Paula Skinner

Dechomai is a social enterprise which seeks to empower ethnic minority women with leadership and enterprise skills. It delivers courses, one-to-one advice, and a community for ethnic minority women starting new businesses.

Harper Macleod is supporting the social enterprise’s incubator campaign, Dechomai 100, a programme for 100 ethnic minority female entrepreneurs to start their businesses and receive backing for six months after their initial learning period. It will include a “Business Shower” to celebrate the birth of new businesses, providing vital funding and tools to early-stage businesses.

The firm’s lawyers who specialise in working with entrepreneurs and new businesses have delivered a workshop and follow-up clinic for 10 of Dechomai’s leading members, focusing on the key legal considerations when starting a business including: business structures, founder agreements, accessing finance, employment law, intellectual property, terms and conditions, and data protection.

Harper Macleod partner Paula Skinner leads the all-female team which advises entrepreneurs. At present only one in twenty of the investment deals concluded by her team is for a female-led business.

She believes partnerships with organisations such as Dechomai are an effective way to drive change while supporting the creation of a new generation of diverse and innovative businesses.

She said: “Straightaway we were impressed by the determination and enthusiasm shown by Bayile and the Dechomai team to support ethnic minority female entrepreneurs. The training and practical experience the team provides is vital when starting a business, and we felt we shared a lot of the same values.

“We know that entrepreneurs can sometimes follow their own path, which can be a solitary existence without the type of community support provided by the likes of Dechomai and professional advisors.

“We recognise we are in a privileged position to be able to support and encourage the next generation of diverse business leaders. At the same time, Harper Macleod is a family, where everyone has an important role to play regardless of role or seniority.”

Dechomai was founded by social entrepreneur Bayile Adeoti two years ago. In that time it has supported more than 300 ethnic minority women through workshops, and provided more than 110 hours’ worth of one-to-one coaching.

Ms Adeoti said: “Dechomai 100 is an opportunity for us to provide wrap-around support for 100 ethnic minority women. We believe this type of initiative is something we have not seen before, specifically for ethnic minority female entrepreneurs and therefore addresses the barriers that hold them back.

“We are grateful for our partnership with Harper Macleod who work to assist entrepreneurs, especially female entrepreneurs, and see the need for further work with ethnic minority entrepreneurs. Harper Macleod has previously provided support to entrepreneurs we admire and have cultivated a strong relationship with partners we hope to reach, which has made them the perfect match for Dechomai.”