NatWest WISE100 2019: Top women in social enterprise revealed

The annual NatWest WISE100 recognises the most inspiring and influential women in social enterprise, impact investment and mission-driven business. Who's on this year's list?

The names of the UK’s top 100 women in social enterprise and impact investment have just been revealed.

Produced annually by Pioneers Post in partnership with NatWest Social & Community Capital, the WISE100 – Women in Social Enterprise 100 – recognises the most inspiring and influential women in social enterprise, impact investment and mission-driven business.

Names were selected this year from almost 300 nominations submitted by the public, with the final 100 revealed this evening at a special celebration event at NatWest's conference centre in Bishopsgate, central London. 

The awards event followed our very first WISEUP event – a day of learning and networking for women in the WISE100 network, delving into real-life business challenges and debating the role of women in social enterprise. Speakers on the day included Mursal Hedayat, co-founder and CEO of social enterprise Chatterbox and Sam Smethers, CEO of the gender equality campaigning organisation Fawcett Society. The evening celebration is to be opened by the campaigner against modern slavery and member of the House of Lords, Baroness Lola Young.

The WISE100 judges for this third annual celebration of female leadership were: Mary Rose Gunn, CEO at The Fore; Celia Hodson, founder and CEO at Hey Girls; Niamh Goggin, director at Small Change; Bayo Adelaja, 'chief do-er' at Do it Now Now; Parveen Bird, director at The Big Issue; and Jo Hand, founder of Giki. They were supported by a judging panel with representatives from both Pioneers Post and NatWest, including CEO of Social & Community Capital, Megan Peat.

Scroll down to find out who made the list in each of the six categories – and for more insight and inspiration from leading women in social enterprise, have a look at our WISE100 Collection

Among the 100 women included on this year’s list, the judges selected seven outstanding leaders to take home a special award for each category. The winners are:

 

Anab Abdalla, Founder and Director, Sahan Cares CIC 

 

Andrea Coleman, CEO, Two Wheels For Life
 
Anne Walsh, CEO, NI Music Therapy Trust (t/a Every Day Harmony)  

 

Ayeshah Khan, Founder and Director, The Health and Wellness Hub
 
Camilla Marcus-Dew, Head of Sustainable Growth, CLARITY & Co. 
 
Caroline Morgan, CEO, Local Food Links 
 
Celia Hodson, CEO, Hey Girls CIC 
 
Devi Clark, Managing Director, Impact Hub Kings Cross 
 
Dr Asha Patel, Founder, CEO and Clinical Psychologist, Innovating Minds CIC 
 
Dr Hinnah Rafique, Founder and Director, Generation Medics 
 
Emma Allen, COO, Spiral Skills CIC 
 
Emma Baines, CEO, Find Your Voice 
 
Esther Foreman, CEO, The Social Change Agency 
 
Helen O'Donnell, CEO and Director of Partnerships, Children's University 
 
Jaya Chakrabarti, CEO and Director, Tiscreport 
 
Jo-Anne Shellum, Founding Director, Sociability Care CIC
 
Joanne Cholerton, CEO, 3SC 
 
Julie Hawker and Kate Doodson, Joint CEOs, Cosmic 
 
Karen Lynch, CEO, Belu 
 
Kate Smith and Laura Walker, Joint Directors, Memory Matters SW CIC (WINNERS)
 
Katharine Hibbert, Founder and Director, Dot Dot Dot Property Guardians 
 
Kim Rihal, Co-founder and Partnerships Director, Equal Education 
 
Leanna Barrett, CEO and Managing Director, Little Forest Folk 
 
Liz Tapner, CEO, Selnet 
 
Lizzie Jordan, Founder and CEO, Think2Speak 
 
Margaret Patterson-McMahon, CEO, Townsend Enterprise Park 
 
Marie Cudennec, Co-founder and CEO, Goldfinger Factory 
 
Marie Marin, CEO, Employers For Childcare 
 
Mona Shah, Founder, Harry Specters Ltd 
 
Nisha Tandon, Founder and CEO, ArtsEkta 
 
PollyAnna Chapman, Co-founder and CEO, Impact Hub Inverness
 
Rachel Law, CEO, PossAbilities 
 
Rebecca Burgess, CEO, City to Sea 
 
Rosanna Mead, Managing Director, Musica Music and Wellbeing CIC 
 
Saasha Celestial-One, Co-founder, Olio 
 
Sara Lawton, Director, Construction Impact Framework 
 
Sarah Wren, CEO, Hertfordshire Independent Living Service 
 
Sophie Maxwell, Founder, The Really Neet Project 
 
Stella Gibson, CEO, The Spark 
 
Tina Jackson, Founder, CEO and Director, The Link CIC 
 
Zoe Raven, CEO, Acorn Early Years Foundation 

 

 

 
Abi Hewitt, Co-founder and CEO, Love Welcomes 
 
Abi Nolan, Co-founder and CEO, Supply Yoga Girls
 
Aimee Clint, Co-founder, Books by Stellas
 
Alessandra Alonso, Founder, Women in Travel CIC 
 
Amy Williams, Co-founder and CEO, Good-loop 
 
Charlotte Whitaker, Co-founder, InCommon 
 
Claire Dormand, Co-founder and Project Manager, Lovewelluk
 
Daisy Jacobs, Founder and Director, Routes 
 
Diana Chipara, Managing Director, Qul Language Solutions 
 
Emma Garrett, CEO, Mallusk Enterprise Park 
 
Emma Lower, CEO, Wessex Resolutions CIC 
 
Kathy Adcock, Founder and Managing Director, In Your Corner 
 
Kimberley Robinson, Founder, Keep Real 
 
Laura Macartney, Co-founder, InCommon 
 
Leigh Carey, Executive Director, The HummingBird Project NI 
 
Meg Doherty, Founder and CEO, Fat Macy's 
 
Natalie Mady, Founder and Director, Hackney Herbal 
 
Sara Hawkins, Founder, Projekt 42 
 
Sarah Holliday and Ruth Martin, Co-founders, Telescope 
 
Sophie Glover, Studio Manager, MakersHQ 
 
Tessa Gooding, Communications, Partnerships and Social Impact Director, Urban Patchwork 
 
Tracey Smith, Operations Director, GTS Solutions CIC 
 
Vicky Smith, Founder, Earth Changers
 
Zakia Moulaoui, Founder and CEO, Invisible Cities  (WINNER)
 
Zoe Wallace, Director, Agent Academy

 

 

Anna Shiel, Head of Origination, Big Society Capital 
 
Holly Piper, Head of CAF Venturesome, CAF 
 
Isabelle Irani, Director, Sumerian Partners (WINNER)
 
Linda Rutter, Consultant, New Leaf New Life 
 
Toyin Miller, Investment Manager, Social and Sustainable Capital 

 

 

Andrea Gamson, Head of Learning, _SocialStarters (WINNER)
 
Efe Ezekiel, Founder and Youth Mentor, Ushine Ishine 
 
Helen Brewster, Founder and Business Coach, Care We Share CIC 
 
Jenny Halpern Prince, Founder, Halpern PRLady Gardern Foundation 
 
Joanna Gorniak, Director, Street Factory CIC 
 
Joanna Hamer and Sabeha Miah, Joint Co-founders and Directors, Juta Shoes 

 

 

Alison Turner, Chairperson, Devon and Cornwall Furniture Reuse Project 
 
Angela McKay, Operations Manager, Homebaked Bakery 
 
Caroline Taylor, Head Of Client Partnerships, Fat Beehive 
 
Donna Sadler, Partnerships Manager, SELNET 
 
Gill Collins, Production Director, Sortified CIC 
 
Honor Barrett, Managing Director, Birchgrove 
 
Jessica Brown, Connect Fund Manager, Barrow Cadbury Trust 
 
Larissa Kunstel-Tabet, Project Manager, SafetyNet Technologies
 
Natasha Benjamin, Founder, Free Your Mind CIC 
 
Nathalie Moukarzel, Culinary Director, Fat Macy's 
 
Paula Healey, Operations Manager, IncomeMax CIC (WINNER)
 
Rachel Parker, Marketing and Communications Officer, ReTweed
 
Rebecca Perlman, Senior Associate, Herbert Smith FreeHills 
 
Sarah Foreman, Accounts and Administration Manager, Green Willow Funerals Ltd 
 
Sarah Rafique, COO and Head Of Programmes, Generation Medics
 
 Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan, Founder, Leicester Community Benefit Society Ltd

 

 

Amy Greenacre, Brand Marketing and Impact Manager, World of Books 
 
Chrissy Levett, CEO, Creative Conscience 
 
Kath Austin, CEO, BeeBee Wraps 
 
Kirstie Kelly, Founding Director and CEO, Team Springboard CIC 
 
Louisa Ziane, Director of Brand and Social Impact, Toast Ale 
 
Lucy Jack, Co-founder and Creative Director, Offset Earth 
 
Sophie Lejeune, Founder and Manager, Society Zero CIC (WINNER)
 

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