FinTech North launches OWLworks: a new inclusive business support programme for underrepresented entrepreneurs and professionals in Leeds and West Yorkshire
FinTech North is delighted to announce the launch of OWLworks (Opportunities With Leadership), a targeted programme designed to empower underrepresented entrepreneurs and early-stage professionals in FinTech and its adjacent sectors.
OWLworks is being delivered by FinTech North and is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF.) In West Yorkshire, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority leads the implementation of the Fund as part of the Mayor’s ambition to make West Yorkshire the best place to work, learn and live.
You can read more about this and other initiatives in the Leeds City Council press release here.
Taking flight in Leeds – and inspired by the city’s civic symbol, the owl – OWLworks represents wisdom, confidence, and connection. The initiative aims to create a more inclusive, supportive, and resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem across the North.
Building on the success of our Pitch & Present Masterclass (funded through Innovation@Leeds, which achieved a Net Promoter Score of 100), OWLworks takes the next step: expanding into a deeper, relationship-led model of mentoring, peer learning, and business and leadership development.
What OWLworks will deliver
The programme will provide tailored support for aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs, as well as professionals exploring entrepreneurship or growing as leaders within their organisations. Activities will include:
- Targeted mentor-mentee matching in specialist areas such as funding, scaling, leadership, public speaking. This could include advice around tax, marketing, sales, community building, hiring, company culture, upskilling, reskilling and more.
- Development of a digital mentor archive with future potential for video knowledge-sharing.
- Delivery of practical high-impact workshops, networking events, roundtables focused on confidence, communication and strategy in an interactive peer to peer setting.
- ‘Meet the experts’ quickfire Q&A sessions, co-hosted with Bruntwood SciTech.
- Creation of bespoke support materials including progress trackers, spotlight boards, and a curated resource hub.
By combining mentorship, peer support, and visibility, OWLworks addresses barriers to business support that many underrepresented founders and professionals face.
Why OWLworks matters
Research continues to highlight structural barriers within FinTech and professional services. For example:
- 87% of early-stage investment goes to all-male teams.
- Just 12% of FinTech founders are women, and less than 1% of VC funding reaches Black founders.
- Only 21% of senior leaders in financial services come from working-class backgrounds, despite representing almost 40% of the UK population.
By focusing on inclusion and social mobility, OWLworks creates opportunities for those who may not have benefited from professional networks, both formally and informally. The programme will strengthen Leeds’ innovation ecosystem while positioning the city as a hub for inclusion-led growth.
Collaborative and sustainable impact
OWLworks has been designed in collaboration with trusted community partners, ensuring fairness and inclusivity in recruitment and delivery. It will remain free and accessible for participants thanks to grant funding, and in the longer term will form part of FinTech North’s broader skills and talent development strategy – supported by sponsorship and strategic partnerships.
The FinTech North community has always been known for its supportive and collaborative spirit, with a genuine desire to share knowledge and strengthen the community around them. OWLworks builds on this, providing a structured platform for those who want to give back and make a tangible difference in the next generation of entrepreneurs.
How can I get involved?
A call out for mentors
While mentees will be Leeds-based, we’re calling on mentors from across the North to get involved. Your experience and insight can make a lasting impact – whether you’re a founder, leader, or specialist with knowledge to share. By joining the OWLworks mentor network, you’ll help shape an inclusive, dynamic, and thriving FinTech ecosystem across the North of England.
A call out for mentees
We’re looking for aspiring entrepreneurs, early-stage founders, and professionals in Leeds and the wider region who want to grow their confidence as future leaders and accelerate their professional development with the support of senior mentors and the local business community.
We ask that all applicants share a short summary of their background and what they’re looking to achieve out of the programme. Second stage applicants will be invited to take part in a short ten-minute interview.
For any questions, expressions of interest in participation as a mentee, mentor or coach, or for sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to use at info@fintechnorth.uk.
