Breaking biases and launching businesses: Celebrating the women of the Year Here community
This International Women’s Day, we spotlight some of the women on the Year Here venture portfolio and their change-making social businesses.
With a history grounded in socialism and labour rights for women, International Women’s Day (IWD) has shifted in its scope and influence since it was conceived over 100 years ago. Now, a large part of IWD is spotlighting the social, economic, cultural, and political accomplishments of women across the world.
Although IWD should always be about long-term systemic action rather than slogans and hashtags, we’re reflecting on this year’s theme, #BreakTheBias and the women from our Year Here venture community who do just that. Women who are changemakers and social leaders in justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. The women who go beyond imagining a gender-equal world, free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination and take the bold and courageous step to help make the world a place where we are all valued.
Over 80% of the 45 ventures on the Year Here portfolio are founded or co-founded by women, so this is a non-exhaustive list of women from the Year Here community breaking down barriers and biases.
Monica Pun, Founder and Director, Spedal
Monica was fed up with carbon emissions, underpaid workers and congested streets, so in 2020 she founded Spedal. Spedal was born in response to the crisis of young people at risk of homelessness struggling to get onto the job ladder. A zero-emissions courier service, they provide immediate employment as bike riders and a stepping stone into long-term work. Quick and reliable deliveries across London and pay workers fairly — good for people and the planet.
Caitriona Snell, Founder and Director, BUA
Caitriona is dedicated to improving the employment prospects of disabled and neurodiverse people and is a changemaker in DEI. Growing up, Caitriona learned first-hand how British institutions could do more to support people with disabilities, this led her to take action and thus Bua was born.
Bua is a social enterprise that acts as a spark to catalyse organisational change by increasing the presence of disabled and neurodiverse talent in creative industries and roles. By providing the tools, organisations are provided with the right support to rethink their DEI. This is achieved through organisational consulting, recruiting and individual training.
Alice Moxley, Founder and CEO, PIVOT
Over the past two years, Alice has helped to build innovative solutions to tackle and understand intersectionality and homelessness in the UK through social enterprise Pivot. Alice has been a leader in increasing diversity across the industries she has worked, and this passion she brings to Pivot.
Pivot’s mission is to bring purpose, meaning and flexible employment to those who might otherwise not have access to it. By bringing purpose, meaning and flexible employment, and in doing so giving them the confidence and skills they need to take steps away from temporary accommodation, Pivot makes products that are a happy by-product of social change.
Beth Pilgrim, CEO, Supply Change
Beth Pilgrim co-founded Supply Change, a digital marketplace that helps social enterprises win public sector contracts so that public money has maximum impact in local communities. Supply Change made the active step to report on the diversity of their supplier base and support other businesses to do so.
Indy Sira, Founder, Voices of Colour
Voices of Colour was established with a vision of empowering underrepresented female changemakers who are unafraid to voice their vision for a better world, support them to have agency to transform their communities and aid their personal development journey.
Launched in May 2020, Indy realised that there was a lack of safe spaces and platforms for young Women of Colour to talk about issues that impact them within their communities. As a response, Voice of Colour offer programmes, mentoring and co-creation workshops to support young women to explore and express themselves.
Emily Horton, Founder, More Diverse Voices
Emily is a firm advocate that if you change your words, you change the world. As a dyslexic writer, Emily believes that diversity is crucial to creating a society where everyone can flourish. This led her to found More Diverse Voices.
More Diverse Voices, a communication company, Emily helps her clients to find the right words so they can deliver better services, speak to broader audiences, attract the best talent, all whilst playing their part to build a more diverse and inclusive world.
