Be Bold! Curing a "women's events avoider".

OML Admin
May 3
4 min read

Updated: May 4

Our CEO Natalie Collins reflects on attending the Be Bold Now conference in London last week.

I generally avoid women’s events. I know that’s an odd thing to say given that I’ve dedicated my life to making women’s lives better. However, women’s events have this tendency to reduce women to a particular notion of femininity; beauty products and Prosecco abound, and women’s roles as intimate partners and mothers may feature in ways that suggest singleness is a sub-par option for women.

Which was why I embarked on the journey from Sunderland to London with some trepidation, ready to be a speaker for the annual Be Bold for Change conference. Founded by Nickie Smith and Kate Isler in the US in 2015, this is the fourth year they’ve had a London event; last year marked their first event in Paris. Though not strictly women only, the events are designed by and for women.

This year’s event took place at Taboola Europe’s rather fancy HQ (no one was able to tell me how they got a London Black Cab into their second floor foyer in Aldgate House). With almost 200 guests in attendance and all speakers given a strict 10-minute slot, there was lots to be organised by the almost entirely volunteer run team. Delicious canapes, Be Bold branded cakes(!) and scores of interesting women filled the space as we awaited the beginning of the event. Women who’d attended previous years assured me this was the best event in the media sector’s calendar; every year they told me they leave inspired and enthused.

I’d brought the amazing founder of Feathers Futures, Jo Critch (on LinkedIn HERE), as my guest and was delighted that my friend Wendy and women from the Good Company in Surrey (who have been successfully running the DAY Programme, which I developed, in their local secondary school for the last few months) had come along to cheer me on.

The event started right on time, and as Kiessé Lamour took to the stage, my anxieties about stereotypes and hyper-femininity dissipated. Her electric energy and celebration of each speaker kept us wide awake and whoop whooping throughout the evening.

Afua Basoah began by sharing the passion for science and storytelling that informs all of her work, right up to her present day offering venture capital to women’s healthtech startups; she began by celebrating her daughter and concluded by honouring her mother and grandmother.

It was her own journey to motherhood that drove Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris to build support for pregnant and new mothers. She spoke of the challenges of not fitting in and of the way that an investor’s “no”, that felt so final, became a gift to get her where she needed to be.

Bella Shephard was interviewed by 16-year-old Priyanka Purkaystha, who is part of the Be Bold Girls initiative. Both showed that girls and young women are not only our future, they are our present as they show up authentically and secure more places for women in the motorsports industry and beyond (check out https://girlsontrackuk.org). I can’t wait to see our soon-to-be-pilotted Inspired to...Own My Life girls’ course enable girls to own their lives now and into the future (find out more HERE).

Next up was Nicole Blythe whose son inspired her to change careers to create inclusive educational spaces for all children. Nicole’s challenge to us was to create a spaces where everyone can have their gifts recognised and celebrated; and we learned a bit about how her son had been supported to do just that,

Amber Probyn and Hazel McShane bringing the sisterhood.

I shared some of my story. Encouraging all those present to know that there is always the possibility of joy, no matter what we are facing (for those interested in the documentary that was mentioned at the event, you can watch it HERE).

Next, Amber Probyn and Hazel McShane brought the sisterhood. After telling us about their invention of Peequal; a brilliant women’s urinal, they shared their experience of working together, gaining investment and growing their work. They closed by generously offered to share their knowledge with any women struggling to move forward with their own projects.

Chloe Davies was the penultimate speaker, taking us on a journey through the different rooms in her house; asking whether the issue is not having a voice, or not being able to hold onto our voice? She brought wisdom, calm and clarity. She was followed by Be Bold for Change co-founders Nickie and Kate, who spoke about the need for women to give and invest in other women, they also pointed out that we must all be willing to gain something from others as well. Women are often very good at giving out, but less good at asserting what they need and asking for those needs to be met.

The event was closed by comedian Helen Lederer who, alongside making us laugh, expressed a sense of overwhelm at the brilliance of women that I suspect a lot of us in the room felt.

The evening was a celebration of brilliant women; those in attendance, those speaking and those mentioned. I left feeling a little cured of my suspicion that women’s events mean make-up, frills, tissues and issues, and feeling a lot grateful to have been part of an evening of celebration, joy, sisterhood and strength.

Here’s to many more invitations for women and girls to Be Bold!