We are proud to be a female-founder led business.
This remains the same on International Women's Day each year and every day in between. This year we wanted to use the space provided on IWD, alongside our exisiting platform, to introduce you to some other brilliant female-founded B Corps.
Why is it important to us to support other female-led brands?
As our Chief Squirrel Pip, has often said, 'you can't be what you can't see'. Role models are important, particularly in the professional world, as 76% of business founders claim having a relatable role model is key to building a successful business. Despite this, 78% of female business owners, also surveyed by Innovate UK and the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses), felt they didn't have access to role models the same gender as them, a trend that is repeated for business owners from ethnic minorities. It is clear that the necessary visibility for more diverse entrepeurnerial role models is lacking.
In terms of women in business in particular, there is thought to be an additional £200 billion* that could be unlocked if women in the UK founded businesses at the same rate as their male counterparts.
Ultimately, we know that as a relatively small British nut butter brand we can't solve international inequity via a series of posts, nor would we ever pretend we could. We feel it's important to leave space for others to discuss their own relevant experiences, while showing up and supporting in the best way we can to make a difference. As a female-led business we know this is the area we can help champion, even in a small way, by highlighting fellow successful female-founder led companies.
In line with B Corp Month we have chosen to highlight, celebrate and support those who, like us, are B Corp certified, purpose driven and ensuring their business is positively impacting people and planet. We hope that by seeing the success of others, future entrepeneurs feel inspired, whether that's to create their own business, seek out others or simply #buywomenbuilt.
Fearne & Rosie
Fearne & Rosie was launched in November 2019 in the rolling hills of Yorkshire, by ex-teacher Rachel Kettlewell. Rachel is berry passionate about creating healthy change for children and families. That’s why she’s on a mission to #BRINGBACKTHEJAM and reduce the amount of sugar consumed in households with a jam-tastic range of all natural, reduced sugar, increased fruit jams. Today Fearne & Rosie jams are available in selected Waitrose and Morrison stores as well as online at Ocado and their website www.fearneandrosie.co.uk.
UpCircle Beauty
Struck by the amount of coffee grounds being thrown away at her local coffee shop, UpCircle Beauty Co-founder Anna Brightman was inspired to repurpose the wasted coffee into sustainable circular skincare products. Six years later, UpCircle Beauty have an extensive range of quality skincare that gives salvaged, natural ingredients a new lease of life.
If your goal this year is to become more sustainable then look no further! – UpCircle’s skincare is eco-friendly, affordable, organic, cruelty-free, plastic-free, B-Corp certified and verified by the Vegan Society. UpCircle’s product range has saved literally hundreds of tonnes of valuable skin-loving ingredients from ending up in landfill. They’re doing things differently and have made a name for themselves as the UK’s #1 upcycled beauty brand. Join the community to make upcycled beauty the mainstream. Good for the world. Good for you. What a good idea.
Seep
Seep was founded by Laura, who believes everyone should be able to carry out household chores without hurting our planet. Enter an appealing alternative to polluting plastic products.
Since 2020 Seep have been creating a plastic-free range of home care products, including sponges, cloths and bin liners, that are gentle on people, the planet, and the eye.
All of Seep's cleaning tools are:
✔️ Plastic-free
✔️ Compostable or recyclable
✔️ Free from harsh chemicals
Like Pip, Laura has seen first-hand the power of women supporting women: "There are so many good things about being a woman in this industry. The main thing is that women are so generous with their support to each other, opening their network, providing advice and championing each other's businesses. Our superpower as women is collaboration, and this goes a long way when you're building a startup."
The Cheeky Panda
To understand more about this year's International Women's Day focus of embracing equity visit: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Missions/18707/Equality-versus-Equity-What-s-the-difference-as-we-EmbraceEquity-for-IWD-2023-and-beyond
Read more about Pip's story here.
If you're interested in finding more female-led brands check out www.buywomenbuilt.com
*Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship, HM Treasury 2019
