Episode 176

full
Published on:

1st Sep 2026

"I'd Just Like to Play at Being a Scientist for a Few More Years": Leanne Ramage on Spinning Out a Renewable Energy Software Company, Rejection, and the Song Playing on the Way to the Interview That Started Everything

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Leanne Ramage, Managing Director of Kudo Software — a renewable energy software company that helps manage projects and people across wind farms, solar farms, battery storage and pumped hydro.

Leanne didn't plan to lead a company. She didn't plan to stay in renewables after her PhD. She didn't plan for most of what's happened. What she did was take each opportunity that appeared in front of her — and that approach, combined with what she describes as an almost inconvenient stubbornness, has brought her here.

In 2023, she and her co-founders spun Kudo out of Natural Power Consultants, backed by the Fred Olsen Group. They launched with 20 people. They're now 25. And they're in year two of actually selling their product to market.

We cover:

- What Kudo Software does and which sectors it serves

- The spinout model: different from a startup in important ways — and harder in others

- What she'd do differently (smaller team, established product first)

- What she's learned about herself: stubbornness as a strength, and being annoyed at herself for not liking being uncomfortable

- The first rejection — getting to the final two and losing on referenceability

- Fred Olsen, 97-year-old blue sky thinker and unlikely early champion

- The day of graduation she turned down two good options to "play at being a scientist for a few more years"

- The juggle: retired parents on the school run, a husband who doesn't travel, and airport teddies

- Why women in STEM is still not changing — and the frustration that comes with not knowing how to fix it

- The playlist song: Cheerleader by OMI, and the reason it will always mean something

**Quote of the episode:** *"I don't think you should be worried about failure. All you're doing is making yourself more marketable."* — Leanne Ramage

If you're thinking about taking a big leap — or you're deep in year one or two and wondering if it's going to come good — this one's for you.

All Episodes Previous Episode

Support Scale Her Up: Female business stories and expert tips for business growth and success

A huge thank you to our supporters, it means a lot that you support our podcast.

If you like the podcast and want to support it, too, you can leave us a tip using the button below. We really appreciate it and it only takes a moment!
Support Scale Her Up: Female business stories and expert tips for business growth and success
A
We haven’t had any Tips yet :( Maybe you could be the first!

Listen for free

Show artwork for Scale Her Up: Female business stories and expert tips for business growth and success

About the Podcast

Scale Her Up: Female business stories and expert tips for business growth and success
The Female Entrepreneur Show. Sharing business expertise, start-up experiences and business growth strategies to overcome challenges
If you are a female business owner, self-employed freelancer, or girl boss who wants to build a successful business i.e. work less hours, make more money, and get better results from your staff, then this is the podcast for you. Hosted by Dr Brenda Hector MBA from ActionCOACH UK, this podcast provides relatable and accessible business advice and inspiration from successful businesswomen who have been there and done it before you.

This podcast is where you can
• hear female business stories
• share business success
• learn how to overcome business challenges
• get advice for businesswomen aspiring to success
• find out what needs to change
• discover how we can bring about that business revolution

Only 1 in 3 UK entrepreneurs are female.
UK men are 5 times more likely than women to build a business of over £1million turnover

If UK women matched UK men in starting and scaling businesses, it would add £250 billion to the UK economy (Alison Rose, The Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship 2018)

As a woman in business, a business coach, and a business growth expert, Brenda’s mission is to help business owners grow their companies, achieve their goals and live the lifestyle of their dreams. She's the help you need to grow your business.
Support This Show

About your host

Profile picture for Brenda Hector

Brenda Hector

I’m Brenda Hector — entrepreneur, business coach, podcast host and writer — and I help ambitious female business owners turn hard work into real results: higher profits, better team performance, and more time back.
If your business relies too heavily on you, growth feels messy, or you’re “successful on paper” but exhausted in real life, you’re not alone — and it’s fixable. My work is about building a business that performs consistently, develops leaders, and supports you to step up and step back when you choose.
On Scale Her Up: The Female Entrepreneur Show, I spotlight women who are building brilliant businesses and share tools and insights to accelerate progress and improve gender balance in entrepreneurship.
"Because being in business should give you more life"