A panel of industry experts will be shortlisting entries for the Women Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition – with the finalists set for a ‘Dragons’ Den’ style presentation on 6 November.
Alison Bradley, Eman Al-Hillawi, Jim Shirley, and Mabs Ali will be judging applications, due to be announced next week.
Jim Shirley is the founder of FundingHero, author of The Startup Fundraising MBA, and a seasoned former CFO with two high-growth exits and over 20 acquisitions to his name.
As the creator of the 6 Pillars of Fundraising framework, Jim has helped thousands of founders become investor-ready through practical guidance.
His CPD-accredited platform, FundingHero, is used by leading universities, councils, and growth hubs across the UK to deliver high-impact support to early-stage businesses.
Jim’s mission is to help ambitious founders avoid costly fundraising mistakes and build compelling financial stories that attract serious investment.
His experience and insight make him a valuable member of the judging panel, offering a sharp eye for scalable ventures and a passion for empowering female entrepreneurs to raise with confidence.
Jim has also gifted free access to FundingHero’s investment readiness platform for the competition’s winner.
He said: “It’s inspiring to see so many talented female founders turning bold ideas into investable ventures again this year.
“The competition continues to go from strength to strength, with a really wide range of sectors from Sustainability, Medtech and Mental Health.
“The quality of submissions this year was exceptional, proving the strength and diversity of innovation across the region.
“I’m proud to support the finalists again this year by providing access to FundingHero’s investment readiness platform to help more women start their fundraising journey with increased confidence and hopefully see more fantastic female founders get funded faster.”
Eman Al-Hillawi was originally a biochemist. She spent the past three decades to develop into an exceptional business and change consultant.
With experience that has been born out of the delivery of multi-million-pound projects and programmes across public and private sectors, she continues to support clients in designing and implementing transformation and change.
As well as loving flying fixed wing aircraft as a private pilot, Eman’s other interests include running, indoor climbing, and drawing and painting with watercolours.
Eman said: "As a female business owner and member of the Chamber Council, I feel honoured to be part of this exciting initiative, which will no doubt create new opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
“I’m thoroughly looking forward to participating as a judge and meeting our region’s current and future female business leaders."
Mabs Ali is a regional strategic partnership manager for RBC Brewin Dolphin, one of the UK’s leading wealth management firms.
The firm offers expert financial planning and investment management services tailored to both complex and straightforward client needs.
With roots dating back to 1762, the firm combines centuries of financial expertise with a modern, relationship-driven approach.
Now part of the Royal Bank of Canada, RBC Brewin Dolphin operates over 30 offices across the UK, Ireland, and the Channel Islands, helping individuals, charities, and institutions protect, grow, and manage their wealth.
Alison Bradley has over 25 years’ experience in helping SMEs to access the finance that they need to grow and develop; working in both the Public and Private sector.
She is the co-founder of Central Business Finance which is the brand name of a group of companies.
The group comprises of Central Business Development Ltd and Central Business Consultancy LLP and specialises in arranging finance transactions for businesses with turnovers typically between £500K to £30M.
The competition is designed to showcase the best of the region’s women-led SMEs and start-ups, while addressing some of their barriers to growth.
