Last month we looked at the groundbreaking women who changed the world of business forever. Now it’s time to look to the future and to the female entrepreneurs who are blazing a trail in 2018. The list is just a small sample of the innovative, socially-conscious and potentially world-changing work that women in business are doing today.
Erin Michelson, Summery
Successful banker Erin Michelson found herself unfulfilled by her high-flying career, so did what might seem predictable at first – quit, went travelling and set up a charitable organisation. But the story doesn’t end there. From her own experiences, and with more and more people looking for meaningful work and to contribute to social good, she decided to turn to data analytics to give employers a better idea of candidates’ social priorities and charitable giving. Summery helps companies shape their charitable and CSR policies and better engage employees by aligning their values.
Teresa Cauvel and Sona Shah, Neopenda
Newborn mortality rates remain shockingly high in developing nations, something two bio-med students from the University of Columbia are hoping to tackle with medtech. Cauvel and Shah have created a low-cost wearable, Neopenda, which monitors four vitals, building a business model as part of a college project to meet an unmet medical need.
From research in neonatal units, they heard first-hand from the doctors that vital-signs monitoring would make a huge difference in their newborn patients’ lives, and have now dedicated themselves to the product full-time. They are currently seeking government approval from trials in Uganda in order to expand across East Africa.
Pae Natwilai Utoomprurkporn, TRIK
Having grown up in Bangkok, Pae Natwilai Utoomprurkporn’s interest in drones began while studying Global Innovation Design at Imperial College London. There she realised a way to apply the technology for better safety and structural checks in the construction industry.
She describes TRIK as ‘Google Maps for large structure inspection’, gathering more detailed information and thorough assessment of buildings remotely. The device eliminates the need for scaffolding, ropes, and humans operating at height or in dangerous situations.
Claire Spencer, Data Solver
A qualified barrister and former Group Head of Compliance of the largest property services group in the UK, Claire Banwell Spencer developed Data Solver as a solution to impending GDPR reforms, helping companies to automate many of the requirements of the regulations through case management processing and risk mapping.
Having experienced first-hand the pain of data breach and loss during her law career, it was already an area close to her heart – searching for and realising there was no single software product available to help with GDPR was the final straw. Data Solver was developed during her time at Cranfield University with fellow MBA student Vinay Nagaraju.
