FFS Fund More Women!!
Hello! Welcome to this edition of Misfit Multipreneur.
I'm Amanda and I'm here to share how I'm building intentional businesses to create a better future.
The Innovate UK funding fiasco
This week was all about women in investment and business for me.
Last weekend a complete communications and PR disaster by Innovate UK turned into a masterclass in how to mobilise a movement.
In case you missed it:
- Innovate UK announced the winners of the Women in Innovation grant (one of the very few funding opportunities available for specifically women business owners in the UK).
- They said they were awarding 25 businesses, but it was supposed to be 50. Everyone was wondering where the £2m+ not funded was going?! And angry about the poor communication, changes on websites and seeming cover-up attempts by the funding body.
- Cue uproar on LinkedIn, a Whatsapp group forming of hundreds of women sharing awful experiences of Innovate, drafting a press release, mobilising a LinkedIn campaign, and so much more, all within 48 hours.
- On Monday, Innovate U-turned, apologised, and said they would be funding the full 50 companies as promised.
We definitely haven't heard the last of this. Women are grossly under-funded and under-represented in the early stage venture world in the UK.
I will be supporting and collaborating with as many groups and people as I can going forwards to change this ridiculous situation.
Future Angels Surrey
On Thursday evening I hosted another Future Angels event with Kristina Pereckaite of South East Angels and Sue Elliot from the British Business Bank.
It was so exciting to meet another awesome group of women interested in angel investing, from business owners, to financiers, to ecosystem and community builders.
I'm looking forward to our next ones in London and online - sign up here if you're interested!
Currently digesting
Not as much to share this week. I feel I've been doing LOTS of meetings, and producing stuff myself.
Which is good, but means I have fewer things to share. I'll try to make the things I do share worth it!
The Portfolio Life episode of Generally Curious podcast with Christina Wallace - so many great gems (favourite quote "All the weirdos find me"!)
Chapter 1 of The Art of Gathering - how to set a purpose for your gathering, very useful for anyone planning an event who wants to make it awesome and unique
Recent writing
My most recent blog post is: Back to the beginning. It explains the purpose of this newsletter in more detail and how I'm thinking about its future development.
Asks for help/looking for
London event venue
I'm (still) looking for an event venue in London for the Future Angels event I'm running with South East Angels on 26th September at 6pm.
If you know anyone who has a potential space we could use, please let me know!
