Interview: Propelle founder Ayesha Ofori on her quest to make investing accessible for women

Ayesha Ofori is on a mission: to close the gender wealth gap in Britain. A former executive director at Goldman Sachs, she discovered the stark lack of opportunities or resources for women wanting to get into investing. So Ayesha Ofori created Propelle, a financial education and investment platform designed specifically for women.

Through partnerships with Google and McKinsey, Propelle has supported more than 300 women, and a recent agreement with Click extends financial education to 30,000 users — most of them women. Propelle’s impact is clear: 50% of users engage with education first, while the other 50% move straight into investing — proving that confidence, not capability, has been the key obstacle for women.

Ayesha’s work is reshaping how women approach wealth, inspiring them to take control of their financial futures. Her work has not gone unnoticed, either. She is one of the many incredible women shortlisted for the 2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Awards.

Here, Ayesha Ofori tells us about the journey to launching Propelle, being nominated for the Bold Woman Awards and the challenges of being a female founder in the investment space.You are the founder and CEO of Propelle. Can you talk a little bit about what it does?
Propelle is the UK’s first financial education and investment platform designed specifically for women (but open to all). We help women build confidence with their money and investing through bitesize, jargon-free learning and we guide them through how to invest in a way that works for them. Community is also a big part of what we do. We give women a safe space where they can have open and honest money conversations. It’s all about financial empowerment, because money shouldn’t feel intimidating, exclusive or off-limits. Women deserve access to the same wealth-building tools, but presented in a way that speaks to them, to their lives and priorities.

What made you want to start this company?
I spent over a decade working in banking, including as an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs, managing the wealth of ultra-high-net-worth individuals. But the majority of my clients were incredibly wealthy white men. I’d go from talking about millions at work to seeing how many of my brilliant, capable female friends didn’t feel confident managing their own finances. I realised I was helping the rich get richer, and I wasn’t truly helping the people who needed it most. That was my lightbulb moment. I wanted to build something meaningful, something that gave women the knowledge, confidence and access to grow their own wealth.

As the UK’s only female-focused investment platform, Propelle taps into a very isolated and often neglected market. Why was making it women-centric so important to you?
Because the financial industry wasn’t built with women in mind. It’s full of jargon, male-centric marketing and assumptions that just don’t resonate with how women think about money and investing. It’s not surprising when you think about it. Most of the investment platforms have been built by men. I don’t think they deliberately set out to exclude women, but I don’t think they considered that women might have specific needs that needed to be included. I think they just assumed as it works for them it works for everyone. But the data tells us otherwise. Women are not investing anywhere near the levels they need to. Interestingly the data also shows that when women do invest, they often outperform men. So the issue isn’t capability, it’s accessibility and confidence. I wanted Propelle to be a space where women felt seen, supported and empowered to take action. It’s not about dumbing things down, it’s about creating a platform that genuinely understands its audience.In your opinion, why is it so important for women to be financially savvy and take control of their finances in this manner?
Financial independence is life-changing. When a woman has control over her finances, she has more freedom, more choices and more power — whether that’s in her career, relationships or personal goals. Too often, women are taught to be careful with money, not to grow it. We’re told to budget and save, but not to invest. That mindset needs to change. Understanding how to make your money work for you is one of the most empowering things a woman can do and it has a ripple effect across families, communities, and society at large.

How does it feel to be shortlisted for the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award?
Honestly, it’s a huge honour. I’ve admired this award for years and never imagined I’d be among the nominees. I didn’t build Propelle for recognition, I built it because I saw a need. But to be recognised for that work, especially among such an inspiring group of women, feels incredibly validating. It also reminds me that boldness doesn’t always come from loud gestures, sometimes it’s quietly building something that changes lives.As a female founder, what are the challenges — if any — you’ve faced in your career so far?
Fundraising has been one of the biggest challenges. I knew the stats (that less than 2% of VC funding goes to women, and even less to Black women) but I still thought my background would count for something. I have a Master’s in Physics, an MBA from London Business School, and over a decade in banking, including wealth management experience. But the process was still incredibly tough. I’ve had to be incredibly resourceful. But maybe that’s part of what’s made Propelle work, we’ve been scrappy, smart, and focused on what actually matters.

What’s next for you and Propelle?
We’re focused on scaling our impact. The Propelle app is live and growing, with thousands of women already using it, investing and building financial confidence, but we want to reach even more. We’re launching new tools and features, doing more events, and expanding our community. Personally, I’m also driven to keep breaking down the taboos around women and money. I want money conversations to feel normal, inclusive and even joyful.

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