When Elana Leoni walked away from her role leading marketing at the George Lucas Educational Foundation, where she'd grown Edutopia's social media presence to reach over 20 million education changemakers monthly, most people thought she was crazy. Eight years at a nationally recognized brand backed by
After 35 years leading high-performing teams across private, public, and voluntary sectors—navigating everything from high street retail to property (where she worked with Royalty and Hollywood A-listers)—Astrid Davies MA FIoL decided she wanted to "run her own show." In 2017, she founded Astrid Davies Consulting, an
Dian Trabulsy spent nearly fifteen years in New York City working for some of the nation's top law firms and Wall Street companies, navigating the complexity of corporate law, AI governance, and regulatory compliance. But the pace and culture left little room for the values that mattered most
Sutin Yang sold candy on the playground at age 6, started trading stocks at 16, and spent 12 years in finance—first on J.P. Morgan's trading floor, then investing in hedge funds—before finally doing what she'd always wanted: starting her own business. After hitting
Stephanie Furgang Adwar has spent over three decades building one of the most respected intellectual property practices in entertainment and brand protection—first alongside her father at Furgang & Adwar, and now as co-founder of Adwar Ivko, formed through her 2023 merger of her firm with Ivko Law Group. A
Sallee Poinsette-Nash spent 20+ years holding CEO and COO positions, working with HNWIs, and building her reputation as someone who could "work with the unworkable" before she founded Brandable & Co. in 2018. But when she finally left employment to launch her award-winning people-brand strategy agency, she had
Ilona Alcock moved to Manchester in 2015 knowing exactly one person. When the pandemic hit five years later, she and co-founder Katie Robson were both made redundant—and instead of job hunting, they launched Elevate, a business development consultancy that's since become the world's first Carbon
Shanti Hubbard co-founded Chan Hubbard PLLC in 2014 after years practicing at nationally premier law offices, including Skadden Arps and the Bronx Defenders, where she started her legal career as a public defender fighting for clients in the courtroom. Today, based in Brooklyn, she advises startups and growth-stage companies on
Manik Kochian founded MConverts to solve a problem most B2B brands know too well: content takes too long to produce, campaigns fall flat, and growth gets stuck. Based in Stockholm, her agency combines AI-powered video production with years of content marketing experience to help businesses create high-impact promotional videos, product
With over two decades in gaming and tech, Kelly Kehn has built a reputation as a connector, changemaker, and multi-award-winning leader who brings people together to build purpose-led businesses. In 2017, she co-founded the All-In Diversity Project, an industry-led non-profit that benchmarks diversity, equality, and inclusion across the global gaming
Zoe Bennett, BEM, didn't set out to become known as "The Motivational Queen." In 2011, her father Errol was brutally murdered in Jamaica, leaving her traumatized and fighting a three-and-a-half-year battle for justice. She had to identify his mutilated body. She received death threats. And in
Vips Kirrage co-founded ConsultantBox in 2000 alongside her husband Simon, building a boutique executive search firm that has placed senior leaders across Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies for nearly three decades. Specializing in board-level searches for CEOs, CTOs, CISOs, and senior SAP, cybersecurity, and AI/ML leaders, ConsultantBox operates
Women Who Lead
In 1996, Sue Stockdale became the first British woman to ski to the Magnetic North Pole, selected from 500 applicants despite being a novice Arctic explorer. Since then, she's traversed some of the world's most extreme environments—from Antarctica to Greenland, Patagonia to the Wadi Rum
Women Who Lead
Jayde Pope didn't follow the traditional path to founding a marketing agency. After spending a decade in the trenches of recruitment and estate agency, she launched Magenta MAD—a full-service creative agency that exclusively serves the property and recruitment industries. Known as "The MAD Hatter," Jayde
Women Who Lead
Marte Stenbro has spent two decades learning one critical truth about marketing automation: anyone can automate their marketing, but few can maintain meaningfulness and relevance. As Co-founder and COO of Homerun Customer Experience, Marte has led complex international projects across the Nordics, Europe, Asia, and the US, specializing in marketing
Law
Shazia Ali didn't have the luxury of a traditional path to becoming a solicitor. Growing up in an impoverished family and facing daily racism as a teenager, she funded her entire legal education herself, starting at age 14 by waitressing to afford a private tutor for her GCSEs.
Women Who Lead
Sammie McPhail didn't set out to build a typical marketing agency. As founder of Spellbound Marketing and The Spellbound Strategist, Sammie works with burnout-prone creatives, neurodivergent entrepreneurs, and sensitive founders who've been told success requires constant hustle, daily posting, and aggressive sales tactics. Her answer? Build
Law
Lauren Ellerman has spent nearly 20 years representing the other side of business disputes—and that perspective makes her advice invaluable. As a partner at Frith & Ellerman Law Firm in Roanoke, Virginia, Lauren represents patients in medical malpractice cases, families in nursing home neglect claims, employees challenging restrictive non-competes,
Women Who Lead
Siena Dexter didn't take the typical path from UCL anthropology graduate to brand strategist—but that unconventional route became her competitive advantage. As founder of Naked Ape Brands, a Bristol-based micro-studio, Siena combines academic anthropology with behavioral science and commercial design to build brands that respond to real
Women Who Lead
Polina Lorelli built her career bridging the gap between complex innovation and the audiences that need to understand it. After working with major global clients like the Islamic Development Bank at Freuds Communications and experiencing the startup world from the inside, she identified a critical market gap: B2B innovation companies
Law
Cynthia Cole doesn’t just advise on technology law—she shapes how companies architect their legal foundations for scale. As Chair of Baker McKenzie’s Global Commercial, Tech and Transactions Business Unit and a recognized thought leader in AI governance, Cynthia operates at the intersection of innovation and regulation. Named
Women Who Lead
Lisa Malcolm didn’t just pivot during the pandemic—she rebuilt from the ground up. With over 20 years in the entertainment industry and a successful business partnership behind her, she made the bold decision in 2020 to launch Lynk PR on her own terms. Today, the company thrives on
Law
Artificial intelligence is rewriting workplace rules faster than most legal teams can keep up. Stephanie Goutos occupies a unique position at the intersection of legal innovation and employment law, helping translate rapid technology changes into practical frameworks companies can actually use. As Head of Employment Law Practice Innovation at Gunderson
Women Who Lead
Some entrepreneurs are driven by market opportunity. Others are called by purpose. For Cheris Monique, the founder of multiple empowerment-focused businesses spanning early childhood education to adult transformation, her entrepreneurial journey has always been guided by something deeper than profit: a natural inclination to help others rebuild, rise, and realize