How Female Entrepreneurs are Changing the World
Three leading businesswomenmaking their mark
Female entrepreneurship is growing across Europe. And while there is still much progress to be made before we see the number of female CEOs matching their male counterparts, the increasing number of c-suite-level businesswomen is good news.
With this in mind, we’re shining a light on three formidable female entrepreneurs who have become trailblazers in their industries. Whether it’s tackling food wastage or improving education through the power of AI, these entrepreneurs are doing far more than running successful businesses.
Meet three businesswomen changing our world!
Jenny Costa, CEO of Rubies in the Rubble – Changing how we eat, one pear at a time
‘Consumers are looking for businesses that have a purpose at the heart of it.’
Jenny’s business: Rubies in the Rubble is a leading food brand that repurposes discarded fruit and vegetables into favourite household condiments, such as ketchup or mayonnaise. Having started as a weekend venture out of Borough Market in London, Jenny’s range can now be found in some of the biggest UK supermarkets and restaurants.
How Jenny is changing the world: After seeing pallets full of fresh fruit and vegetables being discarded, 20-year-old Jenny made it her mission to make consumers see the value in the food we eat. While recognises reducing food waste ‘is not a sexy subject’, Jenny is adamant that consumers everywhere are looking to buy into companies who are led by a powerful purpose.
Through Rubies in the Rubble, Jenny gives second life to food waste. Whether it’s ketchup made from surplus pears or mayonnaise created using aquafaba, Jenny and her team waste nothing when it comes to producing their condiments. The result? Rubies in the Rubble has raised awareness of the value of ‘ugly’ food by producing an award-winning product and creating a sustainable business model.
Priya Lahkani, CEO of CENTURY Tech – Using digital and data to provide better education
‘You don’t want to be yesterday’s company. You want to be today and tomorrow’s business.’
Priya’s business: CENTURY Tech is an award-winning teaching and learning platform for students at primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities. Using artificial intelligence, neuroscience and learning science, CENTURY’s goal is to help lessen the workload on teachers at all levels while providing students with detailed analysis to help them learn.
How Priya is changing the world: Speaking at #ThoseWhoDare, an event hosted by Vodafone Business, Priya discussed how, as a child on holiday in East Africa, she would see children deprived of basic resources and decided these problems of poverty ‘rested squarely on her six-year-old shoulders’. Inspired by what she saw to create a business that would help provide underprivileged children with a means to acquire the key skills to break out of poverty’s vicious circle, CENTURY Tech was born.
With the power of artificial intelligence, combined with neuroscience and teaching, Priya and CENTURY have built a machine which, in her own words, ‘learns how your brain learns within seconds’. By integrating this tool into schools, Priya has provided teachers with the ability to easily identify why their students struggle to learn certain subjects, ultimately helping to improve these students’ education.
Samantha Vallejo-Nágera, celebrity chef, jury member of Masterchef Spain – Cooking up business success
‘I have taken the pandemic as an opportunity.’
Samantha’s business: While primarily known for her position on the judges’ board on the Spanish version of the acclaimed cooking show Masterchef, Samantha’s career extends much further than her time on TV. Earning her culinary stripes under legendary chefs Paul Bosce and Juan Mari Arzak, Samantha has gone on to become a widely successful chef, running restaurants, organising weddings and leading catering businesses.
How Samantha is changing the world: The restaurant business is renowned for its competitiveness and ferocity, even for the most accomplished of chefs. With the devasting impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry at large, many restaurants have struggled to find the same success since the beginning of the pandemic.
But, instead of succumbing to the seemingly inevitable, Samantha has faced the challenge head on by revolutionising her businesses through incorporating new products, restructuring her business models and expanding their digital presence. Samantha has become a leading example to young female chefs everywhere and shown that with determination you can overcome any obstacle.
Feeling inspired? Find out more from our #ThoseWhoDare female entrepreneurs here.
