With our strengths in food and drink , and the creative , healthcare and business sectors , Carolyn and QMU aim to strengthen entrepreneurial activity in these fields . Through our ambitious plans to accelerate women ’ s entrepreneurship at QMU and beyond , we are aiming to support Scotland ’ s economic recovery from the pandemic .
What we love about Carolyn Currie
• She ’ s a prominent champion of female entrepreneurship with an impressive track record in the banking industry .
• She ’ s passionate about breaking down barriers and supporting more women to establish sustainable businesses .
• As CEO of Women ’ s Enterprise Scotland , she ’ s committed to addressing the gender imbalance which exists across the Scottish entrepreneurial landscape .
• As a mover and a shaker , she ’ s well known and respected in the business community , political circles and public life .
• Through her workshops , events and interactions with people at QMU , she ’ s strengthening the University ’ s culture of entrepreneurship and supporting more staff , students and graduates to develop their entrepreneurial talents .
• Her inspiring and relevant programme of workshops is helping turn ideas into reality .
• Her infectious laugh , boundless energy , vast experience and positive attitude make her a tremendous asset and role model .
Know the facts about women-owned businesses
• Women-owned businesses in Scotland contribute £ 8.8bn to the Scottish economy every year and generate more than 230,000 jobs across Scotland , according to a 2018 Federation of Small Business report .
• The Rose Report on Female Entrepreneurship states that up to £ 250 billion of new value could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled new businesses at the same rate as men .
• In response to the Rose Report , the UK Government announced its ambition to increase the number of female entrepreneurs by half by 2039 , equivalent to nearly 600,000 additional female entrepreneurs .
• According to the Rose Report , fewer UK women choose to become entrepreneurs in the UK / Scotland than in some other countries such as Canada , Australia and the Netherlands : The UK lags behind many peer countries on gender parity – for every 10 male UK entrepreneurs , there are fewer than five female entrepreneurs .
• A recent RBS survey conducted during the pandemic stated that nearly three quarters ( 71 %) of female entrepreneurs found managing their business stressful compared to half of men ( 55 %). Female owners / entrepreneurs were 17 % more likely to have struggled juggling business and family life since the pandemic began than men – 40 % compared to 57 % - suggesting that women have shouldered more childcare , home schooling and household maintenance responsibility . Women are also more likely to be working in sectors that are hard hit by the crisis including hospitality and non-food retail . Supporting women to apply their expertise in starting a business now can help preserve vital skills and build back the economy .
Connecting QMU ’ s Entrepreneur in Residence to QMU ’ s history
QMU has a proud history of supporting educational and career opportunities for women dating back to 1875 when the institution was first established . Our founders , Christian Guthrie Wright and Louisa Stevenson , were the female trailblazers of their time - determined to help women advance academically , develop their skills and forge careers . Find out more about QMU ’ s fascinating history at :
Why is driving forward female entrepreneurship so important ?
Kim Stuart , Director of Research & Innovation and the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Unit at QMU , explained : “ We know that women do not lack ability or ambition , yet only one in three UK entrepreneurs is female : a gender gap equivalent to 1.1 million missing businesses . Female-led businesses are only 44 % of the size of male-led businesses on average , in terms of their contribution to the economy , and male SMEs are five times more likely to scale up to £ 1million turnover than female SMEs . It is imperative that we tackle the gender divide and inspire , motive and equip women to realise their potential by removing barriers and pro-actively nurturing talent .”
Sir Paul Grice , QMU ’ s Principal , is behind QMU ’ s ambitious plans to lead the sector in female entrepreneurship . He said : “ To aid economic recovery from the pandemic , it is critical we harness the talent pool which we know exists within our female population . Carolyn is at the heart of our plans to establish a Women ’ s Business Centre which will unleash some of the untapped potential within our female population . As a catalyst for supporting female entrepreneurs , we want to encourage and equip women to bring their ideas to fruition and assist female-led businesses to scale up and reach their full potential .”
QMU ’ s Entrepreneurial Fact File
• Nearly two thirds of QMU ’ s start-up companies are created by women .
• QMU was the first university in Scotland to have a Business Gateway located on campus .
• QMU ’ s Business Innovation Zone ( BIZ ) currently supports 45 innovative student , graduate and staff start-ups and businesses .
• Since its inception , the University ’ s BIZ has supported 100 entrepreneurial start-ups .
Get more detail on QMU ’ s Entrepreneur in Residence at EIR webpages . ❒
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