Being a business owner requires grit and determination on a good day. Being a female founder in the wake of a global pandemic? Even more so.

That's why we've teamed up with HSBC to support female founders looking to scale their businesses. Enter HSBC ROAR, our practical, actionable, and purpose-led programme that provides the insights, connections, and confidence female founders need to supercharge their success.

The HSBC lions are a symbol of success and prosperity. But there's no success and prosperity without that grit and determination we mentioned earlier. And in a pride of lions, it's the lionesses who lift the pack and support each other to thrive amid adversity.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again - sisterhood works. Don't just take our word for it. Take it from these female founders who have been there, done that, and got the t-shirt.

Introducing five women from the latest USA HSBC ROAR cohort - CEO & Head of Strategy at Chykalophia Ari Krzyzek, Founder and CEO/Chief Scientist of HAPPYBOND Anja Skodda, CEO of Universal Write Publications Dr Ayo Sekai, Co-Founder and President of ViTel Health Brittany Busse, and Executive Producer for Biz Kid$ Jeannine Glista.

Co-Founder and President of ViTel, Brittany Busse

How does it feel to know there's a cohort of female founders in your region who know exactly how you feel and what you're going through?

Ari: There is something exciting and relatable about it. I feel a little out of touch with other female founders in my region, and digital events got me really overwhelmed during the pandemic. But now that things have slowly changed this year, I am also reconnecting with people in my network, and it feels really good to know that there's a cohort of female founders in my area who can also relate to my struggles. Whether it's managing our businesses and teaching our children during the lockdown or looking for the best talent to hire as our businesses grow. It made me feel hopeful knowing that I'm not alone in this journey and most importantly we have each other to share ideas or even offer support.

Anja: I feel extremely fortunate to be part of a female founders cohort, it is such an amazing opportunity to connect with like-minded founders that are facing the exact same challenges and obstacles that are specific to women in business. I have been part of a mixed Cohort before, with only 2 female founders and it was very obvious that we face very different problems than our male counterparts. It is refreshing to speak and connect with all these amazing female founders and share our stories, successes and failures.

Ayo: As a female founder, there are so many unique challenges that we face in addition to the normal scope of business. We're women, with sensitivities and proclivities that get taken in the boardroom, the classroom and into the space of our everyday lives. We never stop. The HSBC ROAR programme is extremely invaluable. The ladies in the cohort are like sisters from different parents, cultures, geographic regions and industries, yet we are all suffering the same systematic gender prejudices, the same misogynistic hierarchy in acceleration opportunities, and then getting past the gatekeepers, who are mostly men, who still carry unrealistic ideologies about a woman's abilities and limitations, can be exhausting. So, bonding together in this way, to teach each other is refreshing. This is not a place of competition. This is a place of growth and balance. It's a place where we understand, like mothers, that you can love all your children differently and never love anyone of them any less than the other. That's the beauty and power of the HSBC ROAR programme.

Brittany: Honestly, it feels energizing to be around so many women making a difference in so many ways. As women, we are so conditioned to feel competitive with other women and we live deeply in lack mentality. I have been around many women who would tear me down just to get ahead. Communities like AllBright are changing that narrative to one where we can talk about abundance and learn how to win together.

Jeannine: I feel empowered by the amazing women I've met in the program, who understand the struggles of the entrepreneur's journey, and who are supportive of each other. Scaling a business is hard work and it's meant a lot to get a boost of encouragement from fellow female founders.

Executive Producer for Biz Kid$, Jeannine Glista

What goals are you hoping to achieve in both a business and personal sense with the help of the HSBC ROAR programme?

Ari: Network access is gold. I believe that your network is your net worth, and sometimes you don't know who in your network will open doors to opportunities for you. Through the HSBC ROAR programme, not only I'm hoping to gain new female founder allies, I also want to help by sharing their stories with others, offering connections, intros to potential leads, and mutual support for us to grow together.

Anja: I've been an AllBright member since 2019 and used to visit the LA location - it was basically my second home. The power of the community I felt with those members was fascinating and helped me feel strong and invincible. I hope personally we will create the same kind of community and can support each other. Professionally, I believe on one side, getting to learn from great mentors and speakers in different subjects is very helpful and having the option from HSBC for a personal financial session is a great opportunity as well. I strongly hope all the participants will also help each other and support each other's businesses. It always takes a village.

Ayo: When I learned I was accepted as part of the 2022 HSBC ROAR programme, my heart rejoiced. I knew that this would be a space where I would learn to network with mentors and gain invaluable insight on not just what to do but how to do it. All of our skills as women come into play in the boardroom, including our femininity, our voice, or our ability to walk into a room and stop it, and then navigating how to leverage all of that with our intense passion and fiery talents that rival so many. I get to hear how these other ladies have done it successfully. I specifically am excited to meet the angel investors, pitch my business plan and mission and hope to gain more financial strategies and funds to gain sustainability.

Brittany: When I first applied to HSBC ROAR, I was just excited to meet Adrianna Samienga from Female Founders Fund and to hear her perspective on funding female entrepreneurs in health tech. Over the course of the program, however, I have gotten so much out of each of the masterclasses and from listening to the questions and perspectives of my fellow founders. The connecting masterclass with Lisa Skeete Tatum was a real gem! I have already seen it three times and taken extensive notes. I have also been a person who shied away from close female friendships and was afraid of rejection. Lisa reminded me that the people in my life want to see me succeed and love to help when asked.

Jeannine: I'm hoping to build a roadmap for the next phase of our business, to find funding for execution of that roadmap, and to level up my skillset as a business leader, through the help of the HSBC ROAR program.

Founder and CEO/Chief Scientist of HAPPYBOND, Anja Skodda

35% of female founders have experienced gender bias when raising capital. What has been your biggest barrier to accessing capital as a female entrepreneur so far?

Ari: Not having the right knowledge, preparation, and practice, as well as the right connections to networks with capital opportunities. Although things are shifting to a more positive outcome with resources like the HSBC ROAR programme, I still believe that more women should participate more in accelerator-like programs so they can prepare themselves and practice their pitches that will help get them one step closer to their access to capital.

Anja: It has been a very long, challenging journey, not only from a capitalisation point of view but also mentally. As a foreign female founder, I could not tap into a network of people that would connect me to angel investors or VCs. It was a struggle building those connections as most of them are male and there is little to no understanding for female founders. There is always gender bias, and I was surprised how often I got asked how I am going to manage to work with a family. The constant rejection is mentally much harder for women, as we are not boosted from birth to be the big CEO, I honestly hope this is changing and I am glad I can be one of the role models for my daughter, as this was one thing I was missing in my early career. I started as a scientist and being an entrepreneur was not expected of me. I would have loved to look up to the role models that we see these days, so many amazing women running the most successful businesses. I believe raising capital is the most challenging part for female founders and I am hoping there will be more investors like our lead that support women in business tremendously.

Ayo: It's the elephant in the room! Because in addition to being a woman, I am a Black woman. In addition to being a Black woman, I am an immigrant, from Jamaica West Indies, with an accent that is undeniable. So, all the roadblocks that my sister founders face, I am met with even more consistently. It can be daunting, not being able to hide my skin or my voice, or my lithe that betray who I am. Becoming a doctor, social scientist, Ph.D. researcher was no different, but as women, we are multitaskers. I have learned that the very things that may seem like a barrier can be my asset. The concept of business bartering with other founders and entrepreneurs who have something I don't, by giving them something in return has been powerful. Like the women founders who do apps, social media branding, or international networking. These are tradeable skills. But again, we all need funds, so we must network and find women founders who are willing to invest in other women founders, so we continue the mission of the HSBC ROAR programme.

Brittany: In truth, my biggest barrier in raising capital is myself. I have a horrible case of imposter syndrome and I always feel intimidated to start things that I don't feel like an expert in. As a physician I not only have never raised capital before, but I have absolutely no training in building or running a business - and that is OK! I am learning every day and I have great people in my corner including an incredibly experienced co-founder to help teach me the things that I did not know before. I just need to get out there, be authentic, and let my passion for helping and healing be what shines. I don't need every investor to say yes, I just need the right investor for me to say yes. (I know you are out there and, if you are reading this, say yes!)

Jeannine: Our business is a little unusual - we started as a PBS series and have expanded to become a brand that sells digital media products. So the skillsets and resources required to be successful in our second phase are quite different. My biggest barrier so far has been identifying the right type of capital suitable for transitioning our business to the second phase, and then getting access (introductions!) to that capital.

CEO & Head of Strategy at Chykalophia, Ari Krzyzek

In a pride of lions, the lionesses lift the pack and support each other to thrive amid adversity. What women have inspired, supported, and lit the way for you on your entrepreneurial journey?

Ari: I have a long list of amazing women in my network who have and are still supporting me in my journey. To name a few, Emily Lonigro, President of LimeRed Studio, Alicia Driskill, Founder & CEO of EvolveHer Media, and many more. I wouldn't be where I am today without them. In return for their support, guidance, and mentorship, I also spend a portion of my time mentoring young girls, aspiring women entrepreneurs, and individuals looking to break into design and technology.

Anja: I am fortunate to have met some amazing women along my journey on a personal and business level to support me, listen and really help. One of my advisers and now close friend is Kendra Bracken-Ferguson, she never hesitated to help me in any way she could, opened doors, stood by my site so I could learn how to handle celebrity partnerships and became a friend along the way. I am extremely proud as she is more successful than ever! Tami Holzman is another woman that is always there and does not hesitate to call anyone in her network to connect or boost me and my company wherever possible. There are many more!

But despite those very close experiences, I also got inspired by amazing female founders like Anne Wojcicki and Sara Blakely, those stories empower all of us! Shelley Zalis with The Female Quotient opened my eyes early on, that there is a place, a community where I feel at home, where we discuss everything, and I am equal. We need to all lift each other independent of gender, race or beliefs.

As I work with dogs and for dogs to help them live a better life, I look to them as inspiration, they do not judge on size, gender, colour, race or religion, it is all about the energy.

Ayo: This is such a powerful question and rightfully so. As in many of the masterclass mentoring sessions, the women exemplars have always been warm, inviting and willing to reach out, network and support us. I have loved every single one of their presentations and learned something every time. I have also found that I have been blessed to have mentors in my life, like my daughter, who is incredibly brilliant, driven and successful in her own space. Learning that even children have a way of teaching us things we may have forgotten or showing a new way of thinking. In the past year, one of my great woman founder connectors has been Sara Miller McCune, the founder of SAGE Publishing. She founded this social science publishing company in the 50s when women were still burning bras for equal rights, feminist culture was on the rise. She broke into a man's world to become the fourth largest global social science publishing company today. Her impact has been far-reaching and impactful into perpetuity. She is my industry inspirer. And then Oprah - I feel her life story resonates closely with mine. Though we took different paths, and are in different industries, I am inherently connected to her struggles as a Black woman in a male-dominated industry and her ability to survive, thrive and be resilient. For so many reasons, I count myself lucky to have found and become part of the 2022 HSBC ROAR programme.

Brittany: I'm inspired by so many women blazing trails in health tech: Kate Ryder (Maven), Krista Berlincourt (Kensho), Robin Berzin MD (Parsley Health), and Carolyn Witte (Tia), and I'm sure I could list about 20-30 more. These women are creating something we have never seen before in mainstream healthcare - whole person-focused health - and I would count myself blessed to ever be in their company. In my personal life, I have been blessed to be surrounded by female entrepreneurs in all arenas, including my good friend Morgan Cameron (Enlightened Beauty) and my personal inspiration and one of the first people to see great potential in me Tawnia Knox Folmann, CEO of 8Dio.

Jeannine: I've been really supported by a handful of female friends who are also entrepreneurs. They understand and can identify with the entrepreneurial struggle. I'm also really, really inspired by Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx. I love her vibe, her leadership style, and how much she has given back to her employees and community, all while becoming a billionaire. Not a millionaire... a billionaire.

CEO of Universal Write Publications, Dr Ayo Sekai

Ready to embrace your inner lioness? The next HSBC ROAR cohort starts in September.

Yes, you read that right. After the roaring success of the first programme, HSBC ROAR is back for round two this year. So, apply today to follow in the footsteps of these five fierce female founders who supercharged their success through the programme's invaluable lessons, unrivalled connections, and exceptional opportunities that entrepreneurs can't find elsewhere.

Still need convincing? get a glimpse of what the programme can do for you and your business by watching the live recordings of these masterclasses and listening to these podcasts. Don't say we don't spoil you.