9.00am-10.00am: Registration and coffee

10.00am: Welcome and introduction from Ann Elliott and Shereen Ritchie

10.00am-10.20am: Jo Fleet, managing director of Caravan, and Caroline Ottoy, managing director of WatchHouse, discuss the need for impact, resilience and confidence in building a career.

10.30am-10.50am: Panel: Deena Ataie, chief executive of Heriots Patisserie, Emma Reynolds, founder of Tonkotsu, and Jordan Davids, co-founder of Chickpea Group, talk about starting a successful business and keeping it that way.

10.50am-11.10am: Alex Head, owner and founder of Social Pantry, discusses how attention to detail is critical in creating and delivering a consistent hospitality brand.

11.10am-11.30am: Panel: Shereen Ritchie talks to Emma Woods, chair and board director, Eadaoin McDonagh, chief operating officer of White Rabbit Projects, and Naddy Onions, marketing director of Prezzo Italian, about the power of mentoring.

11.30am-12.00pm: Panel: Sara McKennedy, managing director of Coco di Mama, Charlotte Heyes, co-founder and director of Nells Pizza, and Jules Pearson, vice-president of food and beverage development at Ennismore, talk about designing a menu that drives profitability and loyalty.

12.00pm-1.00pm: Lunch

1.00pm-1.25pm: Ann Elliott talks to Roisin Currie, chief executive of Greggs, about her leadership style and the company’s emphasis on nurturing and protecting a strong internal culture.

1.25pm-1.50pm: Moni Mannings, FTSE 100 non-executive director, founder of EPOC, and chair of the Honours Diversity and Outreach Committee, talks about the power of self-belief and confidence.

1.50pm-2.15pm: Panel: Sarah Mackenzie, chief executive of Storal, Cheryl Hadland, founder and chair of Tops Day Nurseries, and Clare Roberts, founder and chief executive of Kids Planet, discuss the world of children’s nurseries and the vital role they play in helping women achieve their dreams.

2.15pm-2.40pm: Coffee Break

2.40pm-3.00pm: Sylvia Perera, owner and chef at Columbo Kitchen, discusses her journey from start up to success, including winning National Chef of the Year at the Asian Restaurant Awards 2024 and a prestigious two-star Great Taste Award from the Guild of Fine Food in 2024.

3.00pm-3.25pm: Debbie Whittingham, JD Wetherspoon employee director and regional manager for the West Midlands, and Emma Gibson, Wetherspoon associate employee director and pub manager of The Imperial in Exeter, discuss bringing the female perspective on to the board from the shopfloor.

3.25pm-4.00pm: Diane Jervis, co-founder and director of F1 Arcade, talks about shaping consumer concepts at creation and early stage, getting them ready for successful launch and beyond.

4.00pm-4.30pm: Kim Innes, founder and chief executive of Humble Crumble, was 23 when she began to trial the selling of deconstructed crumble at farmers’ markets in 2018. Today, aged 29, she has five sites at Camden Market, Borough Market, Covent Garden, Old Spitalfields Market and Bicester – her Humble Crumble sites in Borough Market regularly has the longest queues of any business in the area. Her sales have doubled each year, and she has had to move four times in Old Spitalfields Market, each time to larger premises. She discusses her journey and why she recommends The Lean Startup, which advocates the test-feedback-loop process, with her sales today at more than £8m.