Raising Visibility - From CIO to Angel Investor: Laura Meyer on Female Founders, AI, and the Future of Work

How AI is Revolutionising Startups & Why Female Founders Get Just 2% of FundingThis week on Raise Your Visibility Online, host Louise Brogan sits down with Laura Meyer, former CIO at HarperCollins UK and Turner Broadcasting, now an angel investor championing female founders through Angel Academy.After 27 years in corporate leadership, Laura made the leap to angel investing and hasn't looked back. In this fascinating conversation, she shares why AI might be the great equaliser for entrepreneurs, how it's transforming business at unprecedented speed, and what founders really need to know before seeking investment.This episode is essential listening if you're:Considering starting your own businessWondering how AI will impact your careerA female founder seeking investment guidanceCurious about the angel investment worldConcerned about the future of work🎧 Episode HighlightsThe Shocking Funding GapOnly 2% of venture capital funding goes to all-female founded companies, whilst approximately 80% goes to all-male teams. Laura explains why this disparity persists and how organisations like Angel Academy are working to change it.AI: The Game-Changer for Startups"Previously you might have needed a bookkeeper, someone to help with marketing, someone to write posts. Now you can do a lot of that through AI tools. The entry level for cost has come down, making it more accessible for more people—and more women."The 47% Benchmark That Changes EverythingRecent research (GDP Value project) found that AI output was valued at 47%—meaning AI outperformed human experts nearly half the time. And that's right now. Laura asks: "Imagine what it's going to be in another three months, another six months?"From Five Days to 30 MinutesLaura shares real examples of deep research projects that would normally take five days and require hiring a contractor, now being completed in 30 minutes with well-crafted AI prompts—at PhD level quality.The One Question Every Founder Must Answer"What problem am I solving and will people PAY for it? Because if they're not, there's no point."🔑 Key TakeawaysOn Starting a Business:Bootstrap first—test your idea as a side hustle before leaving your jobQuestion rigorously whether people will actually pay for your solutionTeam matters as much as the idea when seeking investmentIf bootstrapping doesn't work, you can pivot or try again with minimal lossOn AI Transformation:AI is replacing Google for information searchesIt will evolve into a complete operating system integrated with everything"Work slop" (unedited AI outputs) is creating new corporate problemsThe responsibility to upskill lies with each individualFree resources exist (OpenAI Academy) for learningCompanies must treat AI as a fundamental change management projectOn Angel Investment:Investment isn't the right path for every businessInvestors back teams, not just ideasExpect it to take at least 10 years for most startupsDue diligence is rigorous—your competition, IP, and market will be thoroughly examinedAngel investors only get returns if there's an exitOn the Future of Work:Graduate unemployment is around 30%Some jobs will disappear or reduce significantlyUniversal basic income is discussed but no real solutions are being proposedYoung people need education systems that prepare them for an AI-integrated worldWorking together and learning AI as teams is crucial💡 Practical Tips SharedTest your business idea: Ask people in your network if they'd actually pay for what you're proposingUse AI for research: Try ChatGPT or similar tools for deep research projects instead of traditional searchLearn together: Take on AI projects as a team to upskill collectivelyBe specific with prompts: Tell AI exactly what you want, including reference types and data parametersAlways verify AI outputs: Check facts and references—AI wants to help so much it sometimes fabricates informationFind a co-founder: Building a business is lonely; having someone to share the journey makes it sustainable📊 Fascinating Statistics Mentioned2% of VC funding → all-female founded companies~80% of VC funding → all-male teams47% of AI outputs valued higher than human expert outputs (October 2024)30% graduate unemployment rate36 channels broadcast from Turner Broadcasting's European offices at peak10 years typical timeline for startup success🎯 Quotable MomentsOn structural bias:"If a woman is very strong in her thoughts and what she believes in, it can be seen as being very opinionated. Whereas a man can be seen as having great leadership skills."On AI speed:"Something that wasn't possible a month ago is possible now. The speed of it—I've never seen, I don't think anybody's seen transformation like it."On resilience:"Look, it's fine to have competition. But you've got to think: can somebody bigger come in and say, 'I like what they're doing, I'm just going to do it as well?' And then your business is gone."On upskilling:"The responsibility is yours to learn it and upskill yourself. There's loads of free courses out there that people can access."🔗 Resources & LinksAngel AcademyFounded by Sarah Turner over a decade agoFocus: Supporting female founders with investment and expertiseConnect: Search for Angel Academy on LinkedInOpenAI AcademyFree courses on AI, prompting, and practical applicationsAvailable for individuals, charities, and organisationsLaura MeyerConnect on LinkedIn: Laura MeyerAngel investor focused on female-founded startupsBackground: Former CIO at HarperCollins UK and SVP Technology & Operations at Turner BroadcastingLouise BroganHost: Raise Your Visibility OnlineBased in Carnmoney, Northern IrelandSpecialises in helping businesses raise their visibility onlineLinkedIn: Louise BroganMentioned in Episode:Louise Doyle (previous podcast guest) - Founder of NeedyNotebookLM - AI tool for team knowledge managementThe Rose Review - Report on female entrepreneurship🎙️ About This PodcastRaise Your Visibility Online explores how business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators are building successful careers and companies in the digital age. Host Louise Brogan brings her background in public health, computing, and entrepreneurship to conversations that inspire action and practical change.📅 Episode DetailsEpisode: RYVO Podcast with Laura MeyerHost: Louise BroganGuest: Laura Meyer, Angel InvestorDuration: Approximately 40 minutesTopics: AI transformation, female founders, angel investing, future of work, startup advice💬 Join the ConversationWhat's your experience with AI in business? Are you considering starting your own company? Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Louise Brogan and Laura Meyer.Questions for future episodes? Connect with Louise on LinkedIn.🔔 Subscribe & ReviewIf you found this episode valuable, please subscribe to Raise Your Visibility Online on your favourite podcast platform and leave a review. Your support helps more entrepreneurs and business leaders discover these conversations.Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Your favourite podcast appNext Episode: Check back for more inspiring conversations with business leaders who are shaping the future of work and entrepreneurship.Previous Episode: Louise Doyle, Founder of Needy - discussing her journey to securing...