Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) has brought together influential female leaders and policymakers to explore the landscape of female entrepreneurship in South East Wales and the progress being made to enable female-led businesses to scale up.
Produced by Business News Wales, the podcast features CCR’s Chair and Leader of Monmouthshire County Council, Cllr Mary Ann Brocklesby; CEO of Mazuma, Lucy Cohen; Investment Director at Development Bank of Wales, Rhian Elston; and CEO of Human Data Sciences, Rhiannon Thomason.
Closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship
The podcast explores the historic barriers female leaders have faced in gaining access to funding opportunities and entrepreneurial networks. Beyond impostor syndrome and mentorship, the podcast tells the personal stories of female founders who have built successful businesses in Wales as a result of direct and targeted funding support.
Closing the gender gap in business is key to enhancing our growth and competitiveness – not only with the rest of the UK, but on an international scale, bringing wider social and economic benefits to our region.
Wales supporting women in business
While the gender gap remains stark, Wales is leading the way when it comes to backing female-led enterprises. According to The Gender Index in Wales (2024), Wales has the highest proportion of female-led fast growth companies and the highest proportion of female-led companies that secured external debt across the UK.
The podcast explores ways in which this trend can continue to grow by widening access to entrepreneurial networks and providing advice to help women prepare for investment and funding opportunities.
Progress is being made to foster an inclusive local business ecosystem where female-led businesses can thrive. By fostering a nurturing business network, CCR is enabling female founders to access not only capital but the confidence, mentorship and peer support that are critical to long-term success.
For further insights and discussion, listen to the full podcast below:
