Mentorship and diversity in the cycle industry in CIN’s latest podcast

The new Cycling Industry News Podcast examines the new Uplift female mentorship programme for the bike trade, and speaks with female leaders for their take on diversity in the industry.

CIN Podcast Host Sean Lalley interviewed Uplift founder Rachael Burnside as well as two Uplift mentees Kate Veronneau, Director of Women’s Strategy, Zwift and Nikki Hawes, former Country Leader UK, Cannondale.

The discussion covers the recent staggeringly negative findings from the Bicycle Association’s Diversity Report, how to help the next generation come up through the cycling industry and bringing new perspectives to the bike trade – and how mentorship and diversity can be hugely positive forces for the sector.

This Podcast, following up the focus on Uplift at Rouleur Live, sees Uplift founder Rachael Burnside explain the thinking behind the programme, which was designed to match up experienced female leaders and set them up with the next generation coming up through the cycling industry, ultimately building up their confidence through the connection of mentors.

Burnside adds how giving women access to this exceptional network of successful businesswomen will help them develop, build confidence and have a voice. When the programme initially launched, the applications kept rolling in, proving there is a lot of women looking for mentorship in the trade.

In the discussion, Kate Veronneau says: “As I went through my career I came to realise that being a woman was one of my strengths and what I could offer to an industry that was pretty stuck in its ways and myopic, so I am really excited to help women discover their strengths and their super powers and how that is going to make their role more impactful, and how it’s going to serve the business that they are in. I am excited for them to know things that I did not know at that time, that is going to help them discover how much they can get out of this industry and how much the can put into it.”

Nikki Hawes adds: “Kate said about a different perspective – I think the problem we face at the moment is that when you go into a meeting room and a leadership team, everyone looks the same. Whilst they might not have exactly the same opinions, they will be more similar than if you had a more diverse leadership team. That doesn’t necessarily mean diverse with just women, but any marginalised groups being represented.

“Football is a great example of how it is possible to broaden appeal. Brands that operate in that space have suddenly got this chance to grow their business. And I think that businesses operating in the cycle industry who want to grow should think that there is a whole customer segment that we aren’t reaching, that aren’t currently participating as much, where the potential isn’t being fulfilled. If we start talking to these customers groups then there is huge growth potential for our industry.”

You can find out more about the Uplift mentorship programme online.