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Inspiring stories from the National Women in Business Awards 2016

Posted by Oliver Corrigan on Dec 6, 2016 8:30:00 AM
Oliver Corrigan
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Last week, some of the UK’s most exciting businesses gathered together at the Royal Armouries right here in Leeds to celebrate the final of the National Women in Business Awards 2016.

First of all, congratulations to all of the winners! (See full list below). The report below was put together by the team members from Carrwood who attended the event (pictured below).

After four regional heats in London, Birmingham, Newcastle and Manchester, we were proud to see the final event take place in our fantastic city - and for Carrwood Park to be regional sponsor for the event.

The awards were hosted by Forward Ladies, the UK’s leading business support organisation for professional women. Not only do Forward Ladies host regular events, they also offer a full range of really helpful resources. We’re particularly familiar with the great stuff they do because they occupy one of the Carrwood Park office suites!Carrwood table-1.jpg

[This photo is of the Carrwood Park table - our residents may see some familiar faces!]. 

 

The National Women in Business Awards 2016 highlighted some incredible achievements. All the professionals who were nominated have amazing tales to tell, and we’ve been keen to hear about them. After all: there’s always something new to learn in business!

Special congratulations to headline speaker Petra Wetzel, founding owner of West Beer Brewery (@WestBeer) who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award after her expertly-delivered headline speaker slot in which she made us all laugh out loud at her jokes while sharing her tales of achievement through adversity. Earlier this year, Petra launched an investment fund for women-led start-ups with £100,000 of her own cash. 'West Women' is offering seed capital, other financial assistance, and advice, to emerging female entrepreneurs within Scotland’s and the North of England's food and drink sector. She invited referrals for the fund - if you know anyone, do get in touch with her.

Inspiring words, too, from Forward Ladies MD Griselda Togobo (@GKTogobo) as she shared her very personal story and the reassurance that "we will face many defeats but we will never be defeated" - particularly if we seek help from our community - both at home and in business.

Alexa Greaves, Businesswoman of the year 2015, returned to the stage a year on to share the insights she has gained over the past year, notably - sadly - on dealing with the sudden death of a close colleague in a senior strategic role. We wish her all the best for the future with her business AAG Systems (@AAGSystems).

 

Here are just some of the other inspiring stories:

 

The outstanding business woman of the year

Winner of this year's Outstanding Business Woman, Jan Flawn left school with no qualifications and became a registered nurse. After rising to senior management in the Department of Health, Jan launched PJ Care after seeing young people with neurological conditions living inappropriately in homes built for the elderly. Jan was also presented with the award for SME Growth at this year's Women in Business Awards.

 

The digital marketing firm celebrating its 16th anniversary

Compared with other industries, most of the digital sector is in its infancy, but Hallam Internet is celebrating its sixteenth anniversary this year. In the late 1990s, founder Susan Hallam realised that the way businesses used the internet was about to change. Thanks to this foresight, she was able to launch her business at exactly the right moment.

 

The business that turned over £850k in just two years

Joanna Stephenson’s start up marketing agency PHD hit the £850k mark in just two years. This impressive feat was achieved by targeting a very clearly defined market in an industry Stephenson knew extremely well. She credits her success to a large amount of networking: you never know where the next opportunity is going to come from.

 

The startup that just keeps on growing

Hannah Duraid, CEO of the Great Escape Game, created her business just last year alongside her partner. Opening their first room just 16 months ago and already opening four more, the live escape room experience has welcomed thousands of visitors through its' doors and is growing at an alarming rate!

 

The organisation that has created a manifesto to get more women into tech

The tech industry has always been male-dominated, but Jacqueline de Rojas, president of techUK, has set out to change that. After 25 years in the industry, de Rojas is now the managing director of Sage, the UK’s biggest tech company. She believes that more diverse teams create better business outcomes and is setting out to make her industry more inclusive.

 

The agency that emerged in response to the tough graduate market

Squibble is an award-winning web design agency that was founded six years ago by Kimberley-Jane Leary. Leary graduated in 2008 into what was an incredibly tough job market. Hundreds of job applications later, Leary decided to change tack and start her own agency. Six years later, Leary credits social media marketing in helping her increase her turnover by 43% each year.

 

The Yorkshire company celebrating 25 years in business

Vicki Davenport, MD of the Pink Link, lead her award-winning company to its 25th anniversary, this year. Pink Link describes itself as a local, family-run company that knows exactly what its customers want - service at the highest level. With 33 years’ experience in the transport, distribution and logistics sector, Vicki was the winner of this year's Inspiring Leader award.

 

The organisation that's making financial advice personal

Jillian Thomas has always dreamed of being a successful entrepreneur. After the last financial crisis, she saw her opportunity: the country needed a new type of financial advisor. She set out to restore trust to the industry, and with that Future Life Wealth Management was created. Thomas envisioned her company as a kind of one stop shop for all things financial. The approach has proved to be extremely popular and has won a handful of awards.

 

The world's only specialist network connecting female business travellers globally

Carolyn Pearson founded Maiden Voyage after a business trip to LA, where she had missed the chance to get out and explore the city. Other business women - who had spent lonely evenings in their hotel rooms, often working and eating room service to avoid bringing unwanted attention to themselves - encouraged Carolyn to bring the site to life! She has since raised close to £500,000 in angel investment to underpin global expansion.

 

Feeling fired up? We’re not surprised! You can read more success stories on the Forward Ladies blog. Join the conversation on Twitter via @ForwardLadies or by using the hashtag #WIBA2016. Alternatively, why not consider jumping straight into doing something big for your business?

If you’re only just starting out, a few smart decisions could make all the difference. Why not consider investing in a co-working space or signing up for a Leeds business address?

Click here to see our virtual office packages 

Outstanding Business Woman of the Year – Jan Flawn, PJ Care

Retail Business Woman of the Year – Harriet Kelsall, Harriet Kelsall Bespoke Jewellery

Digital/Online Business Woman of the Year – Carolyn Pearson, Maiden-Voyage.com

Inspiring Leader of the Year – Vicki Davenport, The Pink Link

Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Hannah Duraid, Great Escape Game

Start-Up Business Woman of the Year – Joanna Stephenson, PHD Marketing & Strategy

Not-For-Profit Business Woman of the Year – Jenny Holloway, Fashion Enter

Rising Star of the Year – Monica Chia, Karimix

International Business Woman of the Year – Barinder Hothi, The Knowledge Academy

STEM Business Woman of the Year – Emma McGuigan, Accenture

SME (Growth) Business Woman of the Year – Jan Flawn, PJ Care

SME (Emerging) Business Woman of the Year – Tricia Cusden, Look Fabulous Forever

Lifetime Achievement Award – Petra Wetzel, WEST Brewery

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