Told by a Teen / Female Founder Stories
Episode 14ex-Wagamama · 14 September 2026
From Psychology Grad to Wagamama CEO: Emma Woods on the 2% Funding Gap
Emma Woodsex-Wagamama
“Of all the venture capital that goes into the UK, 2% goes into female founded businesses.”
Emma Woods, ex-Wagamama
Show notes
What is in this one.
- 00:03Who Emma is
- 02:10Psychology, and a career nobody planned
- 05:23What advertising actually does
- 09:45Working with female founders
- 14:09Why most businesses fail
- 15:24Start with something you actually care about
- 17:57Women and money
- 18:53The conversation she wishes women would have
- 21:53Just use AI
- 23:16Why computer science should be compulsory
- 26:53Did becoming a mother change how she leads?
- 30:44What the best founders have in common
- 31:53Knowing what you want, with social media in the way
- 33:12What does success mean to you?
What I took from it
Whatever you put into the business, you’re going to get out of it.
- Whatever you put into the business is what you get out. No shortcut in there.
- Failure isn’t the opposite of the plan. Two in every three don’t work.
- AI moved the tools. It didn’t move the idea, and you still need one.
From this episode
The lines worth keeping.
About the guest
Emma Woods
Chair and board director, and former CEO of Wagamama. Previously at Pizza Express, Merlin Entertainments and Unilever in Latin America. Now mentors and backs female founders as they grow and scale.
