February 2026 – As women continue to be underrepresented at the top of business, culture and finance, holding just 29% of senior leadership roles in the UK, a new wave of female founders and leaders are rewriting the rules on their own terms.
From poker tables turned boardrooms to family-founded food empires, these women are building businesses and proving that power doesn’t have to look one way.
As International Women’s Day 2026 centres on the theme #GiveToGain, the focus shifts from visibility alone to impact, highlighting how investing time, resources, advocacy and opportunity into women strengthens entire industries and communities. This year’s theme underscores a growing truth: when women are supported to lead and create on their own terms, everyone gains.
Jo Living, Founder of Aces High
In an industry dominated by men, Jo Living turned one of the most male-coded spaces imaginable, poker, into a tool for leadership, confidence and strategic thinking.
Her journey began at 4am in a smoky Moroccan casino, pregnant and surrounded by 200 men, where she won her first international poker tournament. Pure strategy! That same mindset later helped her negotiate over £1 million in VC investment.
Today, Aces High is a strategy-led corporate experience endorsed by Richard Branson and featured in the Financial Times, BBC and CBS News, reaching over 15 million viewers. By stripping poker of gambling and bravado, Jo has reframed it as a powerful framework for decision-making and self-belief, particularly for women navigating high-pressure environments.
Fiona Wylie, Founder and CEO of Brand Champions
When Fiona Wylie returned to work after maternity leave, she discovered what millions of women already know: the modern workplace still isn’t built for mothers, with 1 in 3 mothers still denied flexible working.
Rather than compromise her career or family life, she built an alternative. Brand Champions was born as a marketing agency designed around flexibility and real-life demands, long before “hybrid working” became a buzzword.
Now described by clients as the “fifth emergency service” of the business world, Brand Champions parachutes into businesses during crises, from staff shortages to stalled campaigns, keeping organisations operational when it matters most. Fiona’s leadership blends maternal resilience with commercial sharpness, proving that caregiving skills are not a weakness.
Stacey-Rebekka Karlsson, Founder and MD of Goho
Stacey is the Founder and Managing Director of Goho, an award-winning agency she built after becoming disillusioned with how clients were treated across the industry. She started the business with a single MacBook and a firm belief that creative thinking and meaningful outcomes should come before time sheets.
With almost 20 years of experience, Stacey has led marketing campaigns and events that have shifted public opinion and supported purpose-led organisations. Her work spans high-profile public sector moments and large-scale international experiences, with a reputation for combining strategic clarity with strong creative direction.
Stacey was awarded Employer of the Year at the Women in Business Awards, reflecting her values-led leadership and commitment to building supportive teams. During COVID and the lockdowns, she chose to go without a wage so her team could continue to be paid when furlough was not an option.
She is passionate about improving the events industry and actively advocates for more sustainable practices that consider people and the environment. Stacey regularly supports charitable initiatives through hands-on involvement. A confident public speaker and industry advocate, Stacey is known for championing women in the workplace and helping businesses think bigger about their impact.
Lousie Howard
According to The Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report 2024, artworks by women account for only 29% of gallery sales, highlighting the persistent gender disparity in the art world.
Less than 5% of the artists in the Modern Art Sections are women, but 85% of the nudes are female. While the female form is often celebrated in art, female artists aren’t.
London-based contemporary artist Louise Howard is challenging this narrative. Known for her evocative paintings that exclusively depict women, Howard draws deeply from her own life to create works that delve into the complexities of the female experience.
Tasty African Food
Celebrating 25 years in business, Tasty African Food has grown into the UK’s largest West African food chain, now led by a new generation of women.
Chiedza Mashonganyika, Marketing Manager, and Modupe Awe, Head of Business and Strategy, are steering the brand’s next chapter, balancing scale with community values. Under their leadership, the business has expanded nationally while remaining family-owned, affordable and culturally rooted.
In a sector where women, particularly women of colour, remain underrepresented in senior roles, their leadership reflects a broader shift towards inclusive, purpose-led growth.
Veena Giridhar Gopa
Veena Giridhar Gopal is an experienced FMCG leader investor and operator focused on acquiring and growing a consumer goods business in the UK or Ireland. With nearly 25 years of FMCG and retail experience across global corporations such as Diageo and PepsiCo, as well as startups, SMEs, and family-owned businesses, she has led P&Ls of £55m+, driven international expansion, revitalized eCommerce channels, scaled supply chains, and turned around underperforming units.
Gopal’s search to acquire, operate and grow an established consumer goods business is backed by Novastone Capital Advisors (NCA) and is seeking to acquire a consumer goods business in the UK or Ireland, strengthen its foundations, and guide it into its next stage of resilient, purpose-driven growth.
Jo Wallace Founder of Wabi Sabi
Jo Wallace is pushing back against the perfection-obsessed beauty industry with Wabi Sabi, a London-based botanical skincare brand rooted in honesty, ritual and self-acceptance.
Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of embracing imperfection, Wabi Sabi takes a deliberately slower approach to beauty by creating small-batch, cruelty-free products that frame skincare as care. In contrast to mass production and impossible standards, each product is designed to feel intentional and human.
By positioning daily self-care as an act of appreciation rather than optimisation, Wallace is tapping into a growing cultural shift towards ethical, emotionally resonant wellness, proving that independent brands can succeed without compromising on values.