The Underestimated - Issue 01
The Diversity X newsletter showcasing the underestimated founders making a positive impact in the world and keeping you up to date on the Diversity X journey as we look to build a fund.
It is finally here - the first issue of The Underestimated newsletter.
What’s is coming up in this issue?
📖What does Diversity X mean by the term Underestimated Founders
📰 Monthly update on what has been going on with Diversity X
🔦Spotlight on 2 of the Diversity X Founders Community members
📆Upcoming events and plans
Defining Underestimated Founders
Here, at Diversity X, I use the term “underestimated founder” rather than the more common (but in my view, inaccurate) “underrepresented founder” or “overlooked founder”.
Here is how is why….
And now you know….
Diversity X - News from the journey
With this being the first issue, i’m going to just give you the highlight:
💥 Launched the founders community in October 2021 - as of today, we have 67 founders in the community
💥Spoken to over 100 founders so far - mostly UK based, though also in Europe and Asia
💥spoken to a few angels and potential LPs - this is tough going but believe there is interest in the concept and what we stand for - on going
💥Spoken to advisers regarding fund formation and options including relevant authorisations
💥Announced partnership with Dreamworks to benefit community members
💥Working on a prototype SEIS/EIS fund (contact me for more details)
💥Launched a Diversity X Ecosystem - but now thinking of changing the name to support system - what do you think? Answers on a postcard…..
💥Had three monthly calls - two with outside guest speakers (thank you Matt and Tracey). Holding our first #AMA on 14th with community members, and co-founders of Series A, Vault Platform, answering the questions that matter to startup founders.
💥Ok, final one - today (7 March) we co-supported with Superpitch and Mercia Asset with an International Women’s Day Breakfast Pitch Session in Kings Cross, London. This was our first pitch day and what better way, than with a symbolic diversity event. This is in our DNA so I’m glad that five of the Diversity X Founders Community pitched. They were, Jade Bates (Airslip), Jade Beard (Chat Fora), Karishma Gupta (Satatland Circular Fashion), Xann Schwinn (The Choral Hub), and Martina Ceccarelli (CommaPeriods) - congratulations ladies on an amazing well done. - INVESTORS - check out the Superpitch website where you can find the pitches and many other female founders to invest in the IWD - come on #breakthebias! (Photo evidence here).
Which leads me to check out the first article we shared - you can find it on our blog or on Medium.
Meet the Underestimated
Case Study 1 - Jess Heagren and Nic Good - That Works For Me
The co-founders:
Jess Heagren and Nic Good are the Co-Founders of That Works For Me. Previously, Jess was an ex City Director. Jess is also a mum of three.
Nic Good is an ex Digital Agency Director, mother of one. Nic also helps run She Does Digital, a Leeds based collective with a mission to close the gender gap in digital, by encouraging more women to choose digital and tech as a career path
The Startup
Small businesses and agencies often stop themselves from accessing the expert help they need and deserve because they believe they’re too small or can’t fill a full-time role. This is where That Works For Me comes in. It brings these businesses a marketplace of thousands of experienced professionals ranging from social media managers to lawyers - all looking to work flexibly, remotely, and outside of the 9 to 5. These professionals are mostly Mums. Women with more than 10 years of experience in their field of expertise looking to work with businesses that value gender diversity and employee wellbeing. Over 90% of businesses find the skills they need and deserve when they need them on our totally affordable, digital platform so they can focus on the things that matter...like making money!
That Works for Me was recently declared Female Start Up of the Year by Enterprise Nation and Regional winner for the SE Rising Stars 3.0 (by Tech Nation) and was recently listed as a We Are The City’s a inspirational women and is an ambassador to family charity Homestart.
💥What can you do to support this startup? Refer companies to their platform. It will give these companies access to a diverse talent pool of skilled and experienced professionals. If your organisation talks about “the pipeline” issue, then ask them to head here to the website here. If you are an investor, reach out and Diversity X can make an introduction.
Case 2: Nic Ponsford and Cat Wildman - Global Equality Collective
The co-founders:
I could write a book here on these two as there is so much that they have accomplished - outside of their start-up, the Global Equality Collective. Most importantly, two awesome founders doing trying to solve a problem that so many businesses and educators are struggling.
I say, wholeheartedly, the Diversity X Founders Community is what it is today, in huge part to these absolute legends. Nic is our resident Friday celebrations DJ (we cleberate the obstacles we did not overcome and the wins we have had) and Cat is an encyclopedia on product development.
Nic is an author and education authority. Her work has been published by Harvard. SHe basically works at the intersection with education and tech…hence she is the CEO of the Education side of the GEC business model.
Cat is all things tech. When Cat is not founding companies (and even when she is) she has (and does) build and lead best-in-class global product teams to create digital products which solve real-world problems, disrupt industries and lock in customer attention. She is a game-changing in terms of product visions and developing visionary leaders.
The startup:
Global Equality Collective is, as far as Diversity X can tell, the world’s first true DE&I platform. It provides its clients with data and education for diversity and inclusion programs. The GEC supports corporates and educators. They recently closed a crowdfunding round and are now accelerating the growth of the GEC.
Take a look at the website here.
💥What can you do to support this startup? Join the collective - as a business or educational institution. The platform will help you. They have traction and their customers are renewing with FTSE listed businesses signing up. I question why you wouldn’t with that kind of backing. Get a demo then sign up…simples.
And that’s a wrap for this month….
Feel free to reach out with questions to diversityxvc@gmail.com
INVESTORS - reach out and I can explain the thesis.
Underestimated Founders - home and a safe space to thrive is our community…come and join it.