A new festival is launching for female founders in Leeds this October.
The Athena Festival is set to take place at Nexus, bringing together female founders and investors in an event designed to empower women entrepreneurs outside of London.
The festival will be held on the 15th October 2024.
Almost 45% of England’s female led high-growth enterprises are located in London. Considering that only 13% of the UK’s population resides in London, this represents a clear regional imbalance of female founding high-growth activity.
Athena will focus on the unique challenges and opportunities faced by female founders in the regions. With a comprehensive program of workshops, mentorship sessions, networking opportunities and pitch competitions, the festival offers a platform for women entrepreneurs to scale their businesses and connect with potential investors.
“The Athena Festival is a groundbreaking initiative for the Leeds region, signalling a new era of support and growth for female entrepreneurs across the UK,” said Jordan Dargue, co-founder of Lifted Ventures and the Athena Festival.
“By providing a platform for female founders outside of London to scale and succeed, the festival fosters a diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. It catalyses economic growth, drives innovation, and strengthens the community by connecting visionary founders with passionate angel investors.”
Her co-founder Helen Oldham added: “We developed the brand of Athena named after the Goddess, Zeus’s favourite granddaughter: she is associated with the attributes of wisdom, bravery and resourcefulness and this is what we want to embody throughout this festival.
“The iconic symbol of the wise owl is associated with Athena. We want everyone to walk away from the event feeling taller, and more heroic.”
The event is supported by Leeds City Council.
“Investors attending the Athena Festival will have the unique opportunity to discover and support high-potential female-led startups,” added Oldham.
“By backing female-founded businesses, investors can access untapped markets, enjoy high returns on investment, and contribute to positive social change.”