Our co-founders
Lifted Ventures was founded by Jordan Dargue and Helen Oldham in 2024.
Known for being the joint leaders of the award-winning NorthInvest angel network and co-founders of the industry-leading Fund Her North and Women Angels of the North, they bring extensive experience from across the early-stage investment ecosystem.
They have a strong track record in building inclusive investment capacity, angel networks, education programmes, and thriving communities.
Helen Oldham
Jordan Dargue
Helen Oldham is a seasoned investor, leader, and advocate for women in business. As Co‑Founder of Lifted Ventures, she works to unlock early‑stage capital for female founders and champion the clear business benefits of backing women.
Helen is a board member of the UK Business Angels Association, a NED, and a consultant with deep experience across investment, leadership and strategy.
Before co‑founding Lifted Ventures, she helped launch the award‑winning NorthInvest and in 2020 founded Fund Her North — bringing together women in VCs and angel investing to give female founders equal access to finance.
Prior to her work in the investment ecosystem, Helen was Managing Director of both The Yorkshire Post and The Scotsman, leading major media businesses.
Known for her strategic insight, commitment to inclusive investment and support for regional SMEs, Helen’s work helps founders grow, scale and secure funding with confidence.
Jordan Dargue is a CEO-level leader, ecosystem strategist and investor focused on reshaping capital markets to support inclusive, innovation-led economic growth. As Co-Founder of Lifted Ventures, she leads work to increase capital flow to high-potential, underrepresented founders while unlocking broader investor participation.
Jordan’s work spans capital formation, investor activation and ecosystem development, with a strong focus on addressing structural imbalances in gender and regional funding. She works across regional, national and global contexts, aligning public and private capital with long-term economic priorities.
She has built and mobilised investment networks, delivered programmes that turn policy into deployable capital, and supported funding into high-growth sectors including health, climate and advanced technologies.
Her approach is systems-led, tackling not just access to capital but the market dynamics that shape investment behaviour, from investor diversity and decision-making to geographic concentration and pipeline development.
Recognised as a thought leader in investment strategy and ecosystem change, Jordan is part of a new generation of leaders redefining capital markets to ensure innovation and opportunity are not limited by geography, background or bias.
Speaking & Events
Jordan and Helen are experienced speakers and are available to deliver keynote talks, host panels and join expert discussions at events across the UK and internationally.
With deep expertise in angel investing, early-stage funding, and building inclusive investment ecosystems, they bring practical insight and real-world experience to every stage.
Drawing on their work with Lifted Ventures, Fund Her North, and Women Angels of the North, as well as their personal investment experiences, they share informed perspectives on the future of investment, supporting female founders, and strengthening regional startup communities.