Some of Britain’s most influential female entrepreneurs, inspirational business leaders and brightest start-ups are in Bristol today for the Festival of Female Entrepreneurs. 
Taking place at the At-Bristol science centre in Millennium Square, the day-long event promises to give delegates powerful insights for starting and scaling their businesses.
Bristol Business News, the official media partner for the event, will be reporting on it later today and in its weekly e-bulletin.
The jam-packed programme includes:
10.00am: Registration opens
10.20am: Welcome from Enterprise Nation
10.30am: Female appetite for risk
A panel of female entrepreneurs talk about their experiences of raising and managing money, and appetite for risk:
- Helen Lacey, managing director, Redberry Recruitment
- Jenny Tooth, CEO, UK Business Angels Association and angel investor/serial entrepreneur in her own right
- Debbie Wosskow, founder, Love Home Swap and chair, UK Sharing Economy
- Jazz Gakhal, director, Direct Line for Business
- Rachel Speed, regional director small business, HSBC
11.00am: How I made it (and plans for growth) with Julie Deane OBE, founder, Cambridge Satchel Company
In 2008 Julie Deane started out at her kitchen table with a £600 budget and the aim of paying her children’s school fees. Fast forward eight years and Cambridge Satchel Company now has five stores and sells products all over the world. Find out how Julie made it in this inspiring talk.
11.30am: Coffee break
12.00pm: Digital divas with Kate Cox, CMO of 123 Reg
Kate Cox of 123 Reg shows how women are performing in the digital world, and will be talking about the tools and skills you need to maximise opportunities from the web.
12.30pm: Tech tactics
A panel of corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and media talk about where technology is taking us and how your business can benefit:
- Tara Rule, head of trading performance and chair of the Women’s Network, O2, Telefónica UK
- Jess Butcher, founder, Blippar
- Alex Depledge, founder, Hassle.com and chair, Coadec
- Jamie Middleton, editor, TechSPARK
- Catherine Flynn, head of EMEA agency team, global business marketing, Facebook
- Suzanne Homewood, sales director, Samsung
1.00pm: Lunch
Explore the nearby city centre and find your favourite eatery
2.00pm: Peak performance
Meet a panel of entrepreneurs who believe you have to be well to do well and have built a business around this concept:
- Helena Hills, co-founder, Truestart Coffee
- Chris Bailey, co-founder, Disrupt Sports
- Leanne Spencer, founder, Bodyshot Performance and author of Rise and Shine: Recover from burnout and get back to your best
- Mel Bound, founder, This Mum Runs
2.30pm: A nation of shopkeepers
A panel of entrepreneurs talk about how they started a successful retail business and how they sold into retail stores:
- Oliver Tress, founder, Oliver Bonas
- Helen Walbey, director, Recycle Scooters
- Rosie Wolfenden, founder, Tatty Devine
3.00pm: The Small Business Sessions: Live!
A live recording of the Small Business Sessions, Enterprise Nation’s podcast, with BBC Radio Bristol presenter, Emily Chiswell and founder of Henpicked, Deborah Garlick. Henpicked is one of the UK’s largest, fastest-growing websites for women who weren’t born yesterday.
3.30pm: How I made it: Rachel Clacher, co-founder, Moneypenny
Rachel Clacher tells how she’s grown Moneypenny from two to 470 staff and become Wrexham’s largest private employer
4.00pm: Coffee
4.30pm: From the South West to the world
A panel of Enterprise Nation members who are exporting across the globe are interviewed by head of content, Dan Martin
- Joanna Morgan, founder, Radnor Preserves
- Krisi Smith, founder, Bluebird Tea Company
- Gaby Lixton, founder, Turtletots
5.00pm: Life’s a pitch!
Selected companies will pitch to a panel of judges to be crowned Enterprise Nation Female Start-Up of the Year
Judges:
- Mike Jackson, CEO, Webstart Bristol
- Alison Edgar, founder, Sales Coaching Solutions
- Chloe Tingle, 2015 Female Start-up of the Year
- Catherine Flynn, head of EMEA agency team, global business marketing, Facebook
5.30pm: How to develop your passion project with TEDxBristol
Mel Rodrigues, creative director, and Matt Mullan, digital and partnerships manager at TEDxBristol, discuss the importance of following dreams, innovating change and doing things differently. They’ll leave you inspired to devote time to the projects you believe in, beyond the immediate financial gain.
6.00pm: Drinks reception
Join us for a private drinks reception on the ground floor exhibition of ‘At Bristol’.
8.00pm: Event close
