GEM Director Maria Miller Invited to Downing Street to Celebrate North East Female Founders
GEM is proud to share that our Co-Founder and Director, Maria Miller, was invited to 11 Downing Street by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt. Hon Rachel Reeves MP, for a special reception celebrating the achievements and ambitions of female founders from across the North East.
GEM is proud to share that our Co-Founder and Director, Maria Miller, was invited to 11 Downing Street by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt. Hon Rachel Reeves MP, for a special reception celebrating the achievements and ambitions of female founders from across the North East.Hosted in partnership with Sophie Milliken MBE and City Ladies Networking, the event brought together entrepreneurs, influential leaders, investors, and strategic connectors to shine a national spotlight on the region’s vibrant start‑up and scale‑up ecosystem.
Discussions focused on the vital contribution that female‑led businesses make to economic growth, innovation, and job creation—alongside the practical support required to help more women start, sustain, and scale their ventures.
A Fantastic Opportunity for GEM
The reception offered a great opportunity for GEM and for Maria to celebrate North East female founders and to showcase what we believe is our industry‑leading service across both Recruitment and Training. It also allowed GEM to highlight the importance of:
- Investing in skills development at a regional level
- Championing people‑centred organisational success
- Strengthening North East connections to support growth
- Exploring how government, investors and industry can collaborate to unlock long‑term, sustainable progress
As part of the official event prospectus, Maria shared her thoughts on GEM’s mission and the importance of investing in regional skills:
“People are always the key to an organisation’s success, and that belief sits at the heart of everything we do at GEM. One of our proudest achievements is the ability to build skills at a regional level and reinvest directly into the North East through high‑quality skills delivery.”
“Right now, strengthening our connections across the North East is essential. We work with multiple client partners in the area, but limited ASF funding for skills growth makes collaboration more important than ever. By working together, we can unlock real opportunity and support sustainable skills development across the region.”
Celebrating Regional Talent, Ambition & Impact
We are incredibly proud that Maria was personally invited to be part of this national platform—a recognition of her leadership, her commitment to developing skills across the region, and the impact GEM continues to make within the North East business community. Her involvement reinforces the importance of championing regional talent, investing in people, and continuing to support the growth of female‑led businesses across the region.