The Purse Podcast

Lindy Claassen is a Certified Financial Planner and Wealth Planner at Brown Shipley, part of Quintet Private Bank, with more than a decade of experience in financial planning across South Africa and the UK.

She began her career with Old Mutual in South Africa before moving to the UK, where she went on to work with Quilter Private Client Advisers and Balance Wealth Planning before joining Brown Shipley.

Today, Lindy advises individuals and families on complex financial planning, with particular experience in retirement, estate and succession planning. 

Lindy is particularly interested in how the relationship between women and wealth is evolving, as more women become wealth creators, investors and capital allocators.

We cover the following in our conversation:

0:00 Welcome

01:49 Lindy’s early money story

05:36 The 'Great Wealth Transfer' shift

09:30 How wealth management firms adapt

14:59 Who women clients are now

18:40 From saving to investing

21:16 Purpose beyond returns

24:37 Angel investing

30:28 Legacy and tax planning

33:09 The future of women and capital

35:56 Final thoughts

 Marianne Abib-Pech, an international finance executive, investor, and author. Marianne previously led the strategic repositioning and expansion of Shell Aviation, a $30 billion global business, and went on to found LTF Partners and co-found Transitions First.She is now leading the development of a new industrial capital platform targeting $300 million to support the commercialisation and scale-up of industrial deep tech.Marianne is also the author of The FT Guide to Leadership.

We cover the following in our conversation:

2:30 – Non-obvious patterns investors miss about industrial vs. software value creation (the "J curve")

5:12 – Why industrial investing requires underwriting an entire system, not just a technology

8:36 – Case study: AgriLoops, going from pilot to physical plant

10:55 – Where traditional VC breaks down for long-cycle, capital-intensive sectors

14:26 – The funding architecture problem and how to redesign it

17:11 – "Bits vs. atoms": the shift back toward industrial/physical investment

22:47 – Geopolitics: US-Iran, Russia, supply chain fragmentation reshaping capital flows

27:30 – Europe's opportunity to lead in industrial deep tech

32:10 – Lessons from Shell Aviation: process discipline, security of supply, collaboration over competition

35:53 – M&A in frontier markets: risk vs. perception of risk, pattern recognition over "intuition"

46:02 – The GE furnace analogy for continuous industrial systems

46:17 – Where AI creates real defensible value in physical industries (and where capital is mis-priced)

50:32 – Leadership in an age of AI and geopolitical uncertainty

51:35 – "It's courage" , one-word definition of leadership today

55:24 – Women in investing and cognitive diversity in deep tech

58:30 – Closing question: what's systematically underestimated — society's capacity to build

60:54 – Final thoughts

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Sana Kapadia is Chief Catalyst at Heading for Change, investing in solutions that advance climate, nature, biodiversity and gender equality. Her career has spanned gender and climate finance, impact investing and equity research.

She is focused on leveraging capital as a tool for social change and to support deep and intersectional systemic shifts. 

We cover the following in our conversation:

00:00 Welcome

01:44 Heading for Change mission

04:51 Why gender lens matters

08:41 Suzanne Biegel legacy

12:18 Understanding the 2X Challenge

14:33 From niche to mainstream

18:54 Climate and gender nexus

25:25 Inner work of systems change

29:44 Generational shifts in capital

32:02 Care economy as infrastructure

36:08 Measuring inclusion and impact

38:46 ESG and DEI backlash

41:33 Staying the course together

44:54 Redesigning finance for equity.

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The reports mentioned in this episode are:

• Heading for Change
•  Insights Reports
• Investment Toolkit & Guidance
• Other  climate and gender Tools, Resources
• Climate & gender investing overview
• Tools
• Metrics
• Gender care and climate rubric 
• Project Catalyst & SAGE
• Criterion report

• Pivotal care economy report

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Triin Linamagi is the Founding Partner of Arãya Sie Fund, an early-stage venture fund backing the next generation of women-led businesses in the UK and Europe. The fund invests at the pre-seed and seed stage across healthcare, climate, fintech, and deeptech/AI.

She is also the Founder and CEO of Sie Ventures, an angel syndicate and capital platform. Sie Ventures improves access to high-quality investment opportunities for angel investors while supporting women founders through dedicated programs to help them fund and scale their ventures.

Triin brings over a decade of investment experience across multiple venture capital funds. Prior to her career in VC, she spent several years as a founder and operator building technology companies, giving her a unique dual perspective as both investor and entrepreneur.

00:00 Guest intro

02:07 Smart menstrual cup investment

04:43 Why Emm matters for health

08:18 Founder origin and team

10:20 VC blind spots in femtech

13:46 Co-investing and role models

18:19 Launching Araya Sie Fund

22:29 Fund structure and community

26:12 British Business Bank investment

28:35 AI and deep tech gap

34:40 Fixing the capital system

39:26 Closing thoughts.

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Dr Georgia Fleet is a scientist turned entrepreneur on a mission to tackle one of healthcare's most persistent challenges: hospital-acquired infections.

She founded Zonova on International Women's Day in 2023 and is as CEO & Co-Founder. A materials scientist by training, Georgia spotted how medical devices drive hospital infections, and how few commercial solutions exist to address it.

Three years on, the company's Z-ROS® antimicrobial materials platform is in active commercial discussions with global device manufacturers to make hospital-acquired infections a problem of the past.

Georgia is a 2024/25 Innovate UK Women in Innovation Award winner, named Most Disruptive at Women in Tech EU 2025 and was listed #1 in TechRound's Top 50 Women in Startups & Tech in 2026 - recognising her commitment to impact, innovation, and women in STEM.

We cover the following in our conversation:

01:59 Why hospital infections persist

04:40 Breakthrough: The "aha" moment

06:50 Pivot to platform model

08:25 Founder market fit

11:05 Fundraising reality check

17:20 Pitching platform and hiring CCO

19:43 Women investors

27:30 Fundraising experience

30:06 IP and impact strategy

31:44 Looking ahead: Ten year vision

33:51 Advice for new women investors

36:38 Final thoughts

Abby Davisson is an award-winning Fortune 200 leader-turned-author and entrepreneur. Prior to founding the Money and Love Institute, her social impact career included nearly a decade at global retailer Gap Inc., where she served as president of the Gap Foundation and co-founded the company’s employee resource group for working parents.

Abby’s prior professional experience includes strategy-focused roles across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, as well as a stint (alongside her day job) as an alumni career advisor and coach at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

Abby holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University.

We cover the following in our conversation:

02:37 Why focus on money and love?

08:09 A lesson learned the hard way

10:46 Why decisions feel zero sum

12:57 Clarity and the "Five Cs"

16:41 Scenario 1: choosing a mate

23:09 Scenario 2: family and career

34:54 Scenario 3: breakup or divorce

39:02 Courage and better communication

44:46 Final advice.

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Shaz Bishop is a wealth manager at RBC Brewin Dolphin. With over 21 years of expertise in financial services, Shaz advises private clients on comprehensive wealth strategies, including tax-efficient investments, pension planning, inheritance tax mitigation, trusts, and international investments.

Her holistic approach empowers individuals and families to navigate complex financial landscapes with confidence.

Beyond her advisory role, Shaz is a dedicated advocate for financial literacy and women’s empowerment in wealth management.

As a mother to two young daughters, she champions diversity and inclusion in the industry, striving to create a future where equitable representation is the norm.

She’s passionate about educating underserved communities and breaking down barriers to financial access, ensuring the next generation inherits a more inclusive financial ecosystem.

We cover the following in our conversation:

02:22 Money origins story

03:24 Cash ISA changes explained

05:04 Women and investing shift

08:05 Retirement barriers for women

10:37 Choosing the right adviser

11:45 One size policy limits

13:50 Cashflow planning tool

15:18 Risk and advice framing

17:57 Reviews and life events

18:59 Family planning and pensions

22:37 Measuring success beyond markets

24:02 Industry gaps and wealth transfer

26:54 Closing

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Kirsty Gibson is an Investment Manager in the US Equity Growth Team and has been a portfolio decision maker since 2016. She joined Baillie Gifford in 2012 and became a partner in 2025. Prior to joining the US Equity Growth Team, Kirsty also spent several years in the small and large-cap global equities departments. She graduated MA (Hons) in Economics in 2011 and MSc in Carbon Management in 2012, both from the University of Edinburgh.

We cover the following in our conversation:

01:57 Kirsty’s path to investing

04:49 Why culture matters in growth

06:52 Foundational vs created culture

09:27 When founders return

11:47 Architecting culture on purpose

14:49 Shopify’s AI pivot

19:06 Stripe’s culture in execution

20:47 Acquiring Bridge and the opportunity in stablecoins

22:38 AI shockwaves and market panic

29:31 What winners look like by 2030

31:34 Final takeaways.

See: "The cultural architects: how great founders shape exceptional companies in changing times", written by Kirsty Gibson.

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Amy Diehl, PhD, is an award-winning information technology leader, currently serving as Chief Information Officer at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA. She is also a gender equity researcher and author of the new book Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work. Her writing has appeared in numerous scholarly journal articles and book chapters as well as in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Ms. Magazine. She is also a sought-after speaker, consultant, and lawsuit expert witness. Her passion is universal gender equality so that society and organisations can thrive and women can succeed.

We cover the following:

01:50 Defining gender bias

02:52 How gender bias affects money and power

05:15 Six barriers overview

06:11 Male privilege and constraints

07:20 Support and devaluation

08:36 Hostility (including female hostility)

13:35 Acquiescence and opting out

16:19 Business case and examples

21:00 Leadership accountability and ERGs

22:44 Measuring bias

24:44 Gender bias incident example

26:55 Don’t internalise gender bias

29:13 Build support networks

30:06 Toxic workplaces

33:15 Leaders must own change

34:03 Stories that wake up leaders

36:59 Male norms and work design

39:24 Allies taking action

40:45 LinkedIn as safe space

43:29 Kamala Harris double standards

48:21 Progress and hope.

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Symmie Swil is the UK General Manager of Europe’s leading investment infrastructure provider, Upvest. With nearly twenty years of banking and fintech experience, Symmie is passionate about broadening access to investing. Symmie has previously held positions as Deputy Chief Operating Officer & Chief of Staff at Investec, and Head of SME Banking at Starling. 

We cover the following:

01:09 Symmie Swil: From banking to building investing infrastructure

02:41 What still holds women back from investing?

04:14 The gender wealth & gender pension gap explained.

07:41 What UpVest actually does (The ‘Stripe for investing’ behind the apps)

09:33 Fractional investing 101: Why lower minimums change everything

11:33 Trust in embedded investing: Transparency, security & regulation

12:53 UpVest’s UK expansion: The opportunity, the data, and responsible scaling

14:28 Five to ten year vision: Women designing the future of wealth tech

16:28 Final thoughts.