Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Tramshared Tech Female Founders dinner, sponsored by RBC Brewin Dolphin at One Central Square, Cardiff. 

We have been so privileged to have a psace on the The Female Founder Investor Readiness Programme  - a 6-month programme supported by the British Business Bank which aims to provide Welsh female tech founders with the skills, mentorship and support required to raise capital. Supporting partners are AberInnovation, Welsh Ice, AccelerateHER and M-SParc.

Once again, I had the privilege of hearing Lucy Cohen, co-founder of Mazuma, speak. Lucy is a fierce advocate for female founders, breaking through the "glass ceiling" and paving the way for women in tech and finance.

Lucy and I have crossed paths many times, especially since we both sit on the FinTech Wales advisory board. Though we haven’t had a one-on-one conversation yet, partially because we're each always rushing to get back to business and partly because I have total imposter syndrome around her. But her influence on ThinkEDI and our strategic vision has been more impactful than she likely knows.

Lucy’s journey as the co-founder of Mazuma, the UK’s first accountancy subscription service, is a powerful example of turning challenges into opportunities. She started her business at just 23, from a spare bedroom, and has grown it into a multi-million-pound company. She’s passionate about small businesses and their role in the UK economy, continuously advocating for more diversity in leadership and the accounting profession.

One of the things I find so engaging about Lucy is how she shares her lived experiences as an entrepreneur. She’s open about the loneliness that can come with being a founder, the mental health struggles, and the burnout many of us face. Her bravery in being vulnerable resonated deeply with everyone in the room.

Lucy also shared a funny anecdote about trying to explain what she does to her family. She joked about how her mum asks her, “How's your job going?” and Lucy used to reply, “Well, it’s not really a job mum - it’s my business.” She used to try explaining the complexities of her day, but now just replies, “Busy,” when asked - which had everyone laughing because we’ve all been there. As founders, explaining the innovation and challenges we face every day is nearly impossible in a casual conversation.

Through her talk, Lucy reminded us that even when we feel alone, we’re part of a community that can support one another. That sense of shared experience, knowing others are facing the same hurdles, is what makes facing challenges together so important. Whether it's overcoming financial obstacles, finding work-life balance, or avoiding burnout, having a network is key to getting through it all.

Lucy also touched on the crucial topic of mental health, especially for founders. She was candid about the pressures she’s faced and the toll it can take on well-being. 

Lucy highlighted how important it is to recognize stress before it leads to burnout—something every entrepreneur needs to hear. She emphasized that taking breaks, setting boundaries, and asking for help are acts of strength, not weakness.

When she started Mazuma over 18 years ago, support for female entrepreneurs was almost non-existent. She felt like she had to work twice as hard for half the recognition. But through her advocacy and the paths she's helping to create, future female founders won’t have to face the same hardships. 

The energy in the room was a true reflection of the strength and dynamism of female entrepreneurs in Wales. As we mingled, shared our journeys, and exchanged ideas, the sense of community was uplifting, validating, and deeply inspiring.

Every time I listen to Lucy speak, I find myself rethinking my own perceived barriers. I start to view them differently—sometimes even as a source of strength.

As a disabled, neurodivergent entrepreneur, large gatherings can be overwhelming for me on many levels. Being autistic, and also living with conditions that cause my joints to dislocate and sometimes leave me hemiplegic (paralysed on one side), I face challenges most people don’t see. Whether it's the inaccessibility of buildings with forgotten steps or manual doors, or the struggle just to navigate transport, the logistics required to attend an event are often a project in themselves.

But I’m not here to complain or ask for sympathy. Instead, I want to create the change I want to see. I’ll use these hardships as fuel to drive that change, so that one day, I can do for disabled entrepreneurs what Lucy is doing for female founders.

While there’s still much to change—especially with only 3% of investment going to female-led businesses—the efforts of Welsh business incubators and accelerators are making a real impact, especially with roles models like Lucy.

After all as Lucy says, “If you can see it, you can be it.”