Mags Arrow
Founder & CEO, LilMa Green Ltd
Tell us your story:
Mags Arrow, Dip (GRC), is the CEO & Founder of LilMa Green - an ESG GreenTech platform equipping micro businesses with easy, jargon-free tools to start their sustainability journey and grow resiliently on their terms.
After a career in compliance and governance, including helping FinTechs like Optimus Cards secure FCA authorisation, Mags moved into entrepreneurship following a life-altering cancer diagnosis. After a year of research at 56, she founded LilMa Green and has been proudly bootstrapping it for over two years - proving that meaningful innovation doesn’t always need big funding, just resilience, determination, and a clear mission.
She is also pioneering GreenMicro™(https://greenmicro.co.uk/) , the UK’s first ESG certification for micro firms ( where larger frameworks are not achieveable for the smallest firms), reframing ESG into practical steps - Carbon, Climate, and Community. Her platform integrates “Sprig,” an AI sustainability champion that acts as a bridge, not a bypass - removing jargon and friction so that the smallest firms can act with confidence.
Drawing on her FinTech roots, Mags sees clear parallels between sustainability inclusion and financial inclusion: just as FinTech broke barriers in banking, LilMa Green is breaking down entry barriers in ESG. She was engaged with FCA Innovation Pathways, a member of the B4NZ SME Data Taskforce, and aligned with BSI Flex 3030 who also did a case study on how LilMa Green transposed the Flex in to Questionaire and ESG Rating framework.
As an openly LGBTQIA+ founder, she believes true equity will be achieved when we no longer have to talk about it - but until then, she is committed to amplifying diverse voices and showing that progress is possible, accessible, and affordable.
Impact:
What I am most proud of is creating solutions that give a voice to the smallest and most overlooked players in our economy. Through LilMa Green and GreenMicro™, I’m breaking down barriers to sustainability in the same way FinTech broke down barriers in banking-making ESG accessible, affordable, and inclusive for micro firms, solopreneurs, and the self-employed.
By leveraging AI responsibly, I’ve shown that technology can be a bridge, not a bypass-empowering micro firms with practical, jargon-free steps so they can participate in the transition to a greener economy. Affordable access isn’t an afterthought, it’s intentional, because exclusion-whether financial or sustainability-related holds back progress.
Inclusion is embedded in everything I do. I believe true equity is achieved when we no longer have to talk about it, but until then I use my platform to amplify underrepresented voices, highlight the resilience of micro businesses, and advocate for tools that lower barriers to participation.
As an openly LGBTQIA+ founder, visibility matters very much to me. In my 50s, I left a secure compliance career to bootstrap a startup from scratch. My journey shows that reinvention, impact, and authenticity are possible at any age and that lived experience truly can enriche innovation.
I would like to be featured in Pride in FinTech 2025 because visibility inspires change. Celebrating diverse stories sends a powerful message - inclusion and innovation are inseparable, and our community has the courage not only to dream but to deliver lasting impact.
Advice:
My biggest piece of advice is that you are never too old or too young to learn. FinTech is constantly evolving, and the best thing you can bring is curiosity and openness. Don’t shy away from saying “I don’t understand” or asking questions becuase the chances are, someone else is thinking the same. You’ll learn faster, and you’ll earn respect for your honesty.
Technical skills can be learned, but what often makes the real difference are the softer skills: communication, empathy, resilience, and the ability to listen. You earn respect by building relationships and trust, and by leading through example and not by a title. Trust is a gift, not an automatic entitlement.
For members of the LGBTQIA+ community, my advice is to bring your whole self into your career. Authenticity is a strength, not a weakness. Find mentors and allies who celebrate you for who you are, and in turn, be that support for others.
And finally don’t let age, background, or a non-traditional path hold you back. I started my entrepreneurial journey in my 50s after decades in compliance, and I’m still learning every day. FinTech thrives on diverse perspectives, so your story and your skills are not just valid - they are needed.
