Knowledge, Power and the Female Internet with Emma Bates

What do you build when the world around you wasn’t designed with you in mind? For Emma Bates, the answer was Diem - a social search engine and online community where women’s lived experiences are turned into collective knowledge and wisdom. In this week’s episode of the Bountifull Podcast, we sit down with Emma to talk about entrepreneurship, building what you wish existed, the value of asking better questions, and why access to the right information - information that reflects who you are and what you need - can be life-changing.We explore the power of community, information, and lived experience; how to thrive in a world that often isn’t designed for you; and how to build a business and a life on your own terms. For Emma, that’s meant dedicating her work to closing the gender information gap and making the internet a less lonely place for women and marginalised groups.We also talk about what living a bountiful life means to Emma, why she avoids working weekends even while running a high-growth, funded startup, how she thinks about prioritisation, and how she’s working on healthier rhythms. Episode Highlights🔍 Redefining Search – Emma shares the vision behind Diem: a social search engine inspired by how women have exchanged knowledge for generations—through stories, shared experiences, and community.🧠 Information That Reflects You – We explore how access to the right information—information that’s shaped by context, care, and lived experience—can empower better decisions and deeper connection.🌍 Building What You Wish Existed – Emma talks about noticing a gap and turning it into a mission: designing a digital space that feels more human, inclusive, and aligned with everyday life.The Importance of Real-World Search Contexts – Emma shares why traditional search engines often fail to deliver relevant answers, particularly for women’s lived experiences, and how Diem is designed to change that.🤝 Community as a Superpower – From group chat energy to shared wisdom, we look at how Diem creates space for honesty, curiosity, and connection - especially around topics you'll find in a group chat but not on the internet. Advice for Managing Pressure as a Founder – Emma talks about setting boundaries, like not working weekends, and prioritising mental health even while running a fast-paced, venture-backed startup.✨ What Living a Bountiful Life Means to Emma – For Emma, a bountiful life means having the time and space to be present, enjoy what you’re doing, and not feel pulled in a million directions.Guest Bio: Emma Bates is the CEO and co-founder of Diem, a social search engine and platform focused on women and non-binary individuals, aiming to address the gender information gap. She is a marketer and community builder with experience in fast-growing consumer brands and a background in social media, blogging, and community management. Bates is a passionate advocate for gender equity and equality, with a mission to foster real connections and create inclusive online platforms that celebrate women and non-binary people. About the Bountifull Podcast: The Bountifull Podcast explores what it means to live a fulfilling life, one conversation at a time. We have extraordinary guests from diverse backgrounds all contributing to our understanding of what it means to live a bountiful life.