Businesses Need to Invest in Future Female Leaders Before They Enter the Workplace, Says Leading Charity BelEve

Having supported more than 30,000 girls and young women, London charity BelEve is calling on businesses to rethink how early investment in female leadership should begin.

When it comes to improving female representation in leadership, much of the conversation focuses on what happens once women enter the workplace. But a London charity is challenging businesses to think much earlier.

BelEve, a girls’ social mobility charity founded by three sisters in 2012, believes the foundations of female leadership are established long before a young woman begins her career.

Having now supported more than 30,000 girls and young women, the organisation is calling for greater investment in the confidence, skills, networks and opportunities available to girls throughout their formative years.

Founded by sisters Marsha, Chyloe and Rochelle Powell following the death of their mother, Delores Diana Hay, BelEve was created to give girls access to the same positive female role models, encouragement and self-belief that shaped their own lives.

Fourteen years later, the charity has delivered 18,758 workshops and sessions, provided 1,320 girls with mentoring and guidance, and reports that 91% of girls feel positive about their future.

Working across London, including Lewisham, Bromley, Greenwich and Southwark, BelEve supports girls and young women aged 8 to 22 through mentoring, leadership development, school programmes, work experience and career insight.

Its approach is built on the understanding that ambition and ability are not limited by background, but access to opportunity and professional networks often is.

Marsha Powell, Co-Founder and CEO of BelEve, said:

“If businesses are serious about future leadership, social mobility and gender equity, they cannot wait until girls reach the workplace. The foundations are built much earlier.”

Rather than focusing solely on preparing young women for existing opportunities, BelEve works to ensure they have the confidence, support and connections to recognise and pursue them.

The charity has collaborated with organisations including Artemis Investment Management, Kerv, Meta, Untold Studios and the Fast Stream Gender Equality Network, offering girls valuable exposure to workplaces, professional role models and different career paths.

These experiences can be especially important for those whose personal networks may not otherwise provide access to senior professionals or particular industries.

Chyloe Powell, Co-Founder and CFO, explained:

“Girls need more than a moment of inspiration. They need guidance, exposure, mentoring, real-world experiences and people who believe in them before the world asks them to prove themselves.”

BelEve is now inviting more businesses, schools, funders and mentors to help expand its work, highlighting the role employers can play in developing the next generation of female leaders.

Its message to the business community is clear: meaningful progress towards gender equity requires more than supporting women once they enter employment. It means investing in the opportunities, relationships and experiences that shape their futures long before their first job.

For businesses thinking seriously about tomorrow’s leadership pipeline, BelEve believes the work must begin today.

The Short Version

• BelEve is a London charity that has supported over 30,000 girls and young women to improve female representation in leadership.
• The charity was founded in 2012 by three sisters, Marsha, Chyloe, and Rochelle Powell, in memory of their mother to provide positive role models for girls.
• BelEve has delivered 18,758 workshops and provided mentoring to 1,320 girls, with 91% reporting feeling positive about their future.
• The organization emphasizes that early investment in confidence, skills, networks, and opportunities is crucial for the development of female leadership.
• BelEve collaborates with companies like Meta and Artemis Investment Management to offer girls access to workplaces and professional role models.
• The charity urges businesses to support girls long before they enter the workforce to foster future female leaders.