International Women's Day: Seven inspirational stories from Enterprise Nation’s wonderful female members and advisers

As we celebrate International Women’s Day this week – on 8 March, to be precise – there’s never been a better time to hear first-hand about the amazing achievements of Enterprise Nation’s huge female community.

From expert advisers to micro-business owners, the women of Enterprise Nation have had a rip-roaring year of success and growth, so let’s get stuck into some of their stories!

1. Chloe Gardiner, founder of Wonky Woolins

Inspiration for Wonky Woolins came from toys Chloe Gardiner’s grandma crocheted. The teddies survived every childhood charity clear-out despite being “extremely wonky”. She explains:

“Granny had about six very wonky toys that she passed to my family. Those toys stayed because there was just something special about them.”

Woolins started as a transition-year project when Chloe was 15. Business was her last-choice subject – and her teacher even advised her against the idea. She was told she had to work with other students, most of whom wanted to sell sweets:

“So, me being me I was like, ‘oh, of course. Yeah, I understand.’ And then I went home and I began to build the business.

"I put a business plan together, made the first prototypes and that's how Wonky Woolins was born.”

Woolins was started with a €50 budget. Even as it’s grown, Chloe’s focused on PR, rather than advertising, as a cost-effective way to promote the business.

Enterprise Nation Lunch and Learns were a source of inspiration, particularly when it came to getting PR, she says:

“I don't know how to use any kind of ads or marketing, but what I learned from Enterprise Nation and one of the very small modules we did in school was that the press can really, really help you grow a brand.”

The business has been running for six years, and Chloe’s now 22 years old. She plans to continue building her team in Ireland:

"We'd love to create a children's series out of it and that's in the works. I want to grow our impact and reach.

"I want to become something that is more well known and, you know, maybe not world domination, but close enough."

2. Emma Goode, founder of 24 fingers

As one of the platform's most popular digital marketing advisers, Emma has been associated with Enterprise Nation for a very long time, helping countless small business owners along the way with her services and content.

Through her agency 24 fingers, she helps founders grow their businesses through online marketing, including social media, SEO, content marketing and lead generation. Emma is also Enterprise Nation’s Local Leader for Essex.

Become an adviser on Enterprise Nation today.

3. Ruth Bradford, founder of the Little Black & White Book Project

Eight years after launching The Little Black & White Book Project, Ruth is shifting gears.

From children’s books and flash cards about animals to an educational newspaper subscription and a wildlife podcast, her business is evolving – driven by passion, practicality and a deep desire to inspire the next generation.

In this candid interview, Ruth shares how she's navigating post-pandemic and rising costs challenges, evolving her business model and learning to blend creativity with resilience.

She says:

"I’ve done a lot of soul-searching. The business was always rooted in black-and-white illustration for babies – visual development, gifting, that sort of thing.

"But I’ve always been passionate about animals and conservation. That thread was always there, but now I’ve made it the central focus.

"I’ve scaled back product manufacturing massively and shifted toward educational content: print-on-demand books, a kids’ wildlife podcast The Wild Walk of Fame and, most recently, The Wild Scoop, a monthly printed newspaper subscription for children.

"The idea is to keep things low-overhead, high-impact and focused on what I really love – sharing knowledge and sparking curiosity in kids.

"These allow me to connect with a wider age group and focus on my core passion: inspiring children to care about the natural world."

4. Tajinder Banwait MBE, founder of Urban Apothecary London

Tajinder Banwait MBE founded Urban Apothecary London 15 years ago at her Leicestershire kitchen table after struggling to find the perfect sensory gift.

What started as a home fragrance brand has grown into a global business exporting to 37 countries.

After 25 years in the beauty industry, Tajinder knew she wanted her own business. She trademarked the Urban Apothecary name early on, waiting for the right moment to launch.

That came after having her first child, when she decided against commuting to London and spotted a gap in the home fragrance market.

Her first break came when a well-known department store took six months' worth of stock and sold out in just six weeks.

This gave the business the confidence to grow, and in 2017, Urban Apothecary completed a major brand update, moving from a vintage chic aesthetic to the modern apothecary look it has today.

Urban Apothecary won a Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2022, in recognition of its achievements in exporting.

Join the Female Founders community on Enterprise Nation to keep the conversation going!

5. Kate Taylor, founder of Evenly

Former IBM consultant Kate Taylor has built a thriving six-figure-turnover business addressing a problem affecting millions of women – and she's done all of it through grants (not investment) and no employees.

When Kate discovered she wasn't alone in struggling to find a bra that fitted both breasts properly, she created an entire business to solve the problem.

Now, five years after launching Evenly, her innovative silicone breast asymmetry Bra Balancers™ are now sold in over 40 countries.

She's just won a prestigious pitch competition hosted by Dragons' Den entrepreneur Theo Paphitis, and judged by a panel which included writer and activist Katie Piper and senior business leaders.

Her big breakthrough came in 2020 when Kate won a Women in Innovation Award from Innovate UK, securing £50,000 in grant funding. But the Innovate UK grant provided far more than just money.

She explains:

"You get a lot of mentoring and support as part of the grant and it forces you to think strategically about your next steps, to research costs and returns. That's really invaluable."

After Innovate UK, Kate has secured multiple grants from the European Regional Development Fund and, more recently, funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for rural businesses in Dorset.

Sign up to become an Enterprise Nation member.

6. Meet the adviser – Natasha Broomfield-Reid

With over 25 years of experience in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), Natasha is a distinguished leader in fostering inclusive environments across various sectors.

Using her extensive expertise working in the third sector, she founded Diverse Matters in 2016.

As director, Natasha oversees the company's operations and spearheads the development and delivery of tailored DEI solutions for clients in the voluntary, public and private sectors.

In her interview, she shares insights on building inclusive businesses, no matter the size and the impact of DEI on growth and success.

And in the webinar below, she explains all the ways in which diversity, equity and inclusion helps small businesses grow.

7. Samantha Gnimavo: Empowering women, one Happy Body at a time

Enterprise Nation developed a dedicated business support platform Grow London Local for the Mayor of London and London & Partners.

Drawing from her family's experiences with women's health issues, Samantha Gnimavo founded Happy Body to help women thrive on their wellness journeys.

In her interview, she talks about her route into nutrition, the business skills she's had to develop along the way and the benefits of getting support from Grow London Local.

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