The Purse Podcast

Simon Glass is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Qodeo, a platform created to address the challenges he observed while working across the venture ecosystem. Qodeo matches venture and private equity investors with entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on founders from diverse, regional, and female communities.

Simon has previously worked at two UK venture capital firms, including Amadeus Capital Partners, the first backer of ARM Holdings. His broader career includes roles at EY in academia and media, at WPP as Deputy Chair of a publishing house, and in project finance where he supported Roy Hill, the world’s largest private iron ore mine, in raising $9 billion.

Simon has written for the Financial Times, holds a BA, MA, and MBA from the University of Cambridge, and completed training in corporate finance at London Business School.

We cover the following:

00:11 Meet Simon Glass: CEO of Qodeo

01:13 Exploring the venture ecosystem

02:35 Challenges for underrepresented founders

05:55 Platform: matching investors and entrepreneurs

14:05 Addressing unconscious bias in investing

19:32 Comparing UK and US startup ecosystems

28:40 Entrepreneurial boom in Europe

32:01 Cultural shifts in entrepreneurship

32:38 Moving the needle in who VCs invest in

36:58 Challenges with angel investors

49:28 Improving the startup funding ecosystem

53:43 Final thoughts.

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For more information on Qodeo, see: https://qodeo.com/ 

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Julie Angeles is an Investment Manager, Partner at Baillie Gifford. She has been a member of the International Growth Portfolio Construction Group since 2017.

She joined Baillie Gifford in 2008 and became a Partner in 2022. She previously worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, advising firms in Denmark, Russia and Hungary. Julia obtained a BSc in 1999, an MSc in 2001 and a PhD in 2005 in Economics from the University of Aarhus, Denmark. She is fluent in Russian and Danish.

We cover the following:

00:56 AI and long horizon investing in healthcare

05:24 The evolution of Moderna and platform science

13:19 AI's impact on healthcare access and efficiency

21:45 The untapped potential of women's health

24:27 The need for more women in investing

24:59 The disparity in female health investment

25:29 Male allies in women's health

26:53 Gameto: revolutionising fertility

28:15 The science behind Gameto's innovations

29:42 Ethical considerations in biotech

31:14 The future of female longevity

31:45 Brain health: the next frontier

32:42 Progress in neurodegenerative disease research

36:21 The role of AI in healthcare

37:30 Addressing gender disparities in health research

42:13 The promise of personalised medicine

43:15 The future of human health: prevention and early detection

47:18 Final thoughts and optimism for the future.

Dr Victoria Bateman is an economic historian whose latest book is Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power.

Victoria has twenty years’ experience teaching macroeconomics and economic history at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and has spoken extensively on radio and television, including as resident economic historian for BBC Radio 4’s “Understand: The Economy".

In her spare time, Victoria also works as a historical consultant for period dramas, including The Forsytes (which is currently airing in the UK and comes to PBS America in 2026).

We covering the following:

00:11 Meet Dr. Victoria Bateman

02:20 Victoria's journey to feminist economics

05:08 The myth of male-dominated economic history

07:22 Women in economic history: key figures and contributions

10:11 The impact of excluding women from economic narratives

20:12 Historical examples of women in finance

26:26 Non-Western female economic pioneers

32:51 Modern financial systems and women

38:31 The backlash against women's economic progress

50:34 The importance of rewriting economic history

51:55 Final thoughts

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Vicky Pryce is Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Visiting Professor at King's College London.

She was previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and Joint head of the UK Government Economic Service. Vicky has held senior roles across the private sector, including senior managing director at FTI consulting, Partner and Chief Economist at KPMG, and Partner at London Economics, following earlier positions in banking and the energy sector.

She's also co-founder of Good Cooperation, a frequent media commentator, and the author of many books, including Women versus Capitalism. Her latest book, Mismanaged Decline, co-authored with Andy Ross, will be published by Biteback in November of 2025.

We cover the following:

01:16 Discussing 'Mismanaged Decline'

02:51 The UK's economic challenges

04:41 Policy missteps and industrial decline

07:09 Service sector and underinvestment

11:15 Industrial strategy and government role

16:26 Impact of Brexit and COVID

25:04 Honesty in economic policy

32:25 Regulatory developments in the UK and Europe

33:58 The role of UK leadership in crypto adoption

34:45 Concerns about crypto and global positioning

37:09 The politics of economic growth

39:20 Challenges in economic policy communication

50:11 The importance of gender inclusion in economic strategy

56:57 The need for long-term industrial strategy

01:00:12 Final thoughts on building a resilient economy

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 Trish Costello is the Founder and CEO of Portfolia, a micro venture capital firm and investing community built to activate women's capital. Portfolia launches thematic funds designed by and for women from women's health to FinTech and sustainability, engaging accredited investors who seek both strong returns and meaningful impact.

Trish previously co-founded the Kauffman Fellows Program in 1994 where she created the first training programme for venture capital partners. And helps launch a new generation of investors.

We cover the following:

00:11 Meet Trish Costello: Founder of Portfolia

00:53 The birth of Portfolia: a new venture model

06:11 Portfolia's growth and achievements

07:22 Pioneering women's health investments

10:15 The impact and future of women's health innovation

14:07 The role of research and AI in women's health

22:41 Gameto: revolutionising fertility and longevity

28:48 Empowering women investors

29:22 Investment accessibility and inclusivity

30:18 Understanding venture capital returns

31:24 Innovative approach to venture funds

32:16 Engaging with Portfolio companies

35:37 Sourcing and evaluating deals

38:25 Collaborating with other funds

44:26 Scaling women's participation in VC

51:33 Future vision for Portfolia.

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 Vicky Pryce is Chief Economic Advisor at the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Visiting Professor at King's College London.

She was previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and Joint head of the UK Government Economic Service. Vicky has held senior roles across the private sector, including senior managing director at FTI consulting, Partner and Chief Economist at KPMG, and Partner at London Economics, following earlier positions in banking and the energy sector.

She's also co-founder of Good Cooperation, a frequent media commentator, and the author of many books, including Women versus Capitalism. Her latest book, Mismanaged Decline, co-authored with Andy Ross, will be published by Biteback in November of 2025.

We cover the following:

01:15 Current state of the UK economy

02:28 Business confidence and investment

06:17 Employment trends and challenges

13:29 Impact of AI on productivity

19:57 Inflation and monetary policy

22:41 Domestic price issues in the UK

23:06 Energy costs and market structure

25:42 Trade, global headwinds, and tariffs

30:06 Pensions for growth

32:42 Autumn budget concerns

39:42 Risks and hopes for the UK economy.

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Derek Shaw is Director of Entrepreneurship and Investment, where he leads the teams supporting Scotland's spinouts, startups, and scaling companies with wrap-around support and commercial investment. Under his leadership, Scottish Enterprise co-invests more than £50 million annually, making it Scotland’s most active early-stage investor, and the UK’s fourth largest by volume.

The portfolio includes around 330 high growth companies, valued at approximately half a billion pounds.

Alison Loveday is part of the extended management team and leads the National High Growth Entrepreneurship team. She focuses on ecosystem development, partnerships, and leadership programs for founders — including Pathways to Scale, a flagship initiative inspired by the 2023 Pathways Report, which supports female founders by upskilling leadership and investment readiness.

Together, they're helping to shape Scotland's innovation economy.

We cover the following:

00:11  Meet Derek Shaw and Alison Loveday

02:16  Overview of Scottish Enterprise

03:08 Scottish Enterprise's strategic missions

07:03 Supporting ambitious Scottish businesses

12:06  Collaborations and female founders

14:28  Challenges for deep tech companies

20:31  Case Study: ZOEX and Ash Penley

26:04 Working with universities and research centres

28:21  Metrics and measuring success

30:12  Supporting female founders

35:17  Lessons from recent successes

43:27 The future of Scotland's innovation economy.

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 Lorine Pendleton is a seasoned venture capital investor and former media and entertainment lawyer with deep expertise across sports, media, entertainment, and technology.

In 2024, she launched 125 Ventures, a New York based VC fund, investing in women's sports, media and tech at the intersection of AI, data and the creator economy. Previously, a partner at Portfolia, she co-launched the Rising America Funds, top performing VC funds with net IRRs in the top 5% of their vintage, and has invested in more than 35 innovative companies as both an angel and VC.

We cover the following:

00:10 Meet Lorine Pendleton

02:17 Lessons from Prince: The power of ownership

04:59 Launching 125 Ventures

10:30 The solo GP Experience

15:01 Barriers in venture capital

24:20 Female founders and investment strategies

24:41 Unique perspectives of female investors

25:16 Learned experiences

27:27 Due diligence in investment

29:11 The rise of women's sports

30:40 Media rights and market growth

31:25 Challenges and opportunities in women's sports

33:31 The future of women's sports investment

37:48 Engaging with LPs and shifting capital

40:25 Encouraging women to invest

44:05 Final thoughts

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 Ashley Penley is the founder and CEO of ZOEX, the UK's only female founded wave energy company. She transitioned from 15 years in offshore oil and gas complex installation projects to marine renewables, where she developed a modular wave energy converter that tackles the sector's biggest challenge, high cost.

She's also a mother of two, Zoe and Alex, and became a British national after moving to Scotland 25 years ago for her original oil and gas career.

We cover the following in our conversation:

00:11 Meet Ashley Penley

01:45 The challenges of wave energy

03:30 The 'Aha moment': Realising the gap in wave energy

05:29 Innovative solutions for wave energy

07:55 The business model and market potential

12:32 Designing ZOEX for real-world conditions

19:49 Partnerships and raising capital

23:02 Trials and commercial rollout in Turkey

25:22 Project setback and recovery

27:17 Validation and success

27:35 Global attention and future plans

28:30 Challenges and personal sacrifices

30:08 Company vision and funding

31:56 Navigating a male-dominated industry

33:29 Balancing family and career

37:12 Advice for entrepreneurs

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Tiffany Irving joined Mesirow Wealth Management in 2021 and has 25 years of financial experience. She is a Senior Vice President, Wealth Adviser and a member of the Mesirow Inclusion Council. She provides comprehensive wealth management planning and advice to high-net-worth individuals, families and non-profit organisations.

Tiffany is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, and Legacy Partners, an association of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago Foundation. She is a Board Member for the Caring Place and the Women’s Impact Fund for the Porter County Community Foundation. She is a frequent speaker on the WGN radio show “Your Money Matters.”

Tiffany earned her degree in Finance from DePaul University and her MBA from the University of Phoenix. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional, Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) and holds FINRA licenses.

We cover the following:

• 02:09 Tiffany's early money experience
• 03:28 Generational differences in financial perspectives
• 09:28 Financial literacy and confidence among women
• 11:39 Common misconceptions about women and money
• 17:01 Challenges in the financial services industry
• 23:01 The Great Wealth Transfer: are we ready?
• 25:13 The importance of high EQ in financial advisory
• 25:20 Building trust with female clients
• 26:18 Legacy planning and generational wealth
• 29:33 Values-based and impact investing
• 35:42 Female investment in female founders
• 43:05 Closing the gender wealth gap
• 47:15 Final thoughts