The Purse Podcast

Dr Georgia Fleet is a scientist turned entrepreneur on a mission to tackle one of healthcare's most persistent challenges: hospital-acquired infections. She founded Zonova on International Women's Day in 2023 and is as CEO & Co-Founder. A materials scientist by training, Georgia spotted how medical devices drive hospital infections, and how few commercial solutions exist to address it....

Abby Davisson is an award-winning Fortune 200 leader-turned-author and entrepreneur. Prior to founding the Money and Love Institute , her social impact career included nearly a decade at global retailer Gap Inc., where she served as president of the Gap Foundation and co-founded the company’s employee resource group for working parents. Abby’s prior professional experience includes strategy-focuse...

Shaz Bishop is a wealth manager at RBC Brewin Dolphin. With over 21 years of expertise in financial services, Shaz advises private clients on comprehensive wealth strategies, including tax-efficient investments, pension planning, inheritance tax mitigation, trusts, and international investments. Her holistic approach empowers individuals and families to navigate complex financial landscapes with c...

Kirsty Gibson is an Investment Manager in the US Equity Growth Team and has been a portfolio decision maker since 2016. She joined Baillie Gifford in 2012 and became a partner in 2025. Prior to joining the US Equity Growth Team, Kirsty also spent several years in the small and large-cap global equities departments. She graduated MA (Hons) in Economics in 2011 and MSc in Carbon Management in 2012,...

Amy Diehl, PhD, is an award-winning information technology leader, currently serving as Chief Information Officer at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA. She is also a gender equity researcher and author of the new book  Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work . Her writing has appeared in numerous scholarly journal articles and book chapters as well as...

Symmie Swil is the UK General Manager of Europe’s leading investment infrastructure provider, Upvest. With nearly twenty years of banking and fintech experience, Symmie is passionate about broadening access to investing. Symmie has previously held positions as Deputy Chief Operating Officer & Chief of Staff at Investec, and Head of SME Banking at Starling.  We cover the following: 01:09 Symmie...

Simon Glass is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Qodeo, a platform created to address the challenges he observed while working across the venture ecosystem. Qodeo matches venture and private equity investors with entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on founders from diverse, regional, and female communities. Simon has previously worked at two UK venture capital firms, including Amade...

Julie Angeles is an Investment Manager, Partner at Baillie Gifford. She has been a member of the International Growth Portfolio Construction Group since 2017. She joined Baillie Gifford in 2008 and became a Partner in 2022. She previously worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, advising firms in Denmark, Russia and Hungary. Julia obtained a BSc in 1999, an MSc in 2001 and a Ph...

Dr Victoria Bateman is an economic historian whose latest book is  Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power . Victoria has twenty years’ experience teaching macroeconomics and economic history at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and has spoken extensively on radio and television, including as resident economic historian for BBC Radio 4’s “Understand: The Economy". In her...

Vicky Pryce is Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Visiting Professor at King's College London. She was previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and Joint head of the UK Government Economic Service. Vicky has held senior roles across the private sector, including senior managing director at FTI consu...

 Trish Costello is the Founder and CEO of Portfolia, a micro venture capital firm and investing community built to activate women's capital. Portfolia launches thematic funds designed by and for women from women's health to FinTech and sustainability, engaging accredited investors who seek both strong returns and meaningful impact. Trish previously co-founded the Kauffman Fellows Program in 1994 w...

 Vicky Pryce is Chief Economic Advisor at the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Visiting Professor at King's College London. She was previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and Joint head of the UK Government Economic Service. Vicky has held senior roles across the private sector, including senior managing director at FTI cons...

Derek Shaw is Director of Entrepreneurship and Investment, where he leads the teams supporting Scotland's spinouts, startups, and scaling companies with wrap-around support and commercial investment. Under his leadership, Scottish Enterprise co-invests more than £50 million annually, making it Scotland’s most active early-stage investor, and the UK’s fourth largest by volume. The portfolio include...

 Lorine Pendleton is a seasoned venture capital investor and former media and entertainment lawyer with deep expertise across sports, media, entertainment, and technology. In 2024, she launched 125 Ventures, a New York based VC fund, investing in women's sports, media and tech at the intersection of AI, data and the creator economy. Previously, a partner at Portfolia, she co-launched the Risin...

 Ashley Penley is the founder and CEO of ZOEX, the UK's only female founded wave energy company. She transitioned from 15 years in offshore oil and gas complex installation projects to marine renewables, where she developed a modular wave energy converter that tackles the sector's biggest challenge, high cost. She's also a mother of two, Zoe and Alex, and became a British national afte...

Tiffany Irving joined Mesirow Wealth Management in 2021 and has 25 years of financial experience. She is a Senior Vice President, Wealth Adviser and a member of the Mesirow Inclusion Council. She provides comprehensive wealth management planning and advice to high-net-worth individuals, families and non-profit organisations. Tiffany is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners,...

Heather Ettinger is the Founder and CEO of Luma Thrive, a boutique coaching and consulting firm dedicated to empowering women of wealth and purpose—and the advisers and institutions that serve them. With over 35 years as a trailblazing adviser and former CEO in wealth management, Heather created Luma Thrive to redefine how women engage with their wealth through life visioning, values alignment, an...

Julie Perkins is an accomplished entrepreneur, business owner, purpose-led coach, and growth advocate. She founded Wyseminds after spending 20 years growing Specsavers Opticians in the Netherlands. Through her experiences, both good and bad, she discovered the transformative power of a purpose-driven approach to business growth. This insight inspired her to establish Wyseminds, a platform dedicate...

 Sam Smith is a trailblazing entrepreneur, board advisor, and is a passionate advocate for inclusive, purposeful business. Best known as the founding CEO of FinCap, the first female led stockbroking firm in the city, she led the business from a startup within JMFinn to a £50 million investment bank, supporting hundreds of growth companies along their scale and exit journeys. Over 24 years, Sam bui...

Vicky Pryce is Chief Economic Adviser and a board member at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), and one of the UK’s most respected voices on economic policy and reform. She was previously Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service, Director General for Economics at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), and Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting. Ear...

Melissa Cheong is a Managing Partner of Blackhorn Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on catalysing and scaling industrial resource efficiency investment opportunities. In this role, she balances her time between managing the firm’s strategic goals, partnering, and working with talented and inspiring portfolio company founders, and developing the firm’s investment strategy for cu...

Cary Carbonaro is an award-winning Certified Financial Planner™ professional with over 25 years of experience, and currently serves as Managing Wealth Advisor and Women and Wealth Ambassador for Ashton Thomas. She leads a multi-million dollar financial planning practice, specialising in empowering women to overcome financial challenges and increase their financial literacy. Cary is the author of t...

Anthony Fernandez stands at the forefront of the evolving cryptocurrency landscape as the Head of Business Development and Sales at ICONOMI, an FCA-registered digital asset portfolio management firm. With a rich background in asset management, foreign exchange, and cryptocurrency mining & trading, Anthony has become a leading authority in blockchain technology, including DeFi, derivatives trad...

Marcia Dawood is an early-stage investor who serves as the vice-chair on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. She is a venture partner with Mindshift Capital, a member of Golden Seeds, and the chair emeritus of the Angel Capital Association (ACA), a global professional society for angel investors. She is the author of the award-winning book...

Cate Quentin is a Partner and Wealth Manager at Tribe Impact Capital, the UK’s first dedicated Impact Wealth Manager. Cate’s client base of HNW individuals, families and charitable foundations is varied, but she has a particular focus on female wealth holders and inherited wealth. Cate strongly believes in the transformative power of money to achieve both financial returns and positive impact.   B...