The Purse Podcast

#156: Women, economics & power: challenging history's myths with Dr Victoria Bateman

Dr Victoria Bateman is an economic historian whose latest book is Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power. Victoria has twenty years’ experience teaching macroeconomics and economic history at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and has spoken extensively on radio and television, including as resident economic historian for BBC Radio 4’s “Understand: The Economy". In her spare time, Victoria also works as a historical consultant for period dramas, including The Forsytes (which is currently airing in the UK and comes to PBS America in 2026). We covering the following: 00:11 Meet Dr. Victoria Bateman 02:20 Victoria's journey to feminist economics 05:08 The myth of male-dominated economic history 07:22 Women in economic history: key figures and contributions 10:11 The impact of excluding women from economic narratives 20:12 Historical examples of women in finance 26:26 Non-Western female economic pioneers 32:51 Modern financial systems and women 38:31 The backlash against women's economic progress 50:34 The importance of rewriting economic history 51:55 Final thoughts ***

#155: Mismanaged decline, economic shifts, and UK's future resilience with Vicky Pryce

Vicky Pryce is Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Visiting Professor at King's College London. She was previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and Joint head of the UK Government Economic Service. Vicky has held senior roles across the private sector, including senior managing director at FTI consulting, Partner and Chief Economist at KPMG, and Partner at London Economics, following earlier positions in banking and the energy sector. She's also co-founder of Good Cooperation, a frequent media commentator, and the author of many books, including Women versus Capitalism. Her latest book, Mismanaged Decline, co-authored with Andy Ross, will be published by Biteback in November of 2025. We cover the following: 01:16 Discussing 'Mismanaged Decline' 02:51 The UK's economic challenges 04:41 Policy missteps and industrial decline 07:09 Service sector and underinvestment 11:15 Industrial strategy and government role 16:26 Impact of Brexit and COVID 25:04 Honesty in economic policy 32:25 Regulatory developments in the UK and Europe 33:58 The role of UK leadership in crypto adoption 34:45 Concerns about crypto and global positioning 37:09 The politics of economic growth 39:20 Challenges in economic policy communication 50:11 The importance of gender inclusion in economic strategy 56:57 The need for long-term industrial strategy 01:00:12 Final thoughts on building a resilient economy ***

#154: Women-led VC, women's health innovation and global investing with Trish Costello

Trish Costello is the Founder and CEO of Portfolia, a micro venture capital firm and investing community built to activate women's capital. Portfolia launches thematic funds designed by and for women from women's health to FinTech and sustainability, engaging accredited investors who seek both strong returns and meaningful impact. Trish previously co-founded the Kauffman Fellows Program in 1994 where she created the first training programme for venture capital partners. And helps launch a new generation of investors. We cover the following: 00:11 Meet Trish Costello: Founder of Portfolia 00:53 The birth of Portfolia: a new venture model 06:11 Portfolia's growth and achievements 07:22 Pioneering women's health investments 10:15 The impact and future of women's health innovation 14:07 The role of research and AI in women's health 22:41 Gameto: revolutionising fertility and longevity 28:48 Empowering women investors 29:22 Investment accessibility and inclusivity 30:18 Understanding venture capital returns 31:24 Innovative approach to venture funds 32:16 Engaging with Portfolio companies 35:37 Sourcing and evaluating deals 38:25 Collaborating with other funds 44:26 Scaling women's participation in VC 51:33 Future vision for Portfolia. ****

#153: UK Economy, business sentiment, AI & productivity, tariffs and investment slowdown with Vicky Pryce

Vicky Pryce is Chief Economic Advisor at the Centre for Economics and Business Research and Visiting Professor at King's College London. She was previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and Joint head of the UK Government Economic Service. Vicky has held senior roles across the private sector, including senior managing director at FTI consulting, Partner and Chief Economist at KPMG, and Partner at London Economics, following earlier positions in banking and the energy sector. She's also co-founder of Good Cooperation, a frequent media commentator, and the author of many books, including Women versus Capitalism. Her latest book, Mismanaged Decline, co-authored with Andy Ross, will be published by Biteback in November of 2025. We cover the following: 01:15 Current state of the UK economy 02:28 Business confidence and investment 06:17 Employment trends and challenges 13:29 Impact of AI on productivity 19:57 Inflation and monetary policy 22:41 Domestic price issues in the UK 23:06 Energy costs and market structure 25:42 Trade, global headwinds, and tariffs 30:06 Pensions for growth 32:42 Autumn budget concerns 39:42 Risks and hopes for the UK economy. ***

#152: Building Scotland's innovation economy and female-focused initiatives with Derek Shaw and Alison Loveday

Derek Shaw is Director of Entrepreneurship and Investment, where he leads the teams supporting Scotland's spinouts, startups, and scaling companies with wrap-around support and commercial investment. Under his leadership, Scottish Enterprise co-invests more than £50 million annually, making it Scotland’s most active early-stage investor, and the UK’s fourth largest by volume. The portfolio includes around 330 high growth companies, valued at approximately half a billion pounds. Alison Loveday is part of the extended management team and leads the National High Growth Entrepreneurship team. She focuses on ecosystem development, partnerships, and leadership programs for founders — including Pathways to Scale, a flagship initiative inspired by the 2023 Pathways Report, which supports female founders by upskilling leadership and investment readiness. Together, they're helping to shape Scotland's innovation economy. We cover the following: 00:11  Meet Derek Shaw and Alison Loveday 02:16  Overview of Scottish Enterprise 03:08 Scottish Enterprise's strategic missions 07:03 Supporting ambitious Scottish businesses 12:06  Collaborations and female founders 14:28  Challenges for deep tech companies 20:31  Case Study: ZOEX and Ash Penley 26:04 Working with universities and research centres 28:21  Metrics and measuring success 30:12  Supporting female founders 35:17  Lessons from recent successes 43:27 The future of Scotland's innovation economy. ****