Five interviews. Five patterns. FoundHer FundHers was created to open up honest conversations about money. What I didn’t expect was how clearly those conversations would reveal the deeper truths about confidence, protection, identity and financial literacy. This is what five women have taught me so far, and why this platform is only just getting started.

From modelling at 17 to styling campaigns, building sets and presenting live on QVC, Emma Lightbown has built a 20-year career rooted in creativity and graft. In this candid STYLISA FoundHers interview, she shares her pivot from “seen and not heard” to finding her voice, the reality of freelance feast and famine, and why fashion should feel like self-care, not pressure.

In a world where inclusion remains conditional, access alone is no longer enough. This article reflects on why building our own structures has become essential, not reactive. Rooted in history and lived experience, it explores the difference between visibility and ownership, and why STYLISA FoundHers exists as a deliberate, enduring act of authorship and power.

In this edition of STYLISA FoundHers, Ngunan Adamu reflects on using media as a tool for empowerment, not exposure. From founding iWoman Academy CIC to shaping national conversations at BBC Radio Merseyside, she shares what it means to lead with integrity, amplify others and build platforms that last.

Income protection is often treated as optional, until it isn’t. In this FoundHer FundHers interview, Michelle Grant explains why protecting your income underpins every other financial decision, how women can plan without panic, and why agency, not fear, should sit at the heart of financial resilience.

There is a stage in the founder journey where visibility is no longer the issue, yet progress still feels elusive. This piece explores the quiet plateau that sits between being seen and being selected, and why clarity, not confidence or more content, is often what moves founders forward.

Farirai Gora didn’t set out to become a founder, she set out to solve a problem. After thirteen years working in insurance, she understood risk, systems, and innovation. But it was living with chronic pain from dysmenorrhea in silence, while continuing to perform at a high level, that gave her a front-row seat to a hidden crisis playing out across workplaces: reproductive health challenges that are silently impacting millions, and costing the UK economy over £20 billion a yea

What do six extraordinary women founders have in common with my own journey? More than I ever expected. In this personal reflection, I share the lessons I’ve learned from the STYLISA FoundHers so far—and how their stories have held up a mirror to my own. From burnout to bold pivots, this piece is about building with purpose, even when the path isn’t clear.

Funmi Olufunwa built Hoops Finance without funding, fluff or jargon. Just clarity, confidence, and purpose. In our FoundHer FundHers interview, she shares how to grow a business on your own terms, protect your mission, and make money make sense.

In this FoundHer FundHers interview, Tara Attfield-Tomes brings the perfect blend of frontline experience and structural insight. She’s bootstrapped her own agency, supported thousands of founders, and now advises on policy and capital allocation at a national level.

This month’s STYLISA FoundHers spotlight features stylist and content creator Lara Grayson. From a full-circle return to Fabulous magazine to a Burberry highlight sparked by her much-loved neighbour videos, Lara shares how authenticity, instinct and human connection have shaped her journey, and what she’s building next.

Your words introduce you long before you arrive. This article explores why language shapes perception, how clarity builds authority, and why founders must treat communication as a strategic asset. When your words finally reflect your true level, everything changes.

From teen stock trader to exited tech founder, Sarah Dowzell’s journey is anything but conventional. In this candid interview, she shares how she raised over £1.6M, navigated imposter syndrome, and learned that funding isn’t just about capital - it’s about the life you want to build. A must-read for any woman building with ambition.

From physiotherapy clinics to conflict zones to AI-powered care platforms, Shainoor Khoja’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. In this latest STYLISA FoundHers feature, she shares how she’s building a global movement through Thriving.ai, and why business must serve both people and purpose.

AI has changed how we work, but not why we do it. In The Age of AI: Why Your Voice Matters More Than Ever, Lisa Maynard-Atem explores why personal branding, clarity, and human connection are still the most powerful differentiators in a world of machine-made content — and why visibility without strategy is just noise.

From teen stock trader to exited tech founder, Sarah Dowzell’s journey is anything but conventional. In this candid interview, she shares how she raised over £1.6M, navigated imposter syndrome, and learned that funding isn’t just about capital - it’s about the life you want to build. A must-read for any woman building with ambition.

What if we stopped waiting for permission—and funded ourselves instead? In this STYLISA FoundHers interview, Nanna S Soenya, founder of OmegaSeven and FundHerShip, shares how she’s flipping the funding model on its head—redistributing £10k per month to Black and Brown women with clarity, intention, and collective power. This isn’t a moment. It’s a model.

Introducing FoundHer FundHers - the latest branch of the STYLISA FoundHers platform. It’s time to move the conversation from visibility to viability. This new strand will spotlight the funders, ex-founders and changemakers working to close the investment gap and build real access to capital for women. We’ve found her. Now let’s fund her. First feature drops Monday 13 October 2025.

Founders don’t fail from a lack of ideas. They fail from too many. In my latest article, I introduce Progress or Park™, a decision-making philosophy that cuts through overwhelm by putting every idea in one of two places: progress it, or park it. No maybes. No wasted energy. Discover how this simple shift creates clarity, momentum, and focus for purpose-driven entrepreneurs.

Every founder has a story, but are you telling the right one? My latest article introduces The Authority Audit, a simple tool to help you check if you’re leading with borrowed credibility, inconsistent messaging, or generic positioning. Discover how to shift into a story that builds lasting authority, visibility, and growth.