International Women's Day: Interview with Sophia Lan

Tell us more about yourself!

I’m Sophia, CEO & founder of WInvest - financial education coach and second-time founder. After mistrusting someone in college and losing all of my savings, I decided to change the face of finance by breaking down money concepts into fun, relatable concepts that everyone can build towards their financial goal.

WInvest is a next generation finance app that helps young people start building wealth from £0. We make finance approachable by visualising “what if” money scenarios—for example, if you have £1,000, should you overpay your mortgage, save, invest, or put it into your pension? Our app breaks this down so users can compare their options and make informed decisions.

What do you love most about running WInvest?

For me, it’s seeing people feel empowered and inspired by what they can do with their money. I love watching users have that “aha” moment - realising they can take control of their finances and make real progress. When I leave this world one day, I want to know I created something useful for our communities. Financial empowerment is my passion, and WInvest is one of my ways of making that impact.

What does the future of work look like for you?

AI and humans working together. AI will handle data analysis and admin, while humans focus on decision-making, strategy, and creativity. Everyone will have their own little AI-powered team, the workforce will be smaller, yet more productive.

As more women step into leadership positions, we prioritise collaboration and ensure that what we build today creates a positive impact on our communities and the planet.

What role do women play in shaping the future of work?

Women are driving flexible work policies - we are advocating for remote work, parental leave, and work-life balance. We are making our voices heard in decision-making. As more women step into leadership positions, we prioritise collaboration and ensure that what we build today creates a positive impact on our communities and the planet. This influence also extends to shaping AI design from an ethical standpoint: Apart from productivity, what else should we look after?

Thanks to Fiverr, I was able to hire developers, designers, accountants, and more—cutting months off our timeline. It also gave me valuable insights into team structure and the possibilities of accessing overseas talent.

How did winning the Female Founders Competition impact WInvest?

For us, this win was a game-changer. The grant accelerated our product development, and thanks to it, our app is finally launching in April! As a young startup, speed is everything, but limited resources slow things down. There were many tests we wanted to run—on paid ads, landing pages—but we were constrained by manpower and expertise, as most of our team consisted of developers. Thanks to Fiverr, I was able to hire developers, designers, accountants, and more - cutting months off our timeline. It also gave me valuable insights into team structure and the possibilities of accessing overseas talent. Plus, the Fiverr team has been amazing, their support has been incredible!