Women Who Scale Announces Speaker Lineup for April Scale Summit in London
The female founder initiative Women Who Scale has officially revealed its speaker lineup for the upcoming Scale Expo and Summit, scheduled to take place in April. This significant event will be held at London's Business Design Centre on April 22 and 23, in partnership with City AM, bringing together influential female founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders to champion the next generation of women building and scaling high-growth businesses.
Addressing Funding Challenges and Scaling Hurdles
Amy Knight, co-founder of Women Who Scale, emphasized the initiative's mission to tackle persistent funding obstacles facing women founders at the scaleup stage. Knight stated, "Women Who Scale was established to address the persistent funding challenges facing women founders at the scaleup stage. We need to go beyond awareness towards meaningful action, to unlock greater participation and investment outcomes for women." The summit will focus on critical scaling issues, including talent acquisition and founder wellbeing, with Sam Smith, co-founder of The Superscalers, delivering the keynote address. The Superscalers is dedicated to providing underrepresented founders with essential tools for growth.
Diverse Speaker Sessions and Panel Discussions
The event will feature a range of engaging sessions, including founder fireside chats and panel discussions. Jordan Brompton, co-founder of Myenergi, will converse with Frankie James, founder of Ideas Community, while Louise Hill, founder of the popular fintech company Go Henry, will engage in discussion with Ayesha Ofori, founder of Propelle. Panels will explore topics such as creating conditions for more women to scale and invest, personal branding, thought leadership, and building a business without burnout. Elizabeth Sergeant, founder of Well Nourished and co-founder of healthtech startup FLAIR, will join the panel on burnout on April 22. Sergeant commented, "For founders, I want women to build boldly, without shrinking their vision to fit outdated expectations. For investors, I hope for deeper curiosity about how women build, lead and scale and a willingness to back them earlier and with conviction." Additionally, founders from Maiden Cricket, Honor, and Cat Black will be part of the speaker lineup.
Live Pitch Event and Investment Opportunities
Women Who Scale is integrated into Scale's broader platform of support for entrepreneurs, which includes Scale Ventures, also present at the summit. Andrew B Morris, chairman of the £300,000 entrepreneur-led investment fund, will be actively seeking female founders pitching live to investors at the expo. Morris noted, "Women Who Scale exists to accelerate access to capital, visibility and strategic opportunity for women founders ready to scale... Scale Expo and Summit will propel Women Who Scale into the spotlight at a pivotal time for the UK economy." Liz Barclay, former Small Business Commissioner, will serve as head judge of the female founders competition, joined by Xavier Ballester, director of Brokerage at the Angel Investment Network. Ballester added, "The UK doesn't lack talented female founders, what's missing is consistent access to the right rooms, relationships and capital at the moments that matter most... Scale brings together founders, investors and operators who genuinely understand what it takes to grow, and that makes it a powerful environment for ideas, relationships and confidence to compound."
Event Details and Attendance Options
Attendees can participate in the SCALE EXPO for free or upgrade to the SCALE SUMMIT to access exclusive invite-only sessions, VIP speakers, founder-investor networking opportunities, and roundtable discussions. This event promises to be a pivotal gathering for advancing women's entrepreneurship and scaling efforts in the UK.
