The Female Founders Forum identified access to finance as a persistent barrier to female entrepreneurship in our first report, Untapped Unicorns. While in-roads have been made to increase investment in female-led businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for the UK's Female Founders.
At this event, we will explore the barriers that Female Founders face when accessing finance and how policymakers and business leaders can address these. We will provide practical guidance and tools to help Female Founders access the finance they need to grow in a post-COVID-19 world.
You will hear from an expert panel, including Alexandra Daly, founder of AA Advisors and Member of the Female Founders Forum and Juliet Rogan, Head of the High Growth & Entrepreneurs team at Barclays.
Alexandra Daly is Founder and CEO of independent placement agency, AA Advisors. Having built a successful career in alternative asset fundraising, Alexandra has extensive experience in raising capital across borders and capital structures.
As an engaged participant in initiatives to support female entrepreneurship and a founder of businesses spanning the finance and fertility sectors, Alexandra is an active advocate for women and fiercely believes in the need to level the playing field, creating opportunities by breaking down barriers.
Julia Elliott Brown is Founder and CEO of Enter the Arena, the UK's leading fundraising and growth advisor working exclusively with women entrepreneurs. With 20+ years commercial experience developing, building and funding high-growth start-ups, including the award-winning online shoe design brand Upper Street, and internet pioneer UpMyStreet.com, Julia's mission and passion is to bring her wealth of expertise to support women entrepreneurs on their own journeys to raising finance and scaling their businesses.
Alongside her coaching and advisory work, Julia is a judge at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, and also hosts the ground-breaking podcast Fundraising Stories with Women Entrepreneurs.
Juliet Rogan is Head of the High Growth & Entrepreneurs team at Barclays. She leads a national team of High Growth Relationship Directors focused on supporting companies to scale up. She has built this specialist team of relationship managers that can support high growth companies across the UK, Juliet also runs the venture debt offering for Barclays UK and ensures relevant product development to meet the needs of the high growth segment.
The Female Founders Forum was set up by The Entrepreneurs Network and Barclays, to encourage, support, and promote female entrepreneurship. We seek to connect some of the UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs with those on the cusp of rapid growth.
