WONDER WOMEN The professional women working to empower each other

Wonder women

Professional women and inspirational female innovators are collaborating to empower each other to grow and succeed in the business world

The Women’s Chapter is a movement for high-impact women in business to connect, inspire and thrive. Its mission is to amplify the voices of the female changemakers driving global enterprise. We met up with founder, Michelle Pughe-Parry de Klerk, who explains why and how it supports women-led business.

Even before Covid, femalefounded businesses were less likely to get funding than their male counterparts. This gap has widened during the pandemic, with figures released from the British Business Bank earlier this year revealing that just £13.7m of convertible loans were approved for companies whose senior management teams were all women, compared to £216.6m for all-male teams. Companies led by women received just over one per cent of all the funding under the start-up rescue scheme.

The Women’s Chapter platform connects female founders with a motivated community of consumers who want to use their purchasing power to support the success of other women.

How did you decide to found The Women’s Chapter?

After my twin daughters were born in 2011, it was important for me to be physically and emotionally present in their lives, but also set an example for them as a professional role model. Back at work, I desperately needed inspiration. I knew I needed to ‘get out there’, but every event I went to left me feeling deflated and alone. It was clear there was a need for curated opportunities for women to come together to grow their networks and businesses in a meaningful way.

I started small, running The Women’s Chapter as a side hustle on a shoestring. I’m a firm believer in facing fears and swallowing the frog – the more you do it, the easier it gets to push your boundaries, and

Abbie Miranda and Mazie Fisher, co-founders of Beija London Lara Morgan, serial entrepreneur and founder of Scentered

Michelle Pughe-Parry de Klerk, founder of The Women’s Chapter Hetal Patel, founder of VAAI Annoushka Ducas, founder of Annoushka

“What has also come out of this journey is my very deep passion and sense of purpose around supporting women-led business”

with that comes growth and confidence. Seven years later, there are now more than 5,000 high-impact women across our application-only business and community membership.

What has also come out of this journey is my very deep passion and sense of purpose around supporting women-led business. The reward that comes from seeing connections made, collaborations formed, business done and women making huge strides in their business growth is electrifying.

What makes The Women’s Chapter unique?

We are not just a network. We use our platform to champion and unite women and women-led business. We provide women, across all industries, with the opportunity to create meaningful connections, find solutions to challenges, be inspired and build a work life aligned with their purpose. We count some of the UK’s most successful women among our members, all of whom are committed to supporting one another to succeed.

As featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Forbes and The Telegraph, we run intimate, curated networking events for invited members, as well as online and in-person Thought Leadership events open to all women. We also create digital and editorial content to drive exposure for the brands in our member community.

What problem does your business solve?

Through the organic growth of The Women’s Chapter community, I have seen how many innovative women-led businesses are held back by not having access to resources, exposure or funding to scale.

There are multiple bank and government reports about the challenges women in business face, but very little real action is taken, especially for women-led businesses with a turnover of less than £1m. Making funding more accessible is key, but a business needs a proven product, a customer base, sales and profit before it is attractive to investors.

On this journey, business leaders need peer-to-peer support, access to knowledge and resources. As both a consultant and a business owner, I have developed The Women’s Chapter to give women, and the organisations they drive, a bit of everything they need to grow – exposure, community, access to new customers, practical advice and Thought Leadership.

What is the WomenLed collective?

WomenLed is our curated collection of inspirational, innovative businesses – all with women at the helm. Women are the world’s largest emerging economy, controlling some 85 per cent of consumer spending decisions. As such, each one of us can contribute to the success of female-driven enterprise. WomenLed is a showcase of female talent. It gives founders the chance to tell their story and inspire future generations with examples of real women who have turned their passion into a business. We want young women

Vanessa Conway, founder of Feel.Move.Be. Tonya Kidd-Beggs, founder of STORIES Parfums

“We have in-person Coffee and Cake member meet-ups hosted at Iconic Luxury Hotel properties”

to see the abundance of career opportunities that exist for them.

If we harness our consumer power and buy from female-led businesses, we can really move the needle on the number of companies that move from start-up to scale-up and beyond.

Our special WomenLed mark shows consumers at a glance that a business was founded by or is driven by women.

What are the benefits for your members?

Our business members each get an editorially styled brand page on our platform that showcases their story and products. They can offer benefits and discounts to the community and receive profiling through our content, as well as via speaking engagements, pop-ups and panel discussions. We have a monthly Mastermind where we come together under Chatham House rules to share and troubleshoot, and in-person Coffee and Cake member meetups, hosted at Iconic Luxury Hotel properties. Members can also use our WomenLed mark to show they are a women-driven brand. Among our women-founded member brands are Scentered, Beija London, Stories Parfums, Flowerbx, Ethos of London, Mauli Rituals and Emmy London.

How do you work with corporate partners?

We work with them to provide access to Thought Leadership and practical knowledge for our members. Our partners include Investec Wealth & Investment, Collyer Bristow, James Oakley Media and Iconic Luxury Hotels.

Lydia Roscoe, founder of A Beautiful Life Vicktesha Cunningham, founder of Vtessia Julia Elliot Brown, founder of Enter the Arena