In 2020, Miniml began with one woman and one clear belief, that everyday products should work brilliantly while being kind to skin and better for our homes. The founder of Miniml, Emma, turned that belief into reality, building a brand rooted in purpose, not just opportunity.
This International Women’s Day, we’re spotlighting four incredible female founders who have also built businesses with intention - brands that align closely with our values and our community.
Our campaign is a reflection on the invisible weight so many women carry every single day - the responsibility, the resilience, the quiet determination behind what they create. Because while women are building businesses, leading teams, and driving innovation, they’re often doing it while carrying more than the world sees.
The data proves it, too:
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Female-founded businesses receive just 2% of UK venture capital funding
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All-female teams accounted for only 8.2% of equity deals in 2023
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Women still represent only around 20% of business owners in the UK
(British Business Bank)
Progress is happening, but the weight hasn’t disappeared.
The load isn’t just professional, it’s personal, too.
For many women, success sits alongside an invisible second shift: proving their competence, planning, caring, supporting, leading, adapting.
It’s the pressure to be credible in rooms that are still catching up.
The expectation to perform without showing strain.
The emotional responsibility that rarely appears in job titles.
This campaign isn’t about celebrating hustle.
It’s about recognising resilience, and encouraging you to support businesses that care.
Four founders. One shared impact.
Dr Sioned Jones - Co-founder of BoobyBiome
Dr Sioned Jones and her team are dedicating years of research to a problem millions of women face - brestfeeding, yet innovation in its support remains critically underfunded and under-researched.
Driven by both, personal motivation and a clear gap in women’s health, she is building something that doesn’t yet exist - a solution designed to support parents in one of their most vulnerable moments.
Behind the science is an invisible load: repeatedly justifying why this work matters, navigating the funding gap, and advocating for an area of healthcare long overlooked.
For her, this matter is urgent. Baby milk is not just food, it's a microbiome that impacts health outcomes. Unfortunately, the science hasn't evolved with the products that are on the currently market today.
“International women’s Day is about momentum and visibility. It’s about women really pushing boundaries in science, in business, and in society. And that really needs to be celebrated.” - Dr Sioned Jones
Laura Hartnett - Founder of Seep
Laura Hartnett founded Seep to help her own health concerns by reducing microplastics and toxic chemicals at home.
What followed was the reality of trying to change an industry that isn’t built for change - where sustainable alternatives to daily cleaning accessories face higher costs, slower adoption, and constant commercial pressure.
Building a brand in this space means balancing purpose with practicality, often making difficult decisions customers never see.
Yet as consumer awareness shifts towards healthier homes and more conscious products, her definition of success has evolved too - from disruption for its own sake to creating trusted, thoughtful products that people genuinely feel good using in their homes.
“As a founder you doubt yourself a little bit - always. But you’ve just got to have enough confidence that your idea is the right idea.” - Laura Hartnett
Rachel Woolford - Founder of North Studios
Before winning The Apprentice 2024, Rachel Woolford had already built North Studios into a respected boutique fitness brand. But stepping onto a national stage brought a new kind of load: public judgement.
Being evaluated so visibly as a woman comes with layers. Scrutiny on tone. On ambition. On confidence. The pressure not to be “too much,” yet never to shrink. It raises the unspoken question many ambitious women face: do you soften yourself to be accepted, or harden yourself to be heard?
Rachel speaks openly about that tension and her experience in ‘The Apprentice’ final, where she was disproportionately compared to her male rival. She also explains how ambitious women are often misunderstood or shamed for being dominant or assertive in a work place. Winning hasn’t just elevated her profile; it’s shifted how seriously people take her. And that dynamic says as much about perception as it does about success.
Behind the scenes, confidence doesn’t always look loud. It looks like preparation. Resilience. Holding your ground when you’re being watched.
“I’m very proud to be feminine. I can be a girly-girl. But also, in the work place I may come across masculine. It’s something I used to be a bit embarrassed about, but I know it works and that’s how I’ve grown my business. I’m not ashamed to be a bit more dominating - it doesn’t mean that I am masculine.” - Rachel Woolford
Ros Heathcote - Founder of Borough Broth
When Ros started making bone broth in her kitchen, it wasn't a trend. Most people still didn’t know what it was, let alone want to drink it. At early market stalls, she remembers people visibly grimacing at the word bone. Nevertheless, Ros believed in the product and kept going anyway. “I always told people it’s just a slow-cooked stock you can sip as well as cook with,” she explains. “I never really wanted to make it ‘cool’ - it’s just a proper kitchen staple.”
Quickly, that belief started to pay off. Within weeks of producing her first commercial batch, Selfridges Food Hall discovered the brand on Instagram and offered to launch it. “It very rapidly went from a nice idea to something I thought had legs,” she says.
As Borough Broth has grown into a nationally stocked brand, the real challenge has been scaling without compromise. “We’re proud to show people where we source from and how our products are made,” Ros says. “Scaling while retaining quality isn’t easy, but we’re proving it can be done.”
For Ros, International Women’s Day is a moment to keep important conversations visible. “Part of me feels every day should be International Womens Day,” she reflects. “But while inequalities still exist, these moments matter, as they shine a light on what still needs to change.”
Why this matters to Miniml (and our community)
As a female-founded business, Miniml had its own challenges when seeking growth and support in the early stages. As a brand and our team involved, Miniml cares about reducing our customer's load and making live a bit more simple. We do it by creating products that are safe for you, your children, your home, and the planet, so you can cross out one of your daily worries about what nasties may go on your skin and what pollutes your home.
Looking at our community, one thing is clear: the people creating calm, clean, welcoming homes are often women - quietly carrying countless responsibilities every single day.
This campaign isn’t about encouraging women to start businesses.
It’s about recognising what they’ve already built - in companies, communities, and everyday life.
This month, if you choose to support another business - support the one that’s been made with a positive mission, such as these four amazing women.
We're posting full interviews on our socials this week - head to our Instagram to check out!
