Wellness Warriors: the women reshaping the health and fitness industry



    Celebrate International Women’s Month with us at the British Library as we bring together an inspiring panel discussion with five boundary-breaking women entrepreneurs who are transforming the health and fitness industry. As part of our Inspiring Entrepreneurs series, this event provides a unique chance to hear from influential women business founders and put your questions to them.

    Our ’wellness warriors’ will share their extensive experience of setting up and scaling personal training businesses, fitness apps, pioneering athletic wear brands and more. With the fitness industry valued at just under $100 billion globally last year* and with the Olympics fast approaching, these women have harnessed the booming interest in health and wellbeing to establish innovative brands, programmes and communities focused on empowerment and inclusivity.

    Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur curious about the landscape or an established founder looking to stay ahead of the curve, this session will leave you feeling inspired, informed and ready to take the next step.

    *Statista, August 2023

    On the day, you can expect to:

    • Gain valuable insights into the evolution of fitness entrepreneurship and innovations reshaping the health and wellbeing industry
    • Explore emerging business models in health and fitness - from apps to in-person clubs to community-focused chains
    • Discuss how businesses and individuals are supporting marginalised communities within the fitness industry
    • Analyse how fitness brands leverage social media, influencer marketing, and ecommerce to grow their audiences
    • Understand how fitness influencers build successful brands and e-commerce identities
    • Get answers to your specific questions to propel you forward in your business journey.

Speakers

Kayleigh Benoit

Founder of BIND London

Rhian Stephenson

Founder of ARTAH HEALTH and former CEO of Psycle

Matilda Egere-Cooper

Founder of Fly Girl Collective

Ciara Madden

Founder of Body by Ciara fitness app and personal trainer

Leanne Pero

Founder of Black Women Rising

Yashmin Harun BEM

Founding Chair of Muslimah Sports Association (MSA)

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How to build an engaging website

London libraries are transforming the way ideas grow into successful businesses. By partnering with ten London boroughs, we are developing a community of new and existing business owners, which is free to join and open to everyone. Whether you are just setting out, need advice on protecting your intellectual property, or simply have a brilliant idea you want to discuss, we're here to guide you. Since April 2020, we have offered all of our Start-ups in London Libraries' services online, including our core workshops and virtual one-to-ones with our borough Business Champions, many of whom will be hosting sessions during Start-up Day. To find out more about Start-ups in London Libraries and how to join our thriving business community, visit bl.uk/SiLL.

A website is a fundamental part of starting your business. And in this increasingly digital world, your website is more and more your store front, it has to reflect your brand.

This event is for individuals who would like to learn how to build a website for their business using a well-known website builder. You will learn where to start when building a website, how to plan your customer journey and how to fulfil the accessibility requirements. As well as creating a sleekly-functioning website, we will also share tips on how to make it look good.

Afterwards, there will be a discussion and Q&A led by Loretta Awuah (Greenwich Start-ups in London Libraries’ SME Champion) and Mark Berbeck (Lewisham Start-ups in London Libraries’ SME Champion) around other ways to build your business’ online presence, such as social media platforms, SEO, e-mail marketing, influencer marketing etc.

Wellness Warriors: the women reshaping the health and fitness industry


Celebrate International Women’s Month with us at the British Library as we bring together an inspiring panel discussion with five boundary-breaking women entrepreneurs who are transforming the health and fitness industry. As part of our Inspiring Entrepreneurs series, this event provides a unique chance to hear from influential women business founders and put your questions to them.

Our ’wellness warriors’ will share their extensive experience of setting up and scaling personal training businesses, fitness apps, pioneering athletic wear brands and more. With the fitness industry valued at just under $100 billion globally last year* and with the Olympics fast approaching, these women have harnessed the booming interest in health and wellbeing to establish innovative brands, programmes and communities focused on empowerment and inclusivity.

Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur curious about the landscape or an established founder looking to stay ahead of the curve, this session will leave you feeling inspired, informed and ready to take the next step.

*Statista, August 2023

On the day, you can expect to:

Gain valuable insights into the evolution of fitness entrepreneurship and innovations reshaping the health and wellbeing industryExplore emerging business models in health and fitness - from apps to in-person clubs to community-focused chainsDiscuss how businesses and individuals are supporting marginalised communities within the fitness industryAnalyse how fitness brands leverage social media, influencer marketing, and ecommerce to grow their audiencesUnderstand how fitness influencers build successful brands and e-commerce identitiesGet answers to your specific questions to propel you forward in your business journey.

Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Gaming for Business


In a world driven by innovation and customer engagement, businesses are constantly seeking fresh approaches to captivate their audience and elevate their performance. As an industry that has always harnessed the power of technology, the recent growth of tools such as artificial intelligence and increased online connectivity have contributed to the growing influence the gaming industry is having on the business world.

From the creative minds behind engineering, designing and developing games, to the gamification of business tools for customer acquisition and marketing, the integration of gaming with the business world has reached new heights of significance and legitimacy.

As online technologies continue to evolve, their ever-growing influence on society – particularly on the next generation of entrepreneurs – has become undeniable.

Join a panel of gaming and design industry experts, as they explore how the fusion of game mechanics, psychology, cutting-edge design and technology can breathe new life into traditional industries, invigorating employee engagement, customer loyalty and overall business success.

On the day, guests and attendees can expect to join an engaging and thought-provoking panel discussion where they will:

Get into the spirit of gaming by joining us for a free gaming and chill session in the afternoon before the event. Gaming equipment including PlayStation 5’s, Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets and a variety of games to choose from will be available in the Knowledge Centre’s Eliot room from 14:00. Come along and get involved! All equipment will be provided by Bryght.Learn about the role that gaming is playing in today’s business landscapeGain a deeper understanding of the power of gaming influencers in marketing strategiesExplore the various business models within the gaming industryLearn about the platforms and resources connecting the gaming industry with the broader business realmUncover the strategies used by our panellists to navigate challenges in their workJoin discussions about the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the gaming world, and how these entrepreneurs actively engage with this.

Following this there will be a Q&A. For those joining us in person, the event will be followed by a networking reception with drinks meeting with other attendees, as well as the speakers.

For those joining us online, the event will run from 18.30 – 20.30

In conversation with Irene Agbontaen, founder of TTYA London

In this, the second of our two Inspiring Entrepreneurs interviews on Start-up Day, we meet and hear from Irene Agbontaen, founder of fashion brand TTYA London, in conversation with Anis Qizilbash.

Irene’s company TTYA - or Taller Than Your Average - is a fashion apparel brand for taller women, supplying a market that Irene - standing at 5’11’’ - knew was underserviced. TTYA launched in Selfridge’s in 2013, becoming their first tall-specific brand. TTYA has gone on to have a home in Barneys New York and was the first pioneering tall brand to debut on ASOS.com. Irene’s designs have been worn by major celebrities.

In this discussion Irene will be speaking about how she has navigated the industry and gone on to secure contracts with major stockists whilst keeping a very strong commitment to herself, her beliefs about inclusivity and to the essence of the business. There will also be lots of practical advice about how to truly be the face and voice of your brand, and how social media, e-commerce, endorsements and collaborations are all just as much a part of modern businesses as much as planning, accounting and sales.

Whether you are starting up in fashion, or another sector, you may find yourself being expected to change and conform to fit in with the establishment. Irene talks powerfully about her inner voice to resist this and how that, ultimately, has strengthened the business. For TTYA’s first catwalk show at Lagos Fashion Week in 2018 it was a team comprised solely of women of colour that went with her.

We all face a very challenging retail landscape in the light of the pandemic and changes in consumer spending. We’ll talk to Irene about how TTYA has faced this past year and what the future holds. Having played just a small role in TTYA’s story at the beginning, as Irene accessed stats on consumers from our market research databases to help progress her business, the BIPC is so happy to work with Irene again to inspire you as you begin your business now.

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