The Purse Podcast

Jana Hlistova
  • 4.8 (5)
  • Investing
  • Monthly

At The Purse: Women and Capital, we explore how women are transforming the architecture of finance. From angel investors to institutional leaders, from fintech founders to capital allocators, this is where women, wealth and power intersect to influence what gets funded — and what gets built next.

  1. 16 May

    #163: (Repost) Money and love: how to make important life decisions with Abby Davisson

    Abby Davisson is an award-winning Fortune 200 leader-turned-author and entrepreneur. Prior to founding the Money and Love Institute, her social impact career included nearly a decade at global retailer Gap Inc., where she served as president of the Gap Foundation and co-founded the company’s employee resource group for working parents. Abby’s prior professional experience includes strategy-focused roles across the public, private, and non-profit sectors, as well as a stint (alongside her day job) as an alumni career advisor and coach at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Abby holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University. We cover the following in our conversation: 02:37 Why focus on money and love? 08:09 A lesson learned the hard way 10:46 Why decisions feel zero sum 12:57 Clarity and the "Five Cs" 16:41 Scenario 1: choosing a mate 23:09 Scenario 2: family and career 34:54 Scenario 3: breakup or divorce 39:02 Courage and better communication 44:46 Final advice. ****

    48 min

  2. 24 Apr

    #162: Empowering women, financial planning, cash ISAs, economic shifts, and inclusive advice with Shaz Bishop

    Shaz Bishop is a wealth manager at RBC Brewin Dolphin. With over 21 years of expertise in financial services, Shaz advises private clients on comprehensive wealth strategies, including tax-efficient investments, pension planning, inheritance tax mitigation, trusts, and international investments. Her holistic approach empowers individuals and families to navigate complex financial landscapes with confidence. Beyond her advisory role, Shaz is a dedicated advocate for financial literacy and women’s empowerment in wealth management. As a mother to two young daughters, she champions diversity and inclusion in the industry, striving to create a future where equitable representation is the norm. She’s passionate about educating underserved communities and breaking down barriers to financial access, ensuring the next generation inherits a more inclusive financial ecosystem. We cover the following in our conversation: 02:22 Money origins story 03:24 Cash ISA changes explained 05:04 Women and investing shift 08:05 Retirement barriers for women 10:37 Choosing the right adviser 11:45 One size policy limits 13:50 Cashflow planning tool 15:18 Risk and advice framing 17:57 Reviews and life events 18:59 Family planning and pensions 22:37 Measuring success beyond markets 24:02 Industry gaps and wealth transfer 26:54 Closing ***

    28 min

  3. 12 Apr

    #161: Why culture matters in growth, AI's market impact, and US growth investing with Kirsty Gibson

    Kirsty Gibson is an Investment Manager in the US Equity Growth Team and has been a portfolio decision maker since 2016. She joined Baillie Gifford in 2012 and became a partner in 2025. Prior to joining the US Equity Growth Team, Kirsty also spent several years in the small and large-cap global equities departments. She graduated MA (Hons) in Economics in 2011 and MSc in Carbon Management in 2012, both from the University of Edinburgh. We cover the following in our conversation: 01:57 Kirsty’s path to investing 04:49 Why culture matters in growth 06:52 Foundational vs created culture 09:27 When founders return 11:47 Architecting culture on purpose 14:49 Shopify’s AI pivot 19:06 Stripe’s culture in execution 20:47 Acquiring Bridge and the opportunity in stablecoins 22:38 AI shockwaves and market panic 29:31 What winners look like by 2030 31:34 Final takeaways. See: "The cultural architects: how great founders shape exceptional companies in changing times", written by Kirsty Gibson. ***

    34 min

  4. 16 Mar

    #160: (Repost) Navigating gender bias: insights and strategies with Dr Amy Diehl

    Amy Diehl, PhD, is an award-winning information technology leader, currently serving as Chief Information Officer at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA. She is also a gender equity researcher and author of the new book Glass Walls: Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work. Her writing has appeared in numerous scholarly journal articles and book chapters as well as in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Ms. Magazine. She is also a sought-after speaker, consultant, and lawsuit expert witness. Her passion is universal gender equality so that society and organisations can thrive and women can succeed. We cover the following: 01:50 Defining gender bias 02:52 How gender bias affects money and power 05:15 Six barriers overview 06:11 Male privilege and constraints 07:20 Support and devaluation 08:36 Hostility (including female hostility) 13:35 Acquiescence and opting out 16:19 Business case and examples 21:00 Leadership accountability and ERGs 22:44 Measuring bias 24:44 Gender bias incident example 26:55 Don’t internalise gender bias 29:13 Build support networks 30:06 Toxic workplaces 33:15 Leaders must own change 34:03 Stories that wake up leaders 36:59 Male norms and work design 39:24 Allies taking action 40:45 LinkedIn as safe space 43:29 Kamala Harris double standards 48:21 Progress and hope. ***

    50 min

  5. 14 Feb

    #159: Investment infrastructure, women's financial power, and tech innovation with Symmie Swil

    Symmie Swil is the UK General Manager of Europe’s leading investment infrastructure provider, Upvest. With nearly twenty years of banking and fintech experience, Symmie is passionate about broadening access to investing. Symmie has previously held positions as Deputy Chief Operating Officer & Chief of Staff at Investec, and Head of SME Banking at Starling.  We cover the following: 01:09 Symmie Swil: From banking to building investing infrastructure 02:41 What still holds women back from investing? 04:14 The gender wealth & gender pension gap explained. 07:41 What UpVest actually does (The ‘Stripe for investing’ behind the apps) 09:33 Fractional investing 101: Why lower minimums change everything 11:33 Trust in embedded investing: Transparency, security & regulation 12:53 UpVest’s UK expansion: The opportunity, the data, and responsible scaling 14:28 Five to ten year vision: Women designing the future of wealth tech 16:28 Final thoughts.

    18 min

  6. 16 Jan

    #158: Rethinking early-stage investing for diverse founders with Simon Glass

    Simon Glass is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Qodeo, a platform created to address the challenges he observed while working across the venture ecosystem. Qodeo matches venture and private equity investors with entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on founders from diverse, regional, and female communities. Simon has previously worked at two UK venture capital firms, including Amadeus Capital Partners, the first backer of ARM Holdings. His broader career includes roles at EY in academia and media, at WPP as Deputy Chair of a publishing house, and in project finance where he supported Roy Hill, the world’s largest private iron ore mine, in raising $9 billion. Simon has written for the Financial Times, holds a BA, MA, and MBA from the University of Cambridge, and completed training in corporate finance at London Business School. We cover the following: 00:11 Meet Simon Glass: CEO of Qodeo 01:13 Exploring the venture ecosystem 02:35 Challenges for underrepresented founders 05:55 Platform: matching investors and entrepreneurs 14:05 Addressing unconscious bias in investing 19:32 Comparing UK and US startup ecosystems 28:40 Entrepreneurial boom in Europe 32:01 Cultural shifts in entrepreneurship 32:38 Moving the needle in who VCs invest in 36:58 Challenges with angel investors 49:28 Improving the startup funding ecosystem 53:43 Final thoughts. *** For more information on Qodeo, see: https://qodeo.com/  ***

    54 min

  7. 12/12/2025

    #157: Investment in health, AI-driven biotech, women's healthcare, long-term vision with Julia Angeles

    Julie Angeles is an Investment Manager, Partner at Baillie Gifford. She has been a member of the International Growth Portfolio Construction Group since 2017. She joined Baillie Gifford in 2008 and became a Partner in 2022. She previously worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, advising firms in Denmark, Russia and Hungary. Julia obtained a BSc in 1999, an MSc in 2001 and a PhD in 2005 in Economics from the University of Aarhus, Denmark. She is fluent in Russian and Danish. We cover the following: 00:56 AI and long horizon investing in healthcare 05:24 The evolution of Moderna and platform science 13:19 AI's impact on healthcare access and efficiency 21:45 The untapped potential of women's health 24:27 The need for more women in investing 24:59 The disparity in female health investment 25:29 Male allies in women's health 26:53 Gameto: revolutionising fertility 28:15 The science behind Gameto's innovations 29:42 Ethical considerations in biotech 31:14 The future of female longevity 31:45 Brain health: the next frontier 32:42 Progress in neurodegenerative disease research 36:21 The role of AI in healthcare 37:30 Addressing gender disparities in health research 42:13 The promise of personalised medicine 43:15 The future of human health: prevention and early detection 47:18 Final thoughts and optimism for the future.

    48 min

  8. 04/12/2025

    #156: Women, economics & power: challenging history's myths with Dr Victoria Bateman

    Dr Victoria Bateman is an economic historian whose latest book is Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power. Victoria has twenty years’ experience teaching macroeconomics and economic history at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and has spoken extensively on radio and television, including as resident economic historian for BBC Radio 4’s “Understand: The Economy". In her spare time, Victoria also works as a historical consultant for period dramas, including The Forsytes (which is currently airing in the UK and comes to PBS America in 2026). We covering the following: 00:11 Meet Dr. Victoria Bateman 02:20 Victoria's journey to feminist economics 05:08 The myth of male-dominated economic history 07:22 Women in economic history: key figures and contributions 10:11 The impact of excluding women from economic narratives 20:12 Historical examples of women in finance 26:26 Non-Western female economic pioneers 32:51 Modern financial systems and women 38:31 The backlash against women's economic progress 50:34 The importance of rewriting economic history 51:55 Final thoughts ***

    55 min
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4.8
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About

At The Purse: Women and Capital, we explore how women are transforming the architecture of finance. From angel investors to institutional leaders, from fintech founders to capital allocators, this is where women, wealth and power intersect to influence what gets funded — and what gets built next.

Information

  • Creator
    Jana Hlistova
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    162
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 483001
  • Show Website
    The Purse Podcast

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