The Purse Podcast

Elisabeth Prager began her career in life and pension and then moved into private banking. Subsequently she transitioned to a strategy consulting firm, and later freelanced for various philanthropic and multilateral agencies. 

Nitika Vyas began her career in investment banking, and then moved into a hedge fund, before becoming the COO of a broker. Alongside her career, her interest in psychology prompter her to pursue a counselling qualification. 

Together they have over 30 years experience in financial services and have seen first hand just how underserved women are when it comes to their personal finances. 

They co-founded Aila Money, a fintech startup on a mission to close the gender wealth gap. Aila helps women plan, learn and get ongoing guidance on their finances. The free solution leverages behavioural science, AI, and expert advice to empower women financially.

We cover the following:

00:16 Meet Elizabeth Prager and Nitika Vyas

02:13 Identifying problems in financial services

05:37 The decision to start Aila Money

08:32 Challenges in financial services for women

12:09 Gender stereotypes in finance

17:05 The importance of women investing

20:24 Common money mistakes women make

23:48 The role of societal norms

25:09 Encouraging financial engagement

25:41 Aila Money's approach to financial fitness

26:37 Trends in women's financial behaviours

28:40 The rise of single women

29:25 The Great Wealth Transfer

30:20 Emotional decisions with inherited wealth

32:50 Building Aila Money

35:42 Personalised financial journeys

42:26 Fundraising and future plans

45:50 Challenges for female founders

55:26 Advice for women: how to lean into investing

59:05 Conclusion

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The Purse Ltd.

Priya Parrish is Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Impact Engine, an institutional venture capital and private equity investor driving positive impact in economic opportunity, environmental sustainability and health equity.

She is also an Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Impact Investor in Residence at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Priya is the author of "The Little Book of Impact Investing" published by Wiley.

Prior to joining Impact Engine, Priya served as Chief Investment Officer at Schwartz Capital Group, a single-family office investing across global markets.

Previously, she was Strategy Head at Aurora Investment Management, a multibillion-dollar hedge fund, and managed development of investment products that incorporated environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) at Northern Trust Asset Management and KLD Research & Analytics.

Priya holds a B.S. in Business Management from Babson College and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

We cover the following in our conversation:

00:10 Meet Priya Parrish: impact investing pioneer

02:19 Priya's journey into impact Investing

05:29 Understanding impact investing

08:55 Impact Engine: a women-led venture capital firm

11:12 The growing demand for impact investments

14:07 Women and millennials driving change

21:02 Defining and measuring impact

23:49 Understanding measurement in impact investing

23:56 Two schools of thought on measurement

24:49 Investor-focused measurement

26:07 Challenges in impact investing

27:52 Financial performance and impact

31:01 AI and impact investing

33:00 Tools and resources for measuring impact

33:55 Supporting early-stage impact companies

36:11 Challenges and risks in impact investing

38:44 Avoiding impact washing

39:48 The Little Book of Impact Investing

42:36 Supporting female investors in impact investing

44:29 Final thoughts.

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The Purse Ltd.

Carla Hoppe is the founder and CEO of Wealthbrite, whose mission is to help businesses cultivate financially and commercially savvy talent. Wealthbrite was born out of Carla's understanding of the critical need to bridge the financial skills gap, especially among early-career professionals. Carla is a passionate advocate for greater financial literacy to help young people entering the workforce so they can go on to become economically secure.

With a diverse career spanning law and financial services at prestigious firms like PwC and EY, Carla brings a wealth of experience to her role as the founder of Wealthbrite. Her journey as a mixed heritage woman and first-generation professional who went on to have a successful career in finance has given her unique insights into the challenges faced by young professionals navigating the complex world of personal and business finance.

We cover the following in our conversation:

00:12 Meet Carla Hoppe: founder of Wealthbrite

02:07 Carla's journey from corporate to entrepreneurship

03:33 The importance of financial literacy

09:12 Challenges of financial literacy in the UK

13:00 Financial resilience and mental health

18:38 Addressing the financial gender gap

21:49 Inside Wealthbrite: mission and training programmes

26:35 The realities of starting a business

30:50 Fundraising success: Carla's journey

31:05 Navigating the pre-seed round

31:44 Choosing the right investors

33:16 Diversity in startup investing

33:44 Leveraging personal networks

36:19 Investor event strategy

37:56 Key lessons from fundraising

38:46 Challenges with traditional investors

40:00 Current investment climate

41:11 Finding the 'right tribe'

42:28 Encouraging female investors

47:31 Vision for Wealthbrite

50:27 Personal financial strategies

54:58 Policy changes for financial Literacy

58:25 Conclusion

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Jem Stein is the founder of Daring Capital, an impact investor syndicate supporting early-stage, purpose-driven founders who strive to make the world a better place. Since launching in September 2023, Daring Capital has facilitated over £1.5 million in investments into purpose-driven founders from underrepresented backgrounds. 

Prior to founding Daring Capital, Jem established and led The Bike Project, a social enterprise providing bicycles to refugees across England. Under Jem's leadership, The Bike Project scaled to £2.5 million in annual revenue and garnered multiple awards, including Social Entrepreneur of the Year and the EU Social Innovation Prize.

With extensive experience in raising social investment, Jem also serves on the social investment committees of two major charitable trusts.

We cover the following:

00:13 Meet Jem Stein: founder of Daring Capital

01:43 The journey to Daring Capital

02:56 Understanding impact investing

04:57 Daring Capital's 'founder-first' approach

05:19 Defining and measuring impact

06:23 Challenges and successes in impact investing

21:51 Supporting female founders

34:33 The future of impact investing

41:30 Closing remarks

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Barbara Huson, formerly known as Barbara Stanny, is the leading authority on women, wealth, and power. A bestselling author, financial therapist, wealth coach, and founder of The Wealth Connection, Barbara's mission is to help women build their wealth and assert their power, as a woman.

With a diverse resume—including, business woman, journalist, teacher, financial therapist, along with a Master's Degree in Counselling Psychology, Certification in Trauma Treatment, author of 7 books, and her personal experience with money, she’s guided millions to live up to their financial and personal potential.

Her proven process quickly reduces her clients overwhelm and fear while increasing their confidence and motivation to build wealth. As the author of 7 financial books for women, including titles such as Overcoming Under-earning, Secrets of Six Figure Women, and Rewire for Wealth, Barbara serves as a trusted expert in women’s financial empowerment.

We cover the following:

01:39 Welcoming Barbara Huson

01:49 Impact of 'Sacred Success'

04:07 Barbara's personal journey with money

05:32 The Course in Miracles

10:27 The four prongs of financial success

16:24 Women and power

18:37 Sharing ideas and giving credit

21:20 Barbara's impact on feminine wealth

21:44 The importance of inner peace

22:07 Healing emotional blocks for financial independence

22:55 The power of words and thoughts

23:51 Addressing repressed emotions and trauma

28:27 The journey from survival to affluence

30:13 Surrounding yourself with supportive people

34:29 Living in integrity with money and wealth

38:15 Creating a feminine face of power

41:45 Final thoughts.

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To learn more about Barbara click here.

 Dan Bowyer is a Partner at SuperSeed VC based in London. He is a four times exited entrepreneur now investing in technical founders who are transforming how the world works.

We cover the following in our conversation:

01:21 Dan Bowyer's career

03:56 Challenges faced by founders

08:21 UK vs. US startup ecosystem

12:55 Government's role in supporting startups

17:25 The future of AI, blockchain & crypto

25:00 Female founders and investing in women

36:59 VC: tech innovation and impact

38:49 Conclusion

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Dr Amy Diehl is an award-winning information technology leader and gender equity researcher who has authored numerous scholarly journal articles and book chapters. Her writing has also appeared in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Ms. Magazine. Glass Walls is her first book. She is also a sought-after speaker, consultant, and lawsuit expert witness. She resides in a small town in Pennsylvania.

We cover the following in our conversation:

00:10 Meet Dr. Amy Diehl: gender equity advocate

01:50 Understanding gender bias

02:52 Impact of gender bias on women and money

05:15 The six gender bias barriers

06:11 Male privilege and disproportionate constraints

07:20 Insufficient support and devaluation

08:36 Hostility at work: manager sabotage

13:35 Acquiescence: internalising gender bias

15:26 The cost of gender bias in organisations

17:45 Victoria's Secret: a case study

21:14 The role of leadership in addressing gender bias

22:44 The gender bias scale: measuring and addressing bias

24:44 Personal experiences with gender bias

26:07 Understanding and identifying gender bias

28:47 Strategies for momen to combat gender bias

29:15 Building a support network

30:06 Considering alternatives in a toxic environment

33:15 The role of leaders in addressing gender bias

39:24 The importance of allies

43:29 Gender bias in politics: VP Kamala Harris

48:21 Concluding Thoughts

Hayley James is Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston Business School. Hayley’s research interests concern sociological perspectives on money, finance and value, and how they intersect with gender, ageing and the lifecourse.

We cover the following:

01:16 The importance of financial wellbeing

01:59 The asset economy and financial engagement

04:40 Gender and financial systems

05:50 Defining financial wellbeing

09:10 Subjective vs. objective financial wellbeing

11:54 Interdisciplinary approach to personal finance

19:07 Gender neutral to gender friendly finance

24:29 Challenges in retirement planning

26:20 Challenges of imagining later life

27:09 The Impact of financial literacy and support systems

31:30 Gender norms and financial decision making

35:42 Policy and financial education for women

39:41 The role of community in financial education

41:31 Implications of the recent UK budget

45:03 Future research in personal finance

46:21 Rethinking retirement

50:08 Conclusion and final thoughts

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Vicky Pryce is Chief Economic Adviser and a board member at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). She was previously Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting, Director General for Economics at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service.

Before that she was Partner at the accounting and consulting firm KPMG after senior economic positions in banking and the oil sector.

She has held a number of academic posts and is a Fellow and Council member of the UK Academy of Social Sciences, a Fellow of the Society of Professional Economists and a Companion of the British Academy of Management.

She was until recently on the Council of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and is a member of the Advisory Board of the central banking think-tank OMFIF and of the Economic Advisory Group of the British Chambers of Commerce.

She is also a Patron of the charities Pro-Bono Economics and Working Chance. Her books include: “Greekonomics:

The Euro crisis and Why Politicians Don't Get It”; “It's the Economy, Stupid- Economics for Voters”, with Ross and Urwin; “Redesigning Manufacturing”, with Nielsen and Beverland”; and “Why Women Need Quotas” and "Women vs Capitalism”, was published by Hurst in November 2019.

She is a frequent contributor to media broadcasts and debates on the economy and on the economic rationale for gender equality.

She is co-founder of GoodCorporation, a company set up to advise on corporate social responsibility, is a Freeman and Liveryman of the City of London, was the first female Master of the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants and has been sitting on the City’s Members Diversity Working Party.

We cover the following:

00:58 Overview of UK Budget and initial reactions

03:33 Post-budget market reactions and economic implications

06:37 Impact on businesses and investment

09:20 Technological advancements and productivity

12:54 Public services and long-term growth

22:07 Brexit and its ongoing impact

27:54 Training and apprenticeship levy

28:51 Diversity and inclusion in training

29:22 Supporting female founders

30:56 Investment in UK equities

34:52 Crypto, blockchain and CBDCs

44:47 Potential financial Shocks

48:38 Impact of US election on markets

51:28 Evaluating the success of the UK budget

52:42 Final thoughts.

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Amy-Willard Cross is the founder of Gender Fair, the first consumer ratings system for gender equality which produces ratings on brands, colleges,  B2B vendors and nonprofits so people can align their dollars with their values of equality. She was named a Global Thinker by Foreign Policy for her work in “Economic Girl Power”. Cross was formerly an author, editor and writer, is the great-granddaughter of a suffragist and named for Frances Willard who supported unions, equal pay and regulation of business monopolies.

We cover the following:

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