Maxme: We’re big believers in the power of human skills. But don’t just take our word for it - the evidence for excellence powered by human (‘soft’) skills is everywhere! In this engaging, ever-enlightening series, we speak with industry leaders, innovators and game-changers to learn a little about their personal career journeys, and how human-led strategies, philosophies and cultures are proving a force for good in their working worlds …

Welcome Kate, and thanks for stepping into the #SuccessIsHuman Spotlight.

You’re the Founder & CEO of Equity Hive.  

In 1 sentence (ok, we’ll give you 3), what does your role entail?

Kate Freeman: I work almost exclusively with clients who are female founders, having spent close to a year understanding where the issues lie as it relates to the inequity of capital allocation between genders. It’s safe to say that we all got a bit of a shock in 2022 when it was released that .7% of capital I went to female founders as we had gone backward from 3%.  Equity Hive works in funding strategy, seed raising and growth and expansion.  And other services we can deliver capability based that a business may need that compliments this.  We have some best in breed partners who come onboard too.

I am a mentor for SBE Australia, Techstars and Tech Ready Women which is extremely fulfilling.

I run a small family office with 10 investments and I work closely with a few founders which I enjoy immensely - all boats rise as they say.

And finally, with a team of extremely skilled people, I am raising for a fund that will invest in female founders however we aren’t making a gender play to headline the fund as it’s counter to the equity we are seeking to achieve.  It’s simply about following the smart investments and we have built an offering around it that will attract the best businesses and give increased investor confidence.  More on that in time! And those partners I mentioned are in the mix here as part of our offering.

M: You formally established Equity Hive just a few months ago, but of course have a career far deeper than this! In fact, as your LinkedIn bio would have it, you’re “a female fund founder, corporate/commercial/growth advisor, investor, board member/advisor and advocate for mental health and equity.”

KF: Yes. All true. I work about 60-70 hours a week! I have however just paired back my breadth and taken a less is more approach.  Doing 4 things well is better than 10 things not so well.

M: In terms of how this has manifested, and indeed evolved in roles held, since 1999 you’ve worked in numerous industries & sectors including Agency, Retail, Banking, Commercial Property, Tech, Investor Relations & Capital Raising. Organisations you’ve worked with over the years include J. Walter Thompson Worldwide, Wunderman Thompson UK, Nike, National Australia Bank, Village Building Co., Futrli, Smartpay NZ, Second Sphere Partners, SBE Global and Super Fierce, Techstars & Australian Female Founders Fund just to name a few. Whoa!

KF: Well, it’s certainly evidence that human skills are transferable so it won’t come as a surprise that my ‘superpowers’ those skills. They have enabled me to traverse a number of different roles, across many industries, in multiple countries. I once worked for a sensational woman, who is still a close mentor today, who hired me because she said ‘you have skills that can’t be taught, and they are the secret sauce.’  I had NFI what the job really was but we clicked and in I came…

M: Wowee! How does all this work speak to your personal purpose and what drives you as an individual?

KF: I became captivated by the complete disproportionate allocation of capital between men and women, particularly when statistics around female performance are extraordinary yet overlooked. There are four exceptional studies that have been done in the last 18 months that evidence this. 

A little known fact, I actually am deeply motivated by social justice. I keep much of this to myself because you open yourself up to the house of public opinion here.  I’m also the quintessential book, judge, cover…in my formative years I really went out of my way to prove that wrong however with age comes ‘whatever’ and the proof is in delivery when you get runway to deliver it!

M: Tell us a little about your personal education pathway/s - what led you to where you are now? How closely do your formal qualifications match your current career?

KF: Oh God. I’m the person who had the talking to at the end of Year 11 from my housemaster who said you can either choose to do you well, or you can continue hanging out with the wrong crowd and end up not fulfilling your dream of studying PR at RMIT in Melbourne, which was the only PR course in Australia at that point, and they only took 42 people.

I hid the fact that I studied from everybody because it didn’t suit my rebellious image and ended up finishing in the top 10% of Victorian VCE students that year. I also received an academic award for humanities and I think my parents passed out from shock when they announced my name. LOL.

After six months at RMIT, of which I did get into the course, I found it boring to be frank. I did an internship at Hill and Knowlton during my first year in the mid semester break and they actually offered me a full-time role at the end of this and I finished university at a slightly slower pace because the learning I was getting actually hands-on was far more beneficial for my career.  I am still close to so many of the Hill and Knowlton folk who put up with little 19 year old me!  To be honest, my formal education has little to do with my career other than I know how to find good coffee near RMIT.

M: If you could share one piece of career advice to your 21-year-old self it would be ...

KF: When you get to London, don’t leave after 3 years. Stay. There was more waiting for you. I arrived in London at 22 and landed myself an extremely senior job. I still can’t put my finger on why I left. I often look back and think I should’ve stayed because I felt there was more waiting for me there. 

Having said that, I may not have my two wonderful children if I didn’t come back when I did.

M: Maximising the potential of individuals, communities and businesses through the power of human skills is the reason Maxme exists. Can you tell us a little about the role and / or value of human skills in your workplace or industry right now?

KF: AI and machine learning are bringing efficiencies beyond our imaginations.  But they can’t replace critical skills that enable business success that is so necessary. They can’t read a room. They can’t show empathy. They can’t manage people to get the best out of them. My industry is primarily about relationships, networks and a type of adaptive skill that can’t necessarily be achieved through AI and ML so they’re essential.  Deloitte put out a study citing human skills will be the most in demand by 2030 - unsurprising.

M: Self awareness sets the critical foundation for all Maxme learning experiences. With that said… what’s your strongest trait / personal super power?

KF: In terms of self awareness, I know what I’m good at and what I’m not.  What I am not good at, I bring in an A Player and elevate.  

Relationships, networking, reading people and situations, creating safe spaces for constructive debate and leadership are my strongest business traits. Plus knowing what I’m doing in the areas I’m good at.  The stakes are too high in this industry if you attempt to take on something you cannot execute.

M: And on the flip side, what’s one human / ‘soft’ skill you’ve had to really work on improving over the course of your career?

KF: Actively listening. It got to the point where I became mute at one point (anyone reading this who knows me won’t believe that!) - so now I’m refining the balance.

M: If you could share one piece of career advice with recent Uni graduates or candidates keen to work in a field like Female Founded Startup Advocacy &/or Capital Raising, what would it be?

KF: Find a mentor. We’re all out there looking to help shape the next generation. If you don’t ask, you don’t get!

M: You’ve been granted approval to add one university graduate to your business, but have 100 applicants, all with outstanding academic results. How do you find your perfect candidate - what are you looking for?

KF: The person who is a step ahead of me.  I only look to hire those better than me. I am not threatened by this style of hiring - it's an innate mindset and once you master it you’ll build a dream team.

M: In the words of John Dewey, “education is not preparation for life, education is life itself.” What’s next on your #learning agenda?

KF: Mastering German so I can converse with my fiance fluently.

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