INCLUSIVITY AN ASSET

Far from it.

Tomlinson has conducted research revealing that one in five LGBTQ and trans founders hide their identity from investors, and that over 1-in-10 of UK founders are still denied investment based on their gender, race, or age. And 75 per cent of LGBTQ+ founders admit they feel uncomfortable sharing their identity with others, according to Proud Ventures. Since setting up Tomlinson has proven that being trans, non-binary and LGBTQ inclusive isn’t just kind, it’s lucrative too.

WHEN you look at underrepresented founders as a whole, they’re actually the majority of founders,” says Reece Tomlinson, trans CEO and founder of Saône Capital, an investment firm that has identified a huge gap in the market.

When Tomlinson talks about underrepresented founders, she is talking about those who are not white men. “We need to increase accessibility so these founders can get in front of investment groups with confidence. That is the premise of Saône. Can we change by having representation in the market? My opinion is 1,000 per cent we can.”

Tomlinson founded her investment capital firm a year ago after meeting other trans and non-binary business owners that needed investment but did not feel comfortable speaking up and asking for it from traditional firms. Tomlinson came out as a trans woman a year ago in a move she thought would be “terrifying, I thought it would be career suicide.”

Investment firms are “missing a big opportunity by not necessarily having proper representation from these communities,” says Tomlinson. “People who come from underrepresented backgrounds often have different ideas, which further reduces risk. So it’s my view that it’s a quintessential requirement.”

Saône offers investment, corporate finance, ESG and leadership advisory to help companies scale. Tomlinson puts in over ten years of experience working in the financial industry, and has in her career advised on over $1bn in transactions at RWT Growth.

Saône has built a small portfolio of seven firms, including a hybrid solar and wave company and an e-scooter charging system.

“The best thing I can do is have a lot of success and interaction as a woman in business who happens to be trans. I think people need to see within the trans community people speaking up and being leaders that are relatable and I hope I can be that person."

The “overwhelming” responses from founders is that they tell Tom- linson they “love” Saône’s messaging, that she understands what they’re going through. 64 per cent of the current portfolio is people from minority communities.

“With that being said, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being a white male,” says Tomlinson. “I think some people have this notion that there’s some prejudice or exclusionary principles there. It’s like no, not at all, that goes against what I’m about personally. We just want to make sure that people who are from underrepresented groups get the access to the advisory that they wouldn’t have got elsewhere.”

“We’re living in a time where talent is increasingly hard to find,” surmises Tomlinson. “So if you’re not promoting people who don’t look like you, and encouraging them to come work at the places you lead or run or own, you’re invariably missing out on talent that can help your business.”