How to be a Venture Capitalist, with Check Warner

Debbie Bestwick is the CEO of Team 17, the studio brought the world classic video games like Worms and innovative recent titles including the Overcooked series. She tells Anne-Marie how she entered the industry before the age of 20 and became an award-winning producer. She also explains how to get a foothold in a competitive field, and encourages parents to let their children explore a job that's far more than just playing games. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Billie Quinlan is the co-founder and CEO of Ferly, a female-focussed sexual wellness app. She tells Anne-Marie how technology is helping women discover their sexuality, and change the way people think about sex. They also talk about her journey from aspiring actress to head of her own start-up, including having to learn new skills.ADVISORY: This episode of Women Tech Charge contains adult themes, and references to sexual assault. If you're affected by any of the issues raised, you can get help from places like Victim Support, Rape Crisis, and the NHS. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imogen Heap is an artist, songwriter and technologist. She speaks to Anne-Marie about how tech is transforming how she makes music and interacts with audiences. She describes how she developed her MiMu smart gloves, which work as a wearable music instrument. And they talk about Mycelia, Heap's blockchain driven project to help musicians with their music distribution, rights and payment management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tobi Oredein is a journalist and founder of the Black Ballad lifestyle platform that elevates the voices of black British women through content, community and commerce. She talks to Anne-Marie about how her experiences as a black woman in journalism inspired her to create the site. They also discuss the importance of data in telling the stories of black communities, and how difficult it can sometimes be to find.. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Check Warner is a founding partner of Ada Ventures, a fund named after Ada Lovelace that aims to support diverse entrepreneurs. She talks to Anne-Marie about the role VCs can play in supporting start-ups, what the job actually is, and why female founders are considered "niche" in the industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eugenia Cheng is a mathematician, concert pianist... and baker. She's dedicated her career to tackling the fear of maths that she thinks is preventing talented people from studying the subject. Eugenia tells Anne-Marie how her discovery that her students would pay more attention if lectures involved food led to her publishing a best-selling book combining baking with mathematics. And she describes how playing complex piano pieces connects with her love of numbers. They also discuss Eugenia's new book X+Y: A Mathematician's Manifesto for Rethinking Gender, which is out now. You can hear her music on her website eugeniacheng.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Idia Elsmore Dodsworth was a lawyer with an entrepreneurial streak.... and two children under the age of two. She tells Anne-Marie how an unruly day at the beach with her kids inspired her to co-found Tinto, an app that connects mothers. They discuss how parenting can be an "overwhelming" experience, especially for working mums, and how hard it can be to get honest advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can a huge organisation, working at a global level, use technology to save the lives of children? Anne-Marie speaks to UNICEF's innovation fund manager, Sunita Grote, who tells us why developments like blockchain are making it easier to provide humanitarian and developmental aid across the world. She also discusses how the organisation is embracing risk, with the possibility that some of the start-ups it partners with might not be able to deliver what they hope - but that the rewards when it does work can be incredible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Endometriosis, where tissue similar to that from the womb grows in other places, affects around 6-10% of women around the world. Dr Noemie Elhadad, of Columbia University, is one of those who was diagnosed with it while still a student. She's set up the Phendo app, which lets women catalogue their signs and symptoms, helping them manage the disease. She talks to Anne-Marie about the struggles she had getting treatment for a condition that's still not fully understood. They also talk about the future of medicine and AI. Will it be possible to speak to GP on Instagram? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Anne-Marie takes us on a journey from the deepest depths of the ocean to outer space, with geologist, oceanographer and astronaut Kathy Sullivan. She was the first American woman to walk in space and also the first woman to go to the deepest depths of the ocean. She is the first person to have done both. Anne-Marie asks what did little Kathy want to be? We get to hear a story about the implications of being the first group of women NASA sends to space (spoiler: it involves periods) and Anne-Marie asks the crucial question of once you have been an astronaut… what do you do next? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.