The OBU Podcast

This week on the podcast, Sarah and Claire talk purpose, investment and the impact of the SEIS changes with two brilliant, early-stage women entrepreneurs: Lara Senbanjo of The Cornrow and Lesley So of So Good Kombucha. From celebrating Black culture to empowering marginalised people, Lara and Lesley share their big ambitions – getting honest about their challenges, the things they wish they’d known and the powerful difference the right angel investors are going to make.

Like to find out more about Lara and The Cornrow Head on over to thecornrow.com, follow @thecornrow on Instagram, find Lara on TikTok at @thisislaraland, email [email protected] or check out Lara’s co-founder (and sister) Kemi on Instagram @cottagenoire.

And you can find lots more on Lesley and So Good Kombucha over at sogoodkombucha.com, on Instagram @sogoodkombuchauk, on Twitter @SoGoodKombucha, and on LinkedIn. You can also email Lesley direct at [email protected].

Want to hear more from The Obu Podcast? You’ll find every episode over on our website, as well as all the latest investment insights, campaign stories and platform updates, fresh from our blog.

Episode timings:

[00.00] What The Obu Podcast’s all about

[00.41] How SEIS is changing – and who that helps

[01.26] Meet Lara Senbanjo, cofo of The Cornrow

[07.44] The story and purpose behind the brand

[10.49] Lara’s investment journey and the impact of SEIS

[15.39] What The Cornrow needs, beyond just capital

[19.03] Lara’s ambitions for the business in 2023

[21.11] Where to find Lara and The Cornrow

[22.16] Meet Lesley So, founder of So Good Kombucha

[25.53] Lesley’s purpose, products and ambitions

[30.21] Choosing between bootstrapping and investment

[33.49] What Lesley’s looking for from her angels

[36.35] The difference the SEIS extension will make

[38.01] Why raising awareness around investment is crucial

[42.09] Lesley’s plans for 2023 – and where to find her

This week, the SEIS changes we campaigned for go live. They’re going to help thousands of women entrepreneurs and angels build and back businesses they love – and we couldn’t be prouder. So in today’s special episode, Claire and Sarah dive into what’s changing and what that could mean for you. They break down how SEIS works, share the journey they’ve been on to make this change happen and explain why shouting about the changes is so important.

Want to hear more from The Obu Podcast? You’ll find every episode over on our website, as well as all the latest investment insights, campaign stories and platform updates, fresh from our blog. 

Episode timings:

[00.00] What The Obu Podcast’s all about

[00.41] What is SEIS – and why is it big news?

[01.36] What’s changing – and how it helps you

[04.07] How the tax breaks work – an example  

[07.59] Sarah & Claire’s own SEIS story  

[10.35] The #overbeingunderfunded campaign

[13.26] Lobbying, learning and leaning in

[16.37] Why we need to shout about SEIS

[19.39] Where to find more on SEIS and Obu

This week, Sarah and Claire are joined by Natalie Gasson-McKinley MBE MBA, newly appointed chair of the Obu board. Natalie’s a genuine trailblazer, passionate about using her voice to champion more equitable, inclusive spaces, and we’re immensely proud she’s joined our team. She talks about why disruptive businesses need disruptive boards, why breaking the rules is brilliant for business, and why aligning head and heart can drive purposeful, positive change.

For more on Natalie’s story, follow her on LinkedIn, join her at of our Obu Meets or sign up to our newsletter and find out more about the change she’s helping us create here at Obu. 

Want to hear more from The Obu Podcast? You’ll find every episode over on our website, as well as all the latest investment insights, campaign stories and platform updates, fresh from our blog.

Episode timings:

[00.00] What The Obu Podcast’s all about

[00.41] Introducing Natalie and her MBE story

[03.20] Growing up and the value of guidance

[06.56] Why you’ve got to align head and heart

[09.13] Resilience, responsibility and recognition

[14.39] Lobbying, learning and the power of allies

[20.42] Why Natalie wanted to join the Obu board

[28.50] Disrupting the way boardrooms work

[38.52] How to follow and connect with Natalie

[39.30] On next week’s pod… SEIS changes go live!

In this week’s episode, Claire and Sarah share the frustrating, often shocking practices that women encounter day in, day out in the world of investment and entrepreneurship. They’ve wrapped them up into their three Ps – pitching, power and poor behaviour – and they’re calling them out on behalf of all the women who feel they can’t. Because change doesn’t take time, it takes courage.

Want to hear more from The Obu Podcast? You’ll find every episode over on our website, as well as all the latest investment insights, campaign stories and platform updates, fresh from our blog.

Episode timings:

[00.00] What The Obu Podcast’s all about

[00.41] Why we’re talking about our three Ps

[02.48] Pressured pitches vs real partnerships 

[07.08] It’s time to change the power dynamic

[10.18] Calling out those poor behaviours

[12.03] Using tech to create real change

[16.26] How to find out more about Obu

In this episode, Sarah and Claire are joined by award-winning wealth manager, financial adviser and investor, Sophia Lerche-Thomsen. Sophia talks about women’s relationship with wealth, why she’s on a mission to close the gender wealth gap, and why more of us need to talk about money. She also shares simple, doable advice on how to organise your finances, how to start investing and how solid financial plans can help you feel ready for anything.

For more on Sophia’s story, follow @sophia_financial_planner on Instagram or LinkedIn. And to take Sophia’s advice on breaking down investment jargon, try Obu’s investment A to Z or dive into the resources over on Investopedia.

​​Want to hear more from The Obu Podcast? You'll find every episode over on our website, as well as all the latest investment insights, campaign stories and platform updates, fresh from our blog. 

Episode timings:

[00.00] What The Obu Podcast’s all about

[00.42] Introducing Sophia and her story

[02.37] Exposing the gender wealth gap

[07.15] Sophia’s three-pot financial plan 

[11.09] Why women need to talk about wealth

[18.51] Making investments that matter to you 

[25.02] How to get started as an investor

[30.14] Why investor-founder relationships are key

[36.30] How planning helps prepare for life’s hurdles

[40.23] Going from founder to purposeful investor

[43.06] How to follow and get in touch with Sophia

It’s a Rose Review special! Since its launch back in 2019, the Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship, led by NatWest CEO Alison Rose, has been one of Obu’s biggest anchors and inspirations. Every annual update continues to fuel and focus our fight – and this year we’re absolutely bowled over to be part of it. To celebrate, we’re sharing a special episode diving into its data and insights – and what they reveal about investment and entrepreneurship in the UK today.

Want to hear more from The Obu Podcast? You’ll find every episode over on our website, as well as all the latest investment insights, campaign stories and platform updates, fresh from our blog. 

Episode timings:

[00.00] What The Obu Podcast’s all about

[00.41] Why the Rose Review matters so much

[04.35] The data highlights from this year’s report

[08.53] Celebrating collaboration, raising awareness

[10.59] Diversifying angel investment in the UK

[12.04] Getting founders ready for future funding

[13.31] The chance to create change, together

[15.07] Setting ambitious targets for angels

[17.38] Emerging innovation and opportunity

[19.33] The real need for more early-stage deals

[22.23] Obu’s next steps – drive funding UK wide

[24.26] Obu’s next steps – corporate collaborations

[25.16] Obu’s next steps – investment platform launch

[29.33] Refusing to see women’s progress rolled back

[31.09] Thanks to everyone who’s supported us

[32.59] What’s coming up in next week’s episode

In this episode, Claire and Sarah sit down with Laura Pomfret, co-founder of Financielle, the female-focused financial wellness app that’s helped women increase their wealth by over £1 million. Laura talks about how to take control of your finances step by step, why we need to tell it straight when it comes to women’s wealth and the importance of finding investors that give you much more than money.

For more on Laura’s story, head over to www.financielle.co.uk, download the Financielle: Budget Planner app, follow @financielle on Instagram or TikTok or check out @TheFinancielle on Twitter.

Want to hear more from The Obu Podcast? You’ll find every episode over on our website, as well as all the latest investment insights, campaign stories and platform updates, fresh from our blog.

Episode Timings:

[00.00] What The Obu Podcast’s all about

[00.42] Introducing Laura and Financielle

[01.26] Financial wellness – and why it matters

[05.23] Taking back control, step by step

[08.46] Normalising conversations about wealth

[10.42] Understanding women’s financial context

[13.33] Why there’s a lack of women in tech

[16.20] The ripple effects of financial empowerment

[19.10] Why investment’s about more than money

[26.29] The power of being part of a community

[31.17] Scrapping the softly, softly approach

[35.31] How to find out more about Financielle

[36.40] What’s coming up in next week’s episode

In this episode, Sarah and Claire are joined by the incredible, inspiring Erika Brodnock, co-founder of Extend Ventures and Kinhub. Erika talks about exposing the sheer scale of inequality in the investment world, why we need action – not more evidence, how she’s creating more inclusive workplaces and why capital, contracts and connection are the key to a fairer future. 

For more on Erika’s story, follow @ErikaBrodnock on Twitter or LinkedIn, check out the companies she’s co-founded: extend.vc and kinhub.com, or dive into the reports she’s co-written: Diversity Beyond Gender and Better Venture.

Chapter timings:

[00.00] What The Obu Podcast’s all about

[01.56] Erika’s experience of investment injustice

[04.46] Harnessing data to demand change

[09.53] How Erika’s research impacted Obu

[15.16] Why we need action – not more evidence

[20.03] Adding socio-economic inequality into the mix

[21.52] The impact of upcoming SEIS changes

[28.34] How Kin Hub’s creating more supportive workplaces

[36.26] Why we need greater supply chain diversity

[41.30] The impact of diversifying angel investment

[44.41] How to follow and get in touch with Erika

In episode two of The Obu Podcast, Claire and Sarah dive into the story behind their new brand. They talk about how changing government legislation changed their business, why they’re joining the 3% of fintech founders who are women, and how their disruptive new investment platform is revolutionising the investment ecosystem for women, and allies, across the UK. 

The Obu Podcast is full of real conversations with entrepreneurs and investors changing the world for the better – full of honest insights, real-life stories and powerful, practical know-how.

For more on Sarah and Claire’s story, head over to obuinvest.com, or follow Obu on LinkedIn.

Chapter timings:

[00.00] What The Obu Podcast’s all about

[00.35] The story behind the rebrand

[03.59] How we’re fighting back with fintech 

[07.12] Why we’re about purpose, as well as profit

[12.11] Harnessing experience… and allies

[14.20] Asking questions, feeling resilience

[17.09] What’s coming up next on the podcast

Sarah and Claire are back, with a new name, a new brand and the same rock-solid determination to bring equality to the world of entrepreneurship and investment. This week, they open up about the toughest moments they’ve been through – and the exciting times ahead. They talk about how to find your founding principles, why failure’s part of the journey and how to come back stronger.

The world of investment is changing, and on The Obu Podcast, we’re inviting you to learn how. Join us for real conversations with entrepreneurs who’ve taken investment – and angel investors who are putting their capital, wisdom and networks to work to grow diverse-founded businesses right here in the UK. We’ll hear their stories, explore their experiences and find out how, together, they’re changing the world for the better.

For more on Sarah and Claire’s story, head over to obuinvest.com, or follow OBU on LinkedIn.

Chapter timings:

[0.00] What The Obu Podcast’s all about

[1.30] Looking back at where we began

[5.50] How investment became our focus

[10.20] Coming through the tough times

[16.30] Zeroing in on our big idea 

[18.55] The lessons we’re taking into 2023

[23.30] What’s coming up next on the podcast