The Digital Forge x Lifted Ventures: Female Founders and the Capital Gap
In the month of International Women’s Day, we are bringing together founders, funders and decision makers to confront one of the most persistent inequalities in business. Despite building high growth, high impact companies, women receive only a small fraction of venture capital investment. The gap is real, the data is stark, and the consequences shape the future of innovation.
Female Founders in the Capital Gap is a room built to unlock capital, build confidence and drive meaningful change.
Hosted in partnership with Lifted Ventures, this event brings together founders, investors and policymakers to explore why the capital gap exists, spotlight the founders who are breaking through it, and discuss what meaningful progress looks like in practice. On stage, Jordan Dargue and Helen Oldham will guide the conversation, ensuring energy, insight and focused dialogue throughout the morning.
The programme agenda includes:
Networking Activity
An intentional and structured networking session designed to spark valuable connections from the outset. Meet fellow founders, investors and ecosystem leaders in a way that goes beyond small talk.
Opening Keynote: Funding Her Future: Unlocking Capital, Confidence & Change
A candid and thought provoking discussion that exposes the systemic barriers within venture capital, shares lived experience from female founders, and examines how we move from awareness to action.
The Foundry Pitching Segment
Fast, focused and intentional. The Foundry is our signature pitch format, built for founders who are serious about their mission. Selected founders will pitch to a room of prolific investors and industry experts ready to ask direct questions and open new doors. No fluff. No filler. Just clarity, sharp thinking and the opportunity to move ideas forward.
Panel Discussion with Q&A: Capital & Confidence: Rewriting the Investment Playbook for Women
Chaired by Helen Oldham. An honest conversation with leaders who are actively reshaping access to capital, offering insight, practical takeaways and a clear call to action for the ecosystem.
Fireside Chat: From Funding Gap to Funded Future
Chaired by Jordan Dargue. A candid, in depth discussion with a leader who has experienced the funding landscape first hand. Real stories, real lessons and an interactive Q&A that invites the room into the conversation.
There will then be time to connect, collaborate and continue the discussion over food.
If you are a founder, an investor committed to backing diverse leadership, or a policymaker shaping the future of enterprise, this is where the conversation happens.
Join us in Sheffield on Thursday 19 March as we move from capital gap to funded future.