Ronnie Dungan

For years, the conversation around investment in women-led businesses has tended to circle the same old themes. Or maybe “excuses” would be a better word: pipeline, confidence, and founder readiness. But listening to the co-chairs of the Invest in Women Taskforce, Debbie Wosskow and Hannah Bernard, there is a sense that the argument has shifted decisively away from whether women entrepreneurs are investment-ready and toward whether the investment ecosystem itself is fit for purpose.

AI for small business is having a moment. The noise is loud, the promises even louder. But for many founders, the real question is about practical use in the here and now rather than what it will be able to do in ten years’ time. Richard Moloney, Senior Director, Marketing at Sage, understands the need for solutions rather than bells and whistles better than most. “Talking to small business owners, many feel that the conversation around AI isn’t meant for them,” he says.