Sherry Coutu CBE

F4S is regarded as the UK’s largest transition to work charity dedicated to helping young people and adults acquire skills that enable them to effectively navigate the future of work.

Since our foundation 11 years ago, Founders4Schools (F4S) has facilitated millions of connections that benefitted more than 660,000 individuals who work at small businesses, teach at schools or are in full-time education.

This at-scale impact has been made possible due to the exceptional efforts… Show more

F4S is regarded as the UK’s largest transition to work charity dedicated to helping young people and adults acquire skills that enable them to effectively navigate the future of work.

Since our foundation 11 years ago, Founders4Schools (F4S) has facilitated millions of connections that benefitted more than 660,000 individuals who work at small businesses, teach at schools or are in full-time education.

This at-scale impact has been made possible due to the exceptional efforts of multiple stakeholders who regard delivering social impact as vital. Investors value it, employees demand it and customers seek businesses that prioritise it.

At F4S, our tech platforms and AI harness the power of our partners to support teachers, students, small businesses, and charities. Through our volunteering programs, we enable partners’ employees to mentor and support others in a manageable and flexible manner.

Tens of thousands of volunteers drawn from thousands of companies participate, sharing their knowledge, expertise, and passion with beneficiaries through one-on-one or small-group interactions. These interactions make a positive impact on their beneficiaries who gain valuable skills and find inspiration from the entrepreneurial spirit of our volunteer base. Our secret sauce is our real-time tracking of impact at an individual and stakeholder level which is accelerated out of our use of AI and technology for good.
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At SVC2UK, we connect the global entrepreneurial community to allow scale-ups to grow exponentially, foster an inclusive and diverse network of entrepreneurs and inspire the next generation of innovators.

In December 2021, The Beacon Collaborative and Big Society Capital came together to lay down the challenge to better understand what holds wealthy individuals and families back from impact investing. I was one of 11 commissioners convened to make recommendations to overcome these barriers to encourage and significantly increase their impact investing.

UNLOCKING PRIVATE ASSETS FOR IMPACT: How to increase the flow of private capital from wealthy individuals and families to impact-led… Show more

In December 2021, The Beacon Collaborative and Big Society Capital came together to lay down the challenge to better understand what holds wealthy individuals and families back from impact investing. I was one of 11 commissioners convened to make recommendations to overcome these barriers to encourage and significantly increase their impact investing.

UNLOCKING PRIVATE ASSETS FOR IMPACT: How to increase the flow of private capital from wealthy individuals and families to impact-led enterprises in the UK

Impact investing is a significant market that is emerging rather than mature. It spans all asset
classes and attracts investors of every category.

High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) and families are important players in the ecosystem, a tour de force when it comes to their own entrepreneurial outlooks and imagination, and with an outsized role in supporting opportunities for social and environmental transformation by impact-led enterprises. They
have the discretionary power to declare impact a priority.

Often acting as the cornerstone of some of the most promising new innovations to address the
pressing challenges of our times, and paving the way for more institutional investment,
we believe it is critical that more HNWI and families are attracted to impact investing, so that
they can experience its rewards, unencumbered by perceived or actual barriers.


The prize of reducing or eliminating these resolvable constraints is greater social innovation at
the pace, scale and prominence that are so clearly needed. This could equate to an additional
estimated £2-11 billion of private investment p.a. if the barriers to HNWI impact investing
were addressed.

In response to the identified barriers, 12 recommendations were agreed to be central to
improving the impact investing ecosystem for HNWI and family investors in the UK. Show less

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was approached by BCG Digital Ventures who wondered if we, at F4S, would consider a product extension from matchmaking founders to teachers for schools to matchmaking digital experts to people who worked for small businesses or charities. I thought it was a good idea, and so the new venture, Digital Boost was born! It is a joy to work with such amazing people on such a rewarding initiative. Count my lucky stars every day!

The Scaleup Institute was set up following a major independent report I was commissioned to write by the UK Government which made the case for changing UK economic policy and ecosystem practice towards scale-ups to ensure the UK is the leading economy in the world for generations to come.

I am the named author who was commissioned to write the Report, and I agreed to chair the Scaleup Institute in order to oversee the implementation of its recommendations, all of which were accepted… Show more

The Scaleup Institute was set up following a major independent report I was commissioned to write by the UK Government which made the case for changing UK economic policy and ecosystem practice towards scale-ups to ensure the UK is the leading economy in the world for generations to come.

I am the named author who was commissioned to write the Report, and I agreed to chair the Scaleup Institute in order to oversee the implementation of its recommendations, all of which were accepted.

I chaired for an initial 5-year term and passed the chair role to a very able successor at the end of that. I remain chair of the Evidence Committee. Show less

I was a member of the council for a project seeking to understand the barriers that stop diverse talent from progressing in the workplace, and identify the skills, behaviours, and policies that managers need to know to tear these barriers down - and in the process, deliver the productivity boost which is crucial to our future prosperity.

We found that despite, on the surface, many organisations and staff embracing EDI initiatives, the UK has systemic challenges around workplace… Show more

I was a member of the council for a project seeking to understand the barriers that stop diverse talent from progressing in the workplace, and identify the skills, behaviours, and policies that managers need to know to tear these barriers down - and in the process, deliver the productivity boost which is crucial to our future prosperity.

We found that despite, on the surface, many organisations and staff embracing EDI initiatives, the UK has systemic challenges around workplace inclusion, with specific challenges for minoritised groups who feel overlooked and face discrimination.

The result of this effort was to produce a seminal report that outlined a bold plan for sharing work, opportunity and success. It is available here: https://www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-and-insights/research/everyone-economy/#supporting-research-row Show less

The Royal Society is a Fellowship of many of the world's most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.

It was an absolute privilege to serve on the Science, Industry and Translation Committee from 2014 to 2021, alongside some of the greatest minds in the UK.

The Society’s fundamental purpose, reflected in its founding Charters of the 1660s, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use… Show more

The Royal Society is a Fellowship of many of the world's most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.

It was an absolute privilege to serve on the Science, Industry and Translation Committee from 2014 to 2021, alongside some of the greatest minds in the UK.

The Society’s fundamental purpose, reflected in its founding Charters of the 1660s, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.

The Society has played a part in some of the most fundamental, significant, and life-changing discoveries in scientific history and continues to make outstanding contributions to science in many research areas.

The SIT committee is concerned with the intersection of science and industry and how to translate these interactions into ideas that could change society at scale. I was particularly keen on exploring the scaling of ideas to global impact.

https://royalsociety.org/about-us/committees/science,-industry-and-translation-committee-159/ Show less

External member of the Finance Committee, which is part of the University Council.

Chair of the Financial Strategy Advisory Group of the university which focuses on the Finance aspects required to achieve the long-term objectives of this 800 year old university.

Board member of Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press (2007-2019), where I chaired the Remuneration Committee.

The Prince's Trust helps disadvantaged young people. Around one in five young people in the UK are not in work, education or training. Youth unemployment costs the UK economy £10 million a day in lost productivity, while youth crime costs £1 billion every year.

The Prince's Trust addresses this by giving practical and financial support to the young people who need it most. We help develop key skills, confidence and motivation, enabling young people to move into work, education or… Show more

The Prince's Trust helps disadvantaged young people. Around one in five young people in the UK are not in work, education or training. Youth unemployment costs the UK economy £10 million a day in lost productivity, while youth crime costs £1 billion every year.

The Prince's Trust addresses this by giving practical and financial support to the young people who need it most. We help develop key skills, confidence and motivation, enabling young people to move into work, education or training. Show less

Member of Investment Committee,
Member of the Nominations Committee, &
Member of the Endowment Committee

NESTA encourages innovation and entrepreneurship within the UK by acting as an early stage investor and a Catalyst

I chaired the Skills & Talent work-stream of the Kalifa Review.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-kalifa-review-of-uk-fintech

At Budget 2020, the Chancellor asked Ron Kalifa OBE to conduct an independent review to identify priority areas to support the UK’s fintech sector. The Review formally launched in July 2020 with objectives for supporting the growth and widespread adoption of UK fintech, and for maintaining the UK’s global fintech reputation.

The Kalifa… Show more

I chaired the Skills & Talent work-stream of the Kalifa Review.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-kalifa-review-of-uk-fintech

At Budget 2020, the Chancellor asked Ron Kalifa OBE to conduct an independent review to identify priority areas to support the UK’s fintech sector. The Review formally launched in July 2020 with objectives for supporting the growth and widespread adoption of UK fintech, and for maintaining the UK’s global fintech reputation.

The Kalifa Review of UK Fintech highlights the opportunity to create highly skilled jobs across the UK, boost trade, and extend the UK’s competitive edge over other leading fintech hubs. It sets out a series of proposals for how the UK can build on its existing strengths, create the right framework for continued innovation, and support UK firms to scale.

The report’s recommendations include :

1) amendments to UK listing rules to make the UK a more attractive location for Initial Public Offerings

2) improvements to tech visas to attract global talent and boost the fintech workforce

3) creation of a regulatory Fintech ‘scalebox’ to provide additional support to growth stage fintechs
4) a Centre for Finance, Innovation, and Technology, to strengthen national coordination across the fintech ecosystem to boost growth

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Cambridge Angels logo
Founding MemberFounding Member
Cambridge AngelsCambridge Angels
Jun 2000 - Present · 23 yrs 9 mosJun 2000 - Present · 23 yrs 9 mos
Cambridge Angels is a group of investors with extensive experience of founding, growing, mentoring and financing early-stage ventures across a wide range of technology sectors including biotechnology, semi-conductors, engineering, software and others.