Seven Sussex entrepreneurs named among 2023’s most inspiring female founders

The f:Entrepreneur campaign was launched in 2017 to raise greater awareness of the impact of incredible female business owners across the country, and help provide inspiration and role models to the wider small business community.

Seven women from Sussex have been named among the UK’s most inspirational and dynamic female entrepreneurs by the f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ campaign.

Allegra Chapman, Co-Creator of Watch This Sp_ce, Helen Vits, Founder of Lovingly Local, Jenny Legg, Founder of Training Legs First Aid, Lisa Baskott, Founder of 2nd Line of Defence, Pam Gordon, Franchise Consultant at The Franchising Centre and Franchisee of Rise.Life, Roxy van der Post, Founder of Myosotis Film & Photography, and Susan Payton, Founder of The Business of Stories, are being profiled alongside 100 female entrepreneurs from across the country, as part of the campaign to celebrate the multi-achievements of women running businesses in the UK today.

The f:Entrepreneur campaign was launched in 2017 to raise greater awareness of the impact of incredible female business owners across the country, and help provide inspiration and role models to the wider small business community. Delivered by Small Business Britain – the leading champion of small businesses in the UK - the campaign offers a host of events, training, and networking opportunities to boost skills, capability, and confidence.

The f:Entrepreneur ‘#ialso100’ line-up particularly sets out to showcase trailblazing female founders who lead purpose-driven businesses alongside a roster of other responsibilities, such as volunteering, mentoring and community support.

Meet the six Sussex entrepreneurs being recognised for their varied achievements.

Allegra Chapman – Watch This Sp_ceAllegra co-founded Watch This Sp_ce, a multi-award-winning diversity and inclusion consultancy with her business partner, Mo Kanjilal, in 2020 – right at the beginning of the first Covid-19 lockdown. As the world of work was forced to change, Watch This Sp_ce set out to help organisations to reimagine work completely to make it work better for everyone. They now offer audits, training and strategic support to help organisations work out how to get started with diversity and inclusion, and make meaningful progress towards their goals. Allegra is also a Trustee of Enterprise Junction, a charity that supports people who face additional barriers to start their own business, and Founder of the platform After Birth, which helps birthing parents to transition into their new role and campaigns for better support for them. Allegra is also a writer and a mum to two young children.

Helen Vits – Lovingly LocalLovingly Local helps businesses that are stuck find what is missing by unearthing their inner magic and authentic sweet spot. Connecting with entrepreneurs, business owners, and brands wholeheartedly, founder Helen Vits, invests and commits to businesses on all levels with her conscious and intuitive methods of business development. She is passionate about supporting start-ups and using her worldwide experience to support others on their journey. Alongside this she also designed and developed her own range of sustainably-minded wellness corporate gifts during lockdown, as she believes gifts that come from the heart stay with us forever.

Jenny Legg – Training Legs First AidTraining Legs First Aid delivers Physical and Mental Health First Aid. Founder Jenny’s main passion and focus for 2023 is raising awareness around her Bra Off Defib On campaign. This campaign is about the importance of taking the bra off when using a Defibrillator. Women are 30% less likely to survive because the bra hasn’t been removed. #GetYourTitsOutForThePads.

Lisa Baskott – 2nd Line of Defence2nd Line of Defence is a front line security recruitment agency that prioritises people instead of premises. The aim is to bring front line security into the 21st century by providing safety, security and peace of mind to help vulnerable people reclaim their night; because Founder Lisa believes that a great night out should end as well as it began! Lisa was inspired to start 2nd Line of Defence following the murder of Sarah Everard, and her realisation that the security sector needed more staff with awareness of the different needs of venue users. Lisa is also a magistrate, in which role she helps to encourage diversity and inclusion.

Pam Gordon – The Franchising Centre / Rise.Life BrightonIn true #ialso100 style, Pam Gordon is involved with a couple of businesses and some volunteer projects. Pam has been operating for the last 9 years as a Franchise Consultant, under a brand The Franchising Centre, specialising in working with businesses that want to expand using franchise and licensing models; as well as talking to those who are looking to buy into franchises. In late 2022, she practiced what she has been preaching for 20+ years and bought a franchise, with a new franchise concept, Rise.Life, which provides seated sports activities into settings such as care homes, so she is looking to grow this across Sussex.

Roxy van der Post – Myosotis Film & PhotographyMyosotis Film & Photography is all about brand storytelling as a force for social and environmental change. Founder Roxy van der Post (she/her) empowers business leaders and community changemakers to harness the power of their story by encouraging them to collaborate on the production of their brand videos and lifestyle photographs.

Susan Payton – The Business of StoriesSusan Payton is a story strategist, copywriter, messaging geek, coach, consultant and author. In a noisy world, where it’s getting harder and harder to stand out from the crowd and be heard above the noise, Susan is passionate about showing business owners how to clearly articulate their value and speak to the right people, at the right time, with a simple message and a great story. Her book, The Business of Stories, quickly became a UK and US #1 bestseller on Amazon after its release in March 2022, knocking Dragon’s Den star Stephen Bartlett off the top spot!