For over 300 years, Downing Street has been at the heart of UK politics.
For centuries, heads of state and world leaders have walked up the iconic street to shape the course of Britain and, often, the world.
The famous Georgian buildings have provided a backdrop for a succession of prime ministers sweeping to power and delivering memorable resignation speeches.
However, never have Downing Street’s worn paving stones echoed to the sound of 50 female founders from the North East striding purposefully to 11 Downing Street for a momentous meeting with the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
Led by Sophie Milliken MBE, founder of Moja and co-founder of City Ladies Networking, the delegation hailed from Northumberland to Tees Valley and spanned sectors as diverse as tech, creative industries, professional services and social enterprise.
50 North East female founders outside Downing Street
Their voices were amplified by the presence of high-profile champions of the North East, including Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies MBE, TV presenter turned founder Steph McGovern and North East Mayor Kim McGuinness.
They were hosted by the chancellor at a reception attended by investors, business leaders, strategic connectors and government representatives, creating unfettered access to influential networks and decision-makers.
A select group of media, (myself included), were invited to watch history being made. But this was not about token photo opportunities or empty platitudes. This was about driving change and tackling inequality.
Milliken – who was an awarded an MBE for services to business and education in 2023 – said: “The North East is full of ambitious businesses, but too often they do not have the same access to networks, visibility or opportunity as other parts of the country.
“Bringing this group of founders together in Downing Street, alongside people who can open doors, is about changing that. This is about making quality connections and making sure the right people are in the room.”
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness was clear in her message. “We know the money that is in London,” she told BusinessCloud. “We are unapologetic about wanting to bring it North and create more enterprise.
This should be normal
“We are innovators. We take what we have and we double it and we treble it. This should be normal.”
In Reeves, the UK’s first female Chancellor, they found a kindred spirit.
Looking around the packed room, she quipped: “When you said you’d invite 50 women, I’m not sure if your maths are a bit wrong.”
She said people in London and the South East do not have a monopoly on good ideas and that men do not have a monopoly on good businesses, yet they raise the lion’s share of investment.
It was a message repeated time and again by the female founders in the room.
Charlotte Staerck, co-founder and CEO of The Handbag Clinic
Charlotte Staerck, co-founder and CEO of The Handbag Clinic, shared a conversation she had with a representative of corporate finance when launching her business in 2015.
“I was told not to call myself the CEO because it would hinder us, and that I needed a man to front the business,” she said.
“This event is phenomenal because if I think of where we were 10 years ago, it is miles away from where we are today.”
To date, The Handbag Clinic has repaired more than 100,000 handbags and now has a turnover of £6m and a team of 35.
She said: “The North East is full of amazing talent, great ideas and some of the hardest-working women, so why do we see such little investment?
“If 2 per cent of funding goes to women and the chances of that reduce the further you move out of London, we are fighting against pretty tough odds.”
Abigail Reid, founder of haircare brand Merwave, said: “This event is exposing what is out there. There is so much going on in the North East. It is about shining a spotlight on the area.
“I get invited to lunch with investors in London. I run a business with two small kids. I would like to see more opportunities.”
Among those watching was award-winning journalist and broadcaster Steph McGovern. Proudly from Middlesbrough, she continues to live in the North East and is co-founder of Newcastle-based fitness business Climbahub.
She said: “The North East is famously underestimated and yet it is full of people with great ideas and strong business sense. All we need is a bit more support.
“We have the talent but we do not have the infrastructure and investment.”
Writing on Instagram later, she said: “I was so proud to be amongst these great people from my region who are creating opportunities and jobs in an area that often gets overlooked by those in charge. I am hoping Rachel Reeves was listening to what the lasses were telling her.”
Sara Davies and Steph McGovern outside 10 Downing Street
Sara Davies MBE, founder of Crafter’s Companion, said: “Building a business in the North East of England as a 21-year-old woman 20 years ago was not easy.
“There was talent everywhere, ambition, ideas and work ethic, but what we did not always have was access. Access to the same opportunities, networks and recognition that seemed far more readily available elsewhere in the country.
“That is why being invited to 11 Downing Street this week meant so much more than just stepping inside an iconic building. It was a moment of recognition.
“To stand alongside so many brilliant women from across Teesside and the wider North East, all building, leading and growing incredible businesses, was genuinely inspiring.
“These are women who are driving real impact in our region, creating jobs, innovating and proving every single day what is possible. And finally, it felt like that was being seen.
“Events like this matter. Not just because they celebrate success, but because they shine a light on the opportunity that exists when talent is given the platform it deserves.
“Because the reality is the North East has always had the talent. What we need, and what we are starting to see more of, is equal access to opportunity.
“I left feeling incredibly proud. Proud of where I come from, proud of the women in that room and hopeful that this is just the beginning of even greater recognition for our region.”
Alexandra Depledge MBE, entrepreneurship adviser to the Chancellor, said she wants to see more female representation on investment panels.
“It makes economic sense because women make up 50 per cent of the population,” she said. “We need more women managing directors of venture capital firms.”
Emmie Faust, founder of Female Founders Rise, said: “This was a chance to bring together entrepreneurs, influential leaders, strategic connectors and investors to strengthen relationships, raise visibility and create opportunities for investment, partnership and business growth.
“What was clear in the room is that there is no shortage of brilliant women building exceptional businesses.
“We just need better access, investment and support for female entrepreneurs, especially for those outside London where it is even harder. What happened was a step in the right direction.”
Serial entrepreneur Sam Smith, co-founder of The SuperScalers, is on a mission to help more underrepresented founders scale businesses beyond £50m in revenue.
She said: “We were in a room where all the art on the wall was either of women or by female artists, so very fitting.
“It is so important to give female founders across the country and across all sectors visibility and to listen to their ideas.
“It is not just about the tech unicorns. Things are becoming less London-centric and we look forward to taking The SuperScalers to the North East to help female-founded businesses scale beyond £50m in revenue.
“Female founders build businesses differently and it is time we built the system to work for them. We only do that when we collaborate.”
Sophie Milliken MBE with Chancellor Rachel Reeves a 11 Downing Street
Polly Dhaliwal, COO of Enterprise Nation, said: “Wednesday’s reception was a powerful reminder of why we must continue to dismantle the barriers female entrepreneurs face.
“At Enterprise Nation, we know that when we connect local talent with national visibility and the right investment, the impact on growth and jobs can be transformative.
“Seeing the government and entrepreneurs from the North East come together to discuss sustainable, long-term growth is exactly the kind of collaboration needed to ensure more women can start, sustain and scale their ventures.”
Ultimately, the event was about the female founders who had travelled from the North East to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Rachel Lynch MBE, founder of The Urban Factory, said: “I am so proud to have been there, but even more proud to know this will open so many doors for women who come after us.
“As someone who has benefited from investment to grow my business, I was shocked to hear the statistic that only 2 per cent of investment goes to female founders, and that this drops even further the further north you travel.”
Joanna Feeley, CEO of TrendBible, said: “The challenges of being a female founder are well documented. Women receive only 2 per cent of venture capital funding. Being a founder in the North East of England brings additional barriers, particularly around visibility and access to connections.
Told not to launch business in Newcastle
“When I first started my business in Newcastle 20 years ago, when the advice was not to start in Newcastle but to stay in London, I knew only two female founders. They were critical to my personal development, shaping my ambitions and helping me see what is possible.”
Tamma Carel, co-founder of iCOR and founder of Imvelo, said: “Walking into spaces where policy is shaped brings perspective. You are reminded how close decision-making is to the outcomes we see on the ground.
“What stood out was the group of women in the room. Different industries and stages of growth, but a shared experience of building businesses within the same structural constraints.
“One theme came up repeatedly. Access to capital is still uneven and geography continues to play a role.
“What is missing in many cases is not ambition, but alignment between opportunity and access.”
Film-maker Carley Armstrong said: “There is no shortage of talent, innovation or world-class businesses in our region. What we have often needed is sustained investment and belief that allows founders to scale, create jobs and build companies that can go far beyond the North East.
Proud to be from North East
“I am proud to represent my community from the North East. Proud to be building from it, not despite it.”
Danae Abadom, co-founder of Independent Events, said: “As women in business, we all have moments of imposter syndrome and times when we downplay our achievements.
“Wednesday was a reminder of the opposite, a room full of women supporting each other, championing one another and building a real sense of community.
“It also felt important to represent a region that can sometimes be overlooked. There is so much talent, innovation and strength in the North East business community, and it was brilliant to see that recognised on such a stage.”
Lucy Batley, co-founder of MOTHER, said: “A seat at the table is one thing. What matters is what you do with it. The real story was not the setting, but the calibre of the women in the room.
“Founders. Builders. Leaders. Doers. A strong regional presence, not quiet, not overlooked, just getting on with it.
“In the North East, we often say we do not shout loudly enough, that we are the unsung heroes.
Marie Korde, of Two Magnolias, with Dr Rachel Coates and Prof Deena Harji, of Robohive, at 11 Downing Street
“But standing there, it felt less like an absence of voice and more like a quiet accumulation of substance that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
“History rarely announces itself. It reveals itself gradually, then unmistakably.”
Laura Ryan, CEO of Lavenpark Consulting and chair of Meat Business Women, said: “These are businesses creating jobs and driving growth in a region that is too often overlooked. It was a great opportunity to speak directly to Rachel Reeves about the work we are doing.
“I also had a great conversation with Steph McGovern about the realities of juggling business, parenthood and ambition. I am looking forward to following up on some great new connections, including investors, and learning more about how the government is investing in businesses like ours.
“One thing that really stood out was that no phones were allowed inside. It meant focused conversations, real openness and proper connection.”
- If you’re a founder, BusinessCloud would love to hear from you. Email Chris.Maguire@BusinessCloud.co.uk