100-pledge milestone for initiative launched by Scotland’s chief entrepreneur
“The fact that we’re becoming a beacon outside our own borders is more than we could have wished for when we started out on this journey” – Ana Stewart
A pioneering initiative where companies sign up to actions aimed at driving diversity, equal opportunity and female participation in business has hailed a 100-pledge milestone.
Pathways Forward, the not-for-profit venture set up by Scots entrepreneur and investor Ana Stewart, said it was gaining wider recognition for its “pledge” initiative, where companies sign up to specific actions that are then tracked and shared across organisations aimed at driving equal opportunity for women in entrepreneurship and business.
Barclays, Venture Café Edinburgh, Cruinn Consulting, The Ventures Lab and existing member Elevator are coming together to create the pledge’s eighth cohort. Existing pledge organisations include a diverse range of companies including EY, Royal Bank of Scotland, BGF, the University of Strathclyde, RBC Brewin Dolphin, AccelerateHER, BTO and Ooni, as the total number of pledge partners reaches the 50 mark, with more than 100 active pledges.
Stewart, Scotland’s chief entrepreneur, said: “As well as making strides in Scotland, the Pathways Pledge is now gaining momentum across the UK and internationally. The pledge gives organisations across industries, large or small, young or old, the ability to commit to actions whilst learning and collaborating with others. The fact that we’re becoming a beacon outside our own borders is more than we could have wished for when we started out on this journey.”
Pledges committed to in the latest cohort include Barclays Scotland deepening its relationship-led support for female founders through new drop-in clinics, Venture Café Edinburgh hosting global virtual events for female founders in partnership with other Venture Cafés around the globe, the Ventures Lab supporting five female-led ventures to become investment-ready, while aiming to unlock up to £2 million in related investment funding over the next 12 months and Cruinn Consulting hosting at least one “stereotype-challenging” speaker event; bringing together professionals from non-traditional career paths.
Stewart added: “We are excited to welcome our new pledge members as we also reflect on how impactful the pledge has been across our alumni.”
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Nathalie Cutting, relationship director at Barclays UK, said: “Barclays is proud to be part of the Pathways Forward cohort, supporting the next generation of female entrepreneurs across Scotland. Through this initiative, we’re committed to helping remove barriers to growth and ensuring more women have access to the networks, capital and confidence needed to scale their businesses.“
The date has also been announced for the third annual Female Founder Growth Summit, which will take place in Edinburgh on October 1. Pathways Forward is partnering with Superscalers, The ScaleUp Institute and Buy Women Built to bring the UK’s high-growth female entrepreneurs together to “connect, learn and accelerate business growth”.
Pathways Forward was launched in September 2023 following the publication of the Pathways: A New Approach For Women in Entrepreneurship report.
Stewart has called for the country to go faster to become “a first-rate start-up nation” offering growing firms greater support to scale-up quickly. She has been looking to prioritise closer engagement with founders and the private sector, working directly with entrepreneurs to shape services around their needs.
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