International Women’s Day: 10 successful women secretly dominating their industry

Matthew Neville

To celebrate International Women’s Day (8 March), Bdaily has worked with creative content agency Triberia to showcase UK businesswomen who are “crushing it” in their respective industries. Read on to find out more…

With less than a third of UK small businesses owned by women, it’s time to shed some light on women-owned brands that are thriving to inspire future generations. From marketing masters to culinary queens, we’ve collated a list of our top 10 inspiring women making waves in the business world that are far overdue some recognition. 

1. Gaby Mendes

Founder of the Talk Twenties podcast and TwentiesFest, Gaby is passionate about inspiring and supporting young adults as they navigate life. After struggling with anxiety and ill mental health herself, Gaby is determined to use her experiences to support other young people. 

She uses her podcast as a platform to discuss what it’s really like to be in your 20s, and has interviewed many young adults including well-known YouTubers, reality TV stars and business owners.

2. Fran Nolan

Fran is managing director and co-founder of Tribera, an award-winning creative content agency with an impressive roster of well-known clients such as Costa Coffee, The Royal Mint and Lloyds Pharmacy. With over 20 years of client-side experience, Fran is an expert when it comes to client strategy and branding. 

As a big champion of inclusivity in the workplace, Fran takes pride in Tribera’s progressive people strategy. Her belief in offering employment opportunities to everyone is a massive part of the culture at Tribera, and she works hard to remove barriers with true flexible working and operating a 4-day working week.

3. Nisha Katona

Nisha is the CEO, executive chef, and development chef of Mowgli Street Food. In 2014, Nisha took a huge risk and used all of her savings to open the first Mowgli Street Food restaurant in Liverpool. And since then, Nisha has grown and developed her business with 18 sites all across the UK. 

In 2019, Nisha received an MBE in the New Year Honours List for her service in the Food Industry. She also founded The Mowgli Trust, a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting local community charities and international causes to create change and enrich lives. 

4. Izzy Obeng

Izzy co-founded Foundervine to help entrepreneurs from under-represented communities, making innovation accessible to everyone by providing access to networks and resources, as well as financial support. 

Growing up in Tottenham, Izzy could see a lot of entrepreneurial energy and potential, but she was also aware of what was happening around her, including issues with police violence, and lack of access to opportunity. This awareness spurred her on and fuelled Izzy’s vision to create Foundervine and make a difference.

5. Lucy Hall

Digital entrepreneur, Lucy Hall, aims to inspire others through digital education, helping them achieve success in the digital world. As the Founder of Digital Women, Lucy has created a community dedicated to empowering over 1 million women through enriching their digital skills. 

And, as the founder of SocialDay, she has created an event that allows social media marketing professionals to network together, learn from one another, and ultimately take their skills to the next level.

6. Katerina Hayes

Katerina is the Founder and CEO of the culinary wonder Naked Kimchi & Co. Raised in Ukraine, Katerina’s vision for her business was heavily inspired by her family and their cherished secret recipes that have been passed down for generations. 

Driven by her commitment to sustainability and wellness, Katerina aims to celebrate tradition and health through her brand.

7. Yvonne Bajela

Yvonne is a Partner at LocalGlobe and Latitude, as well as a founding member of Impact X Capital LLP. Through her investments in underrepresented entrepreneurs, Yvonne promotes diversity and inclusion within the industry. 

Impact X provides its entrepreneurs with access to industry experts and strategic resources, to ensure that portfolio companies receive critical input to realise their visions and generate long-term investor value.

8. Emma Tapper

Emma is the co-founder and director of Miniml, a Yorkshire based business that manufactures eco-friendly cleaning and personal care products. 

Dedicated to innovation and sustainability, Emma and the business aim to tackle the issue of single-use plastic waste through their innovative closed loop system, a service that allows customers to send their empty containers back to Miniml’s headquarters for cleaning and subsequent reuse.

9. Dr. Maria Karvela

As the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at DnaNudge, Maria is passionate about bringing science and genetic testing closer to the public - positively impacting people’s health and quality of life. DnaNudge was created to prompt users to make healthier food decisions based on their DNA profiles. 

For example, consumers can be ‘nudged’ away from foods that could cause any illnesses they might already be prone to. And, during the pandemic, the company’s technology was adapted to produce a rapid RT-PRC test to detect covid which was (and still is) used by NHS hospitals across the country. 

10. Angie Madara

Angie is an expert in tech entrepreneurship and co-founder of Athena FundX, a company on a mission to nurture and invest in the next generation of female entrepreneurs. 

Athena FundX has recently launched the Youth Entrepreneurship Campaign to help bridge the gender pay gap in the tech entrepreneur industry, and inspire, uplift and educate young women in tech. 

After seeing the challenges female entrepreneurs face firsthand, Angie set out to provide support, resources, and visibility to help women turn their ideas into successful businesses.

Explore these topics:
#Entrepreneur #National #Premium #Diversity

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