Women of inspiration: 100 social enterprise leaders showing Covid who's boss

Exceptional times call for exceptional leadership: in place of our annual WISE (Women in Social Enterprise) 100 Awards, this year we asked readers to nominate women leading social enterprise and impact investing across the UK who have been showing Covid-19 who's boss.

In the midst of pandemic pivoting and reorganisation, we expected to get perhaps 30 or 40 names.

Within the space of 10 days, however, we had received almost 100 nominations, between them containing a total of more than 100,000 words – that's about the length of a standard book.

There are no award winners in this year's WISE programme. Instead, we've decided to list every person who was nominated, to acknowledge their achievements in this exceptional year. The WISE Inspiration List can be found below (in alphabetical order).

The stories of these leaders who have shown agility, resilience and adaptability over the last few months will inspire many on their path towards rebuild and recovery

 

 

We can't share all of them in detail, so we've taken some of the most inspirational stories about the commitment, inventiveness, leadership and sheer grit that we found in the nominations, and highlighted a range of these under a different themes that stood out, including:

• Providing food and care
• Dealing with loneliness and mental health issues
• Creating opportunity from adversity
• Starting a social enterprise during a pandemic
• Supporting other entrepreneurs

During this week – which we've designated WISE Week 2020 – we'll be sharing these stories in a different feature each day, plus a special WISE Webinar this Thursday, including an exclusive live interview with Baroness Barran, the UK government minister for civil society. 

While battling to keep their own social enterprises from the jaws of the pandemic, their first thoughts have always been for the people and communities they were set up to serve

Megan Peat, CEO of NatWest Social & Community Capital, said: "Today sees the beginning of our 2020 WISE celebrations and we are delighted to partner with Pioneers Post to highlight the inspiring women who are continuing on their mission to deliver a positive impact despite the exceptional and challenging circumstances. 

"The stories of these leaders who have shown agility, resilience and adaptability over the last few months will inspire many on their path towards rebuild and recovery."

Tim West, founding editor of Pioneers Post, said: "Social entrepreneurs are by no means the only people who have had to face big pressures and make hard decisions during these unprecedented times – but what stands out in so many of these stories from our WISE network is that while battling to keep their own social enterprises from the jaws of the pandemic, their focus has remained on the mission, and their first thoughts have always been for the people and communities they were set up to serve.

"This year's WISE Women are clearly showing Covid who's boss. We're so pleased that our partners at NatWest Social & Community Capital were keen to highlight these stories through our WISE programme this year, and are overwhelmed by the number of exceptional women who have been nominated."

Progress on female entrepreneurship in the UK

"In the UK, only one in three entrepreneurs is female – and they receive less than 1% of venture capital. Why, and what can be done?" Watch this special video from NatWest CEO Alison Rose (below), updating us on recommendations and progress from the Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship:  

 

 

Announcing the ‘WISE 2020 Inspiration List’

 

Abigail Morris, Co-Founder & CEO, Compare Ethics

 

Alessandra Alonso, MD, Women in Travel CIC

 

Alex Phillips, Social Entrepreneur Support Manager, UnLtd

 

Alice Cracknell, Founder, Origin Africa

 

Alice Moxley, Founder, Make Pivot

 

Andrea Gamson, CEO & Head of Learning, Social Starters Ltd

 

Angie Madara, CEO, Growd Global Ltd

 

Anna Day, MD, Centre for Social Change

 

Anna MacDonald, Co-Founder & Head of Relationships, Play for Progress

 

Anna Richards, Founder & Director, Maymessy CIC

 

Annie Warburton, Chief Executive, Cockpit Arms

 

Aoise Keogan Nooshabadi, Co-Founder, Supply Change

 

Ayeshah Khan, Director, The Health & Wellness Hub

 

Bayo Adelaja, CEO, Do It Now Now

 

Beth Nunn, CEO, PIE: Pursuing Individual Excellence 

 

Brigitte Squire, Director, Family Psychology Mutual

 

Carolyn Sims, Director of Lending, Charity Bank

 

Cecilia Crossley, Founding Director, From Babies with Love

 

Ceri Gillett, CEO, Mubo

 

Charlie Ann Blair, Founder, The Blair Academy

 

Charlotte Miller, Director, Intergenerational Music Making

 

Claudia Sykes, CEO, Social Enterprise Kent CIC

 

Darshita Gillies, Founder & CEO, Maanch Limited

 

Denice Gregory, Founding Director, Trade Right International CIC & Redeem Exchange

 

Diane Burridge, CEO, Moneyline

 

Dominique Unsworth MBE, Founder & CEO, Resource Productions CIC

 

Elaine Brown, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Remakery

 

Emma Baines, Chief Executive, Find Your Voice CIC

 

Emma Lower, CEO, Lendology CIC

 

Emma Worley, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, The Philosophy Foundation

 

Evie Keough, Founder & CEO, Boromi

 

Fiona Small, Founder, Young Mums Support Network

 

Fran Boorman, Founder, Goal 17 Ltd

 

Gabriela Matouskova, CEO, Hope 4 The Community CIC

 

Gill Coupland, Director, Social Business Brokers (Zero Waste Leeds)

 

Haleh Moravej, Senior Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University

 

Hannah Broughton, Chief Executive & Co-Founder, The Therapeutic Forest

 

Helen Rattner, Assistant Clinical Director, Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group CIC

 

Jane Binnion, Managing Director, The Growing Club CIC

 

Jen Baughan, CEO, Solutions for the Planet

 

Jennifer Neff & Leeann Monk-Ozgul, Co-CEOs & Co-Founders, Elemental Software

 

Jennifer O'Brien, Co-Founder, Music Broth

 

Jo Salter, Founder & Social Entrepreneur, Where Does It Come From? Ltd

 

Joanne Chidwick, Chair, Board of Trustees, HERA (Her Equality Rights & Autonomy)

 

Joy Foster, Founder & Managing Director, TechPixies Limited

 

 Katherine Hibbert, Founder & Director, Dot Dot Dot

 

Kathy Jones, Clinical Director, Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group CIC

 

Katie Sherjan, Chief Executive, Hollywell Housing Trust

 

Kim Griffin, Founder & CEO, Griffin OT

 

Laura Boyle, Co-Founder, Square Circle

 

Lauren Davidson, Founder, Oddities

 

Leigh Carey, Chief Executive Officer, The Hummingbird Project NI

 

Liberty Bligh, Chief Executive, The Libertie Project

 

Lindsey Hall, Chief Executive, Real Ideas Organisation CIC

 

Lisa Lea Weston, Founder, Talking Heads

 

Lisa Mari Hilder, Director, Hull Women's Network Ltd

 

Lisa Pickard, Chief Executive Officer, Five Lamps

 

Lisa Westcott Wilkins, Founder & Managing Director, DigVentures

 

Louisa Taylor, Creative Manager, Fablevision Studios

 

Lucy Findlay, Managing Director, Social Enterprise Mark CIC

 

Lynsey Pollard, Founder & Director, Little Box of Books

 

Maeve Monaghan, Chief Executive, NOW Group

 

Marian Adejokun, Social Entrepreneur, Reachout2all

 

Marianne Greenway, Founder & CEO, Ayrshire Children's Services CIC & KO-NEKT

 

Michelle Ferguson, Director, RBLI T/A Scotland's Bravest Manufacturing Company

 

Michelle John, Founding Director, PEGS C.I.C

 

Nancy Doyle, CEO & Founder, Genius Within CIC

 

Natalie Shenker, Co-Founder, The Human Milk Foundation

 

Natasha Eeles, Founder, Bold Voices

 

Neomi Bennett, Registered Nurse, Equality 4 Black Nurses

 

Nickala Torkington, Co-Founding Director, Flourish Together CIC

 

Nureen Glaves, CEO, Feed Me Good

 

Nyasha Gwatidzo, Founder, Banya

 

Patricia Alexander, Managing Director, Shared Interest

 

Rachel Gardiner-Hill, Lead Director, Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group

 

Rocío Perez Ochoa, Co-Founder & Director, Bidhaa Sasa

 

Rosie Mead, CEO, Musica Music and Wellbeing CIC

 

Sado Jirde, Director, Black South West Network

 

Sally Callow, Co-Founder & Educational Consultant, Stripey LightBulb CIC

 

Sara Hawkins, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Projekt 42

 

Sarah Jordan, Founder & CEO, Y.O.U Underwear

 

Dr Seyedeh Naseriniaki, Founder & Executive Director, Chrysalis Craft Coventry CIC

 

Shanelle Webb, Youth Worker, The Soul Shack LDN CIC

 

Sharon Benning Prince, Chief Operations Officer & Founder, Justice in Fashion

 

Sharon Jones, Director of Partnerships - Social Value, Creating Enterprise

 

Shelley Perry, Clinical Director/RMN, Breathe Therapies

 

SJ Hunt, Chief Executive, Parity Trust

 

Stacey Green, Director, Freedom Foundation CIC

 

Suzie Booth, New Projects Director, Horsham and Crawley Counselling Group CIC

 

Tabitha Stapely, Director & Founder, Social Streets C.I.C

 

Tracey West, Charity CEO, The Word Forest Organisation

 

Verena Hefti, CEO & Founder, Leaders Plus

 

Vicky Smith, Founder, Earth Changers

 

Yuliana Topazly, Director & Business Mentor, Phase 1 Enterprise Training CIC trading at My OutSpace

 

Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan, Founder, Leicester Community Benefit Society

 

Zoe Graham, Director, Dig Deep for Dyslexia Ltd

 

Zoe Portlock, Founder & Chair, Bikeworks CIC

 

Explore more stories and interviews with leading women in social enterprise in our WISE collection.

 

Thanks for reading our stories. As a social entrepreneur yourself, you'll know that producing quality work doesn't come free. Pioneers Post is a social enterprise itself, with a mission to help you do good business better through our content. We rely on our subscribers to sustain our journalism (and to keep programmes like WISE running) – so if you think it's worth having an independent, specialist media platform that covers social enterprise stories, please consider subscribing.