Pathways Forward, the social enterprise founded by private investor and Scotland’s chief entrepreneur Ana Stewart, has unveiled its newest Pledge cohort, and announced the appointment of Jo Forster as industry lead.

Burness Paull, FWB, Investing Women Angels, and Cazenove Capital are among the latest organisations to sign high-level Pathways Pledges, committing to targeted support for female entrepreneurs, reviewing internal team structures and incentive models to drive gender diversity, and conducting diversity audits to ensure equal access and opportunity.

With the addition of these latest signatories, the Pathways Pledge now counts 36 members across six cohorts.

“We are excited to welcome our latest cohort and follow their progress over the next twelve months,” said Stewart. “It’s great to see so many organisations collaborating to drive impact and to shift the dial for women in business.”

Meanwhile, Jo Forster, former industry lead for the Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship, has taken on a similar role at Pathways Forward, having previously served on the organisation’s advisory board.

“Jo’s experience with the Rose Review could not be a better fit for Pathways as we ramp up our activity across ecosystem building, funding, and the Pledge. Her expertise and support on delivering the Female Founders Growth Summit will also be invaluable going forward,” added Stewart.

Also set to join the Pathways advisory team are Sarah Ronald, founder of strategic design firm Nile’s, and University of Edinburgh senior lecturer and entrepreneurship expert Dr Samuel Mwaura.

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Now into its third year, Pathways Forward recently held its second annual Female Founders Growth Summit, bringing together 300 founders and investors, including those from the UK’s fastest-growing scaleups.

Pathways Forward was launched in September 2023 following the publication of the Scottish Government-commissioned report, Pathways: A New Approach For Women in Entrepreneurship, authored by Ana Stewart and former chief entrepreneur, Mark Logan

The report, which targets the under-participation of women in entrepreneurship across Scotland, has sparked a wave of new initiatives, including the Scottish Government’s Pathways Pre-Start programme, which incorporated microgrant funding alongside place-based support. 

Added to that, the Pathways Fund and the Entrepreneurial Education Pathways Fund have collectively seen over £6 million being awarded across multiple projects across Scotland over the past two years.