Program speakers

Samar McHeleigh

Co-CEO – Scale Investors

Samar is the current co-CEO at Scale Investors after joining the business in early 2019. Scale Investors vision is one where gender does not limit access to capital; the angel syndicate has invested in 46 women-led startups since its inception in 2013.

Samar has over 15 years of financial services experience, having worked across a range of executive roles at JBWere. Samar has also worked in London for a hedge fund publication and started her career in logistics, exporting scrap metal to S.E. Asia.

Samar is an active participant in the Australian early stage ecosystem and was part of the first 100 women’s Startmate Fellowship in Spring 2020 and numerous groups focused on women in early-stage investing. Samar is passionate about closing the investment gender funding gap and believes this will be achieved through awareness, education and systems change.

Until January 2021, Samar volunteered for five years at YWCA Australia, a non-profit young women’s leadership and housing organisation, on the board and finance committee. Samar currently volunteers on the finance and investment committee for inTouch, a family violence service working with migrant and refugee women and their communities.