Anne RavanonaCEO & Founder, Global Invest Her · On a mission to get 1M women entrepreneurs funded by 2030 through access to Capital, Customers and Community. Founder & Ceo Global Invest Her, global Advocate and Keynote Speaker

Investor Insights Interview with Mary McKenna - Angel Investor

24 Jun 2019 · 2 min

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2:21

In this interview, angel investor Mary McKenna shares her entrepreneurial background, having founded a platform that served about a million UK public servants and saved the government significant time and money during austerity. She offers practical funding advice for women entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of having a team member with prior fundraising experience and requesting sufficient capital. Mary encourages more women to become investors, noting that visibility matters and highlighting the UK’s SEIS and EIS tax‑advantaged schemes as attractive options. The conversation closes with a motivational call for listeners to pursue their startup ideas without hesitation.

Mary, tell us one cool fact about you, something we don't know.
I thought I might tell you 2, one serious one and one that's a bit more fun. So my serious one is that I started a company that created a platform that was used by a million public servants in the UK to share their learning. Saved the government millions of pounds in time of austerity, so that's something that I'm quite proud of. My fun fact is that I disco danced with a man at Coachella in 100 degrees heat, and it was only when he got up on stage that I found out that it was Leonard Cohen.
That's so cool.
That is a cool fact.
So you're an angel investor. What are your top tips to women entrepreneurs? who are looking for funding, what are the key dos and don'ts?
Well, there's a lot been written about this, so I think there's a lot of information that is kind of a given here. I think my key tip would be to have somebody on your team that has raised money before. It will save you so much time and so much distraction. That would be my key. The other one is make sure that you ask for enough money.
I'm always harping on about that one. And what would you say to encourage other women to become investors?
It's all part of that, you can't be what you don't see. The more women that invest, the easier it will be for women to raise money. And that's, you know, that is the truth. The other thing that maybe people don't often mention is there are massive tax advantages in the UK anyway. for investing in early-stage companies through the SCIS and the EIS. It's a good way for women to invest their money.
Sound advice. And what would be your parting message, the last thing you want to leave us with?
If you're sitting there and you've got an idea for something that you'd like to start, don't let anything stop you. Don't think that you're too old, or don't think that you can't leave your job. Just do it today.