonight at Slaughter and May. In the meantime, do have a read of the full findings below 👇 #BeauhurstInsights #FemaleEntrepreneurs #Equality #EntrepreneurSupport

📢 Good to see our research for the British Business Bank on improving #diversity in venture capital investment referenced in this very important report. 👇

Investing in women entrepreneurs is not only the right thing to do but also a smart impact decision. Oxfam Novib's, Windy Massabni, Rita Abiodun, Eline Arnoldy and many others have provided great insight into the potential of women-led businesses. This 5-minute click (https://lnkd.in/e9BvJNXZ) highlights the importance of investing in women entrepreneurs and we couldn't agree more. Let's work towards creating a world where women entrepreneurs receive the resources they need to thrive. #InvestInWomen #WomenEntrepreneurs #BusinessGrowth From reflecting on the outcomes of 2023 to unveiling survey insights into the gender gap in access to finance, to showcasing inspiring stories of how the Oxfam Novib Fund is empowering female entrepreneurs in Pakistan and Indonesia, this edition of the 5 minute click will inform you about significant activities we undertook in Q1 of 2024.

Navigating the funding landscape can be a perilous journey, especially for women entrepreneurs. 👩💼 In South Africa, women contribute a substantial amount to the country's economic growth, but face even more challenges than their male counterparts. Securing funding for a woman-owned business is not a walk in the park. We explore these challenges in our latest blog 👉 https://ow.ly/c6iJ50T2TlQ

Celebrating Women in Micro-Enterprises on World SME Day! Today, with just 3 days until World SME Day, I want to shine a light on the incredible women who run micro-enterprises and use their profits to educate their children. These inspiring women are the backbone of communities, and their stories deserve to be heard. My Grandma's Legacy: Business Acumen Without Limits My grandmother serves as a powerful example. Though she was illiterate, she built a thriving crayfish business in Nigeria. She transported lorry loads from the Bini River to the bustling Onitsha market, managing multiple stores and leading the crayfish sellers association. Her ability to calculate complex transactions without a pen or paper demonstrated her remarkable business acumen. Sadly, after her passing, the business couldn't be sustained. There are thousands of thriving MSMEs that die after the demise of their owners. This highlights the need for training and mentorship to ensure these micro-enterprises become legacies, not just successes. Building Sustainable Businesses for the Future On World SME Day, let's commit to empowering these women entrepreneurs! Training in financial management, marketing, and even basic literacy can make a difference. Succession planning workshops can equip them to pass the torch to future generations. Join the Conversation!

Today, the Equality Hub Women-Led High-Growth Enterprise Taskforce launched its report, including recommendations on how to break down barriers and support female entrepreneurs to set up and scale-up high-growth enterprises. This report will support the Government’s ambition of increasing the number of female entrepreneurs by half – equivalent to nearly 600,000 entrepreneurs - by 2030. The report details: 🚩13% of investment companies still do not have a single woman on their investing teams 🚩for every £1 of equity investment in the UK, only 2p goes to fully-female founded businesses At Northstar Ventures we aim to be different and continue to increase our support of women-led enterprises. Northstar Ventures UK, as signatories of Investing in Women Code, is proud to share that with the North East Innovation Fund, we have seen 21% of our capital invested into mixed gender leadership teams. At the same time, we have invested 15% (7x industry average) into female founded and female led businesses. We’ve helped create and sustain 484 jobs, of which 40% were positions filled by female professionals. Read more in the report here: https://lnkd.in/ewdav_WY

🎉🎉💪💪🍾🍾Finally our report is out!! For the past 18 months, I have been a member of the Government backed Women-Led High-Growth Enterprise Taskforce and I have been looking at solutions to support female high-growth entrepreneurs. Today, we have launched our final report, including recommendations on how to break down barriers. Some key recommendations - ⚫️We are calling on investment firms to set targets and publish data on the number of women in their top positions. ⚫️The Taskforce has been focused on increasing the number of women-led high-growth businesses outside of London and, following success in Leeds, have created a ‘blueprint’ for ‘Female Founder Growth Boards’ which brings together groups of local public and private sector stakeholders to lead change in their area. ⚫️To inspire future generations of female entrepreneurs, the Taskforce has been working with key stakeholders to create materials for schools and universities on women who have established successful high-growth businesses. The problem - ● as it currently stands, just 18% of high-growth enterprises include one or more women on the founding team – while all-male founding teams make up 82% of high-growth enterprises; ● progress in gender equality in the investment world has stalled with only 12% of fund managers running funds held in the UK being female according to the Citywire’s 2023 global database on fund managers - this has remained unchanged from 2022; ● only 6% of funds held in the UK, according to Citywire’s 2023 global database on fund managers, are run by solo female managers or all-female teams; ● 13% of investment companies still do not have a single woman on their investing teams; and, ● for every £1 of equity investment in the UK, only 2p goes to fully-female founded businesses. There is lots of work to do.... #growth #femalefounders #entrepreneurship #femaleleaders #inclusiveculture #fairfunding #scaleups #fastgrowth