Penelope Hope on FemTech's Role in Gender Equality

Welcome to our latest episode of Trail Blazers, where we take a deep dive into how business can be a powerful force for social change. Today’s conversation centres around the intersection of gender, innovation, and entrepreneurship, exploring how the professional world is evolving and how business can drive the social progress we urgently need.

Our guest today is Penelope Hope, a dynamic entrepreneur and public speaker who has already made waves in the renewable energy space, with a strong focus on alleviating fuel poverty in the UK. Now, Penelope is embarking on a new venture in the emerging field of FemTech, an industry focused on female health and technology, which they believe is not only ripe for innovation but also holds the potential to create meaningful social change.

Throughout today’s episode, Penelope will share her unique insights on how businesses, particularly for-profit ventures, can act as key players in societal transformation. While many people look to charities or governments to enact change, Penelope argues that the private sector, especially consumer-driven brands, might have the most potential to create scalable, rapid impact. By tapping into the power of these businesses, we can begin to tackle systemic issues that may otherwise be slow to change.

But this isn’t just about innovation in business; it’s also about understanding the evolving role of women in the workforce. Historically, for thousands of years, women’s contributions were largely relegated to the home, and their work was unrecognised in professional settings. It wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution and the major social shifts of the 20th century that women began to enter the workforce in large numbers. From the fight for women's suffrage, to the conscription of women into the workforce during the World Wars, to the impact of birth control and the women’s liberation movements of the 1960s - women's presence in the professional sphere has been on a steady rise.

Penelope sees this rapid evolution as both a moment of opportunity and a moment of challenge. With women now firmly established in the professional world, we can begin to examine the inequalities and systemic injustices that still persist. There’s a huge potential here for businesses to not just acknowledge these issues but actively work to address them through innovation and social responsibility.

In today’s episode, we’ll also touch on the concept of social entrepreneurial realism, a term Penelope uses to describe their approach. It’s about recognising the potential of for-profit businesses to achieve social good, without sacrificing scale or efficiency. Social enterprises and charities certainly have their place, but Penelope believes that well-run, socially-conscious for-profit businesses can make a huge impact - quickly, and in ways that resonate with consumers.

So, if you're interested in how business can be a lever for social change, or you're curious about the evolving role of women in the workplace and what’s next in FemTech innovation, this episode is for you. Stick around, as we dive deep into a conversation that has the potential to reshape how we think about business, gender equality, and the future of work.