A new group of companies has pledged support to a growing female entrepreneurship movement – designed to bring greater equality into business in Scotland.
Burness Paull, FWB, Investing Women Angels, and Cazenove Capital are backing Pathways Forward, the women in entrepreneurship social enterprise set up by entrepreneur and investor Ana Stewart.
They have committed to measures including diversity reviews to ensure access and equal opportunities, reviews of internal team structures and incentive models to help drive gender diversity, and supporting investment into female-led businesses.
The latest organisations to sign up to the Pathways Pledge represent the sixth cohort to date, which now totals 36 members.
Jo Forster, former industry lead for the Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship has taken on a similar role at Pathways Forward, having previously been on the Advisory Board.
Strategic design firm Nile’s founder Sarah Ronald, and University of Edinburgh senior lecturer and entrepreneurship expert Dr Samuel Mwaura also join the Pathways advisory team.
Pathways founder Ana Stewart, who is Scotland’s Chief Entrepreneur and a partner at investment firm Eos, said: “We are excited to welcome our latest cohort and follow their progress over the next twelve months. It’s great to see so many organisations collaborating to drive impact and to shift the dial for women in business.”
Stewart said: “Jo’s experience with the Rose Review could not be a better fit for Pathways as we ramp up our activity across ecosystem building, funding, and the Pledge. Her expertise and support on delivering the Female Founders Growth Summit will also be invaluable going forward.”
Forster added: “Pathways has already made significant strides in transforming opportunities for women entrepreneurs in Scotland, but there’s more to do. I’m looking forward to collaborating across the ecosystem to deliver real, lasting change.”
Now into its third year, Pathways Forward recently held its second annual Female Founders Growth Summit with 300 founders and investors in attendance including some of the UK’s fastest growing scaleups.
Pathways Forward was launched in September 2023 following the publication of the Scottish Government-commissioned Pathways: A New Approach For Women in Entrepreneurship report.
The Stewart Report has led to the launch of a number of initiatives including the Scottish Government’s Pathways Pre-Start initiative, which incorporated micro grant funding alongside place based support. In addition the Pathways Fund, and the Entrepreneurial Education Pathways Fund, has collectively seen over £6 million being awarded across multiple projects across Scotland over the past 24 months.
