Founder Stories

Founder Stories is a collection of real experiences from female founders in the Female Founders Rise community. Each story covers the honest journey of building, scaling or exiting a business, including insights on funding, growth challenges, and lessons learned along the way.

Last updated: 11 July 2026

TL;DR

This page shares inspiring stories from female founders, highlighting their journeys, challenges, and lessons from building successful businesses. Explore real experiences from women entrepreneurs across different sectors, including how they overcame obstacles, found support, and grew their ideas into meaningful ventures.

Chantal Epp: "My First Five Investors Were All Named Dave."

By Chantal Epp

Chantal Epp - Founder & CEO of ClicknClear, on turning a music copyright lawsuit into a global music rights tech company, raising £1.7M as a female founder, and building the gold standard for IP licensing.

Victoria Garcia: "Success is When Major Industry Players Are Competing to Work With My Adhesive."

By Victoria Garcia

Victoria Garcia - Scientist and founder of BindEthics and Quick Labs, on bridging research and real-world impact, building a green tech adhesive company, and growing Yorkshire's innovation ecosystem.

Emmie Faust: "I Learned When I Was 25 that I Absolutely Love Being an Entrepreneur."

By Emmie Faust

Emmie Faust - The founder of Female Founders Rise on starting businesses by accident, the value of starting in your spare time, and why you should always back yourself.

Victoria Peppiatt: "The Way You Overcome Fear of Failure is by Doing the Research."

By Victoria Peppiatt

Victoria Peppiatt - One of Hey Savi's three female co-founders talks about the importance of knowing your market, being customer obsessed and how building something meaningful drives you forward.

Siddhi Mittal: "At the Beginning People Will Think You're Crazy."

By Siddhi Mittal

Siddhi Mittal - Co-founder of yhangry, on taking risks, believing in yourself and the changes needed to make funding fairer for female founders.

Sascha Evans: "We Are Often at the Edges, and We Often Understand Problems in a Different Way."

By Sascha Evans

Sascha Evans - The CEO & creative director of We the Creators talks about the power of diversity for innovation, jumping into business with both feet.

Rebekah Clark: "Nobody Else Knows Better Than You What it is You're Trying to Achieve."

By Rebekah Clark

Rebekah Clark - The founder & CEO of Happy Marlo Studio talks about starting a business that's meaningful to you, the power of introspection, and staying true to your vision.

Annie Bartley: "We're Never too Small or Insignificant to Make a Difference."

By Annie Bartley

Annie Bartley - Founder & Creative Director of I Am Female, a queer-led brand communications agency, talks about reclaiming the idea of 'difficult women' and prioritising your mental health.

Eva Thorne: "I Want Garden of Eva to Be the Kind of Business That Provides Economic Opportunities for Women in Need."

By Eva Thorne

Eva Thorne - The founder and CEO of the Garden of Eva talks about bringing flavours of the American South to the UK, the challenges of food entrepreneurship.

Ren Yi Hooi: "I Knew I Wanted to do Something with More Purpose and Impact."

By Ren Yi Hooi

Ren Yi Hooi - The founder of Lightning Reach talks about stumbling across a problem to solve, bringing people along with you, and the difficulties of fundraising.

Catherine Ann Reid: "I Always Knew the Nine to Five Was Never Going to Suit Me. I'm too Maverick."

By Catherine Ann Reid

Catherine Ann Reid - The founder of doqit app talks tenacity, finding your why and the importance of supporting female-founded businesses.

Pamela Aculey: "Paint the Picture That You Want the World to See."

By Pamela Aculey

Pamela Aculey - The CEO and founder of Just Like Me books on the importance of joy and laughter, defining your own narrative, and learning from setbacks.