This year, spotlighting female role models and encouraging open discussion between both genders on the subject of feminism is needed now more than before.

With an increase in unpaid labour and the responsibility of childcare resting even more largely on women's shoulders during the pandemic, the gender gap has widened, not narrowed since our last International Women's Day event in 2020.

This is an opportunity to hear from some of the top leaders in the British startup ecosystem - entrepreneurs and experts in their field - and have the opportunity to ask them anything at our virtual event this International Women's Day.

Join us for an evening of inspiration and connection with a stellar panel talk followed by audience Q&A.

AGENDA:

19:00 Panel starts

19:45 Audience Q&A

20.00 Event close

Meet the panel

Lara Sheldrake

Founder, Community-Builder, Mother

Lara is a speaker, mentor and the founder of Found & Flourish, an online membership, media and events platform for women in business. She is passionate about empowering business owners and is on a mission to close the gender pay gap by providing a safe space for entrepreneurs to found & flourish.

Lara has been featured in the likes of Forbes and Marie Claire for her work with Found & Flourish. She was also listed as one of the top 100x female business leaders across the UK for 2020 as part of the f.Entrepreneur #ialso campaign, and cited as one of the most influential female founders of 2020 by Startups Magazine.

If you would like to submit a question for Lara at the end of the panel, please email info[at]bloomltd[dot]co[dot]uk.

David Fogel,

Investor, Entrepreneur, FeMANist

Self-confessed feminist geek, David Fogel is the Chief Operating Officer of P2P agriculture startup Wefarm and Co-Founder of investor network for female founders, Alma Angels.

In the last 10 years, David has worked with over 350 founders across 15,000 startups and invested in over 100 across Europe before "walking the walk" with Wefarm. Over the years, he has invested in successful high-growth businesses such as female-led Settled, Urban and Lingumi.

We look forward to hearing David's unparalleled insights in the world of early-stage entrepreneurship, funding (angel investing or venture capital) and the gender divide on the night.

Charmaine Hayden

Investor, Founder, Forbes 25

Charmaine Hayden is a force to be reckoned with. Before entering the world of Venture Capital as one of the only women of colour in VC, she is no stranger to kicking down doors.

Now Managing Partner at Good Soil VC, the fund is dedicated to minimising funding disparities in tech by investing in startups with high-growth potential whose founders are of women, people of colour, LGBT or otherwise disenfranchised.

Charmaine “Chams” has also put her presenting skills to use with her radio show, Money Talks with Chams on Rinse FM which gets an average of 300,000 listens per 60-minute episode.

Molly Johnson-Jones

Founder, Flexible Work Advocate

Molly Johnson-Jones is the co-founder of flexible work and employer brand platform, Flexa - the UK's only place that puts the number 1 job benefit first; flexible working.

Molly belongs to the small minority of startup founders who - together with her partner Maurice O'Brien - secured venture capital investment for their business. Molly and her co-founder belong to an even smaller percentage of the population of early-stage founders who secured seed funding in 2020, during the pandemic.

Molly is on a mission to make flexible work the norm, not the exception, and firmly believes in the role flexible work plays in the advancement of gender equality.

Meet your host

Stephanie Melodia

Founder, Host, Feminist

Stephanie Melodia is the founder of startup marketing agency, Bloom. She is also the host of founder podcast, Time to Bloom, and of this biannual event series, Bloom Presents.

Voted UK Top 20 Most Influential Female Founder, Stephanie has been interviewed by the likes of Enterprise Nation, General Assembly, Tech.London, Startups Magazine, and LinkedIn.

Connect with Steph on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Meet our partners

Ada Ventures is a bold fund for the overlooked. Open to possibility, the fund was co-created by Check Warner and Matt Penneycard in 2019 for early-stage businesses solving the world's most pressing issues.

Discover more here.

FAQs:

Is this event online?

Yes, this event will be hosted via Zoom, so you can enjoy the panel discussion from the comfort of your home.

How will I get my link?

The Zoom link will be available on the online event page and emailed out to you before the event starts.

Do I need to print my ticket?

No, but you do need to register ahead of the event.

How much is the event?

Each ticket is £5 inc. VAT which covers the cost of the organisation. Your ticket includes access to the online event including the panel talk and audience Q&A. We encourage donations to gender equality organisations, such as the Women's Equality Party, Women for Women International, The Fawcett Society, or the Malala Fund.

Are the tickets refundable?

Unfortunately we are unable to process refunds if you have already purchased your ticket. If you would like to contact the organisers, please send us an email on info[at]bloomltd[dot]co[dot]uk.

Are men allowed?

Absolutely yes! Feminism is a social issue, not a women's one. The advancement of the genders requires both parties to actively participate. We highly encourage men to attend.

Can I bring a friend?

Yes - the more the merrier! Especially male, as we want to encourage men to be part of the conversation, too. Just make sure they've booked a ticket, too.

Can I reserve a space?

Unfortunately not. We operate on a first-come, first-serve basis, so please make sure to join the link as early as you can.

Can I submit questions to the panellists?

Yes, you can email info[at]bloomltd[dot]co[dot]uk ahead of the event, although please note there will be a live Q&A at the end of the discussion.

Where can I find out more about the organiser?

You can find out more about Bloom, startup marketing agency, here: https://www.bloomltd.co.uk/

Who else is going?

Whilst we cannot divulge the information of other guests, the audience will be largely made up of business founders and budding entrepreneurs.

What time will the event finish?

This is an online event which we will aim to finish at 8pm GMT.

Please contact info{at}bloomltd{dot]co[dot]uk if you have any other questions that aren't answered here.