Discover our 2020 list here
This International Women's Day, we asked influential icons to nominate 10 trailblazing women who they believe are redefining the creator landscape. The result? A unique and incredible list of 200 trailblazing women breaking barriers and inspiring change!
Only 36% of jobs in the creative sector are currently filled by women. At the top of the tree there’s an even bigger problem - women make up only 11% of Creative Directors.
In an attempt to change this, our month-long takeover will extend International Women’s Day to International Women’s Month, only featuring women on the platform and only featuring projects created by women. Our aim is to inspire the next generation of creative leaders and to shine a spotlight on a diverse and brilliant mix of women!
Together we can make a better and more diverse creative industry.
Yana Peel
CEO of the Serpentine Galleries since 2016. Peel is a co-founder of the Outset Contemporary Art Fund and Intelligence Squared Asia, and was CEO of Intelligence Squared Group from 2013 to 2016. Awarded one of Harper’s Bazaar ‘Women of the Year’ 2017 for her contribution to arts.
Yana's nominations:
Es Devlin - Stage designer
Grace Wales Bonner - Fashion designer
Sondra Perry - New media artist and net neutrality advocate
FeiFei Li - Director of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Lab
Adelita Husni Bey - Artist & urban studies pedagogue
Meriem Bennani - Artist & writer
Cao Fei - Multimedia artist
Lil Miquela - Computer-generated Instagram star
Frida Escobedo - Architect of the 2018 Serpentine Pavillion
Tania Bruguera - Installation, performance and activist artist
Holly Tucker (MBE)
British entrepreneur, philanthropist & UK Ambassador for Creative Small Businesses. Tucker is founder of the online marketplace notonthehighstreet.com and founder of Holly & Co. Tucker was also instrumental in founding ‘The Happy Bricks Foundation’ a non profit charity for disadvantaged children across the globe.
Holly's nominations:
Laura Jordan-Bambach - Co-founder of SheSays and Cannt Festival & CCO of Mr President
Otegha Uwagba - Founder of Women Who
Lola Hoad - Founder of Onegirlband
Charlotte Pearce - Founder & CEO of Inkpact
Simona Barbieri - Founder of Hub Dot
Molly Gunn - Founder, Editor of Selfish Mother
Nikki Cochrane - Co-founder of Digital Mums
Kathryn Tyler - Co-founder of Digital Mums
Emily Coxhead - Founder of The Happy Newspaper
Pip Jamieson - Founder, CEO of The Dots
Tea Uglow
Creative Director at Google Creative Lab specializing in work in culture, art, writing, production and digital technology. Most of Tea’s projects are with charities and international cultural organisations, looking at tech/digital innovation. Tea also speaks about diversity, doubt and is TED speaker and D&AD trustee.
Tea's nominations:
Chloe Meineck - Founder and director at Studio Meineck
Lizi Hamer - Regional Creative Director at Octagon and co-founder of SisuGirls
Tara McKenty - Creative Director at Google APAC
Ngaio Parr - Artist, designer and founder of Make Nice un-conference
Roshni Goyate - Freelance copywriter and co-founder of The Other Box
Leyya Sattar - Designer, event manager and co-founder of The Other Box
Shahnaz Ahmed - Senior Designer at Livity, founder of Knit Aid
Phoenix Perry - Lecturer in Physical Computing and Games at Goldsmiths
Natalie Dennis - Creative Director, Writer, Filmmaker at Google Creative Lab
Sarah Ellis - Director of Digital Development at Royal Shakespeare Company
Haylie Craig - Art Director, We Are Social
Liv Little
Liv Little is the founder of gal-dem - an online and print magazine / community run by women of colour, for everyone. She's worked for organisations such as Women for Refugee Women, and writes about intersectionality, asylum and women's right. Liv is making a big impact into London culture by running gal-dem events from the V&A to Hackney Wick and speaking at big panels such as at the TATE.
Liv's nominations:
Tia Simon-Campbell & Nadine Davis - Co-Founders, BBZ London
Nadine Artois & Skye Cooper Barr - Co-Founders, Pxssy Palace
Leonn Ward - Director and Photographer, Black Dog Films
Dhamirah Coombes & Izzy Loso - Co-Founders, Bossy London
Lala Love - Stylist & Blogger
Roshni Goyate & Leyya Sattar - Co-founders, The Other Box
Mata Marielle - Makeup Artist, MATA LABS
Tanya Compas - Women and Girls Development Officer at The Change Foundation
Natalie & Melissa - Co-Founders, Black Girls BOOK Club
Claire Yurika Davis - Founder, HANGER INC
Kelechi Okafor - Founder, Kelechnekoff Fitness
Kathryn Parsons (MBE)
Kathryn Parsons is a British tech entrepreneur. She is the co-founder and co-CEO of Decoded, a non-executive board member BEIS, sits on the mayor’s business advisory panel and won Marie Claire’s Women at The Top Award 2014. Kathryn was also included on The Sunday Times’ Britain’s Top 30 Female Power List and The Telegraph’s Britons of the Year 2014.
Kathryn's nominations:
Tabitha Goldstaub - Co-founder, CognitionX
Alice Bentinck - Co-founder, Entreprenuers First and Code First: Girls
Phoebe Hugh - CEO & Co-founder, Brolly
Debbie Wosskow - Co-founder, The AllBright
Samantha Payne - Co-founder & COO, Open Bionics
Verity Harding - Co-Lead of DeepMind Ethics & Society
Sarah Wood - Co-founder & CEO, Unruly
Sherry Coutu CBE - Entrepreneur, investor & advisor
Carina Namih - Entrepreneur
Roma Agrawal - Structural Engineer (on The Shard) & Author of BUILT
Zing Tsjeng
Zing Tsjeng is the UK editor of Broadly, VICE's digital platform for women, praised by the Evening Standard as one of the "slickest feminist websites" around. Zing also presents documentaries for VICE – 1.2 million YouTube users watched her latest video, Acid Attacks. Her forthcoming book series, Forgotten Women: The Leaders and the Scientists are released March 2018.
Zing's nominations:
Jade Jackman - Multimedia journalist & filmmaker
Yomi Adegoke & Elizabeth Uviebinené - Co-authors, Slay in Your Lane
Ash Sarkar - Editor, Novar Media
Paula Akpan & Nicole Crentsil - Co-founders, Black Girl Fest
Florence Adepoju - Founder, MDMFlow
Roxy Rezvany - Filmmaker
Patti Harrison - Comedian, actor & writer
Zoe Ligon - Sex educator & artist
Nafia Bakkar & Selina Bakkar - Co-founders, Amaliah
Chidera Eggerue - blogger, speaker and presenter
Paula Scher
Paula Scher is an international design icon; a graphic designer, painter and art educator. Paula was the first female principal at Pentagram, which she joined in 1991. Most famous for her map pieces that interweave location with text, Paula holds permanent collections in New York, Washington, Denver, Zurich and Paris and is on the AIGA’s national board and is in the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame.
Paula's nominations:
Julia Hoffman - Senior Creative Director, Etsy
Courtney Gooch - Independent Designer
Brankica Harvey - Associate Partner, Pentagram
Kirstin Huber - Visual and performing artist
Dr. Nelly Ben Hayoun
Nelly Ben is a multi award-winning experience designer, working with scientists and engineers to devise events and experiences that are, literally, out of this world. Adding to her belt of over 50 awards, Nelly Ben has spoken and exhibited around the world in over 100 instances and is the Director of ‘University of the Underground’ a tuition free postgraduate university hosted at the Sandberg Instituut.
Nelly's nominations:
Lauren Alexander // Foundland - Art collective
Good Wives and Warriors - Illustrators
Laura Ben Hayoun - Photographer
Holly Herndon - Musician
Zoe Papadopoulou - Artist
Edna Pletchetero - Independent Music Professional
Marguerite Humeau - Artist
Chloe McClellan - Artist & curator
Dr. Regina Peldszus - Design researcher
Dr. Daisy Ginsberg - Artist, designer, writer
Caitlin Ryan
Regional Creative Director, EMEA, Facebook and Instagram. Formerly Executive Creative Director of Cheil UK and ECD of Proximity BBDO. Under her Creative Directorship the agency won over 200 international and national awards. Caitlin has created award-winning work for clients including VW, P&G, Mars, Kraft, Eurostar and Lloyds. While at Karmarama she was behind the high profile Coppafeel “whatnormalfeelslike” campaign.
Caitlin's nominations:
Pansy Aung - Freelance Senior Creative, Salt and Pepper Creative
Hannah Davies - Creative, Cheil London
Fiona Moseley - Creative, Karmarama
Lottie Marriner - Copywriter, Cheil London
Lisa Morgenthau - Creative & filmmaker
Chloe Davies - Advertising creative & screenwriter
Sarah Morris - Senior art director, Iris
Fi Brown-Hovelt - Copywriter
Laila Milborrow - Art director, Karmarama
Rachel Holding - Creative, Karmarama
Anna Higgs
Film producer, previously Creative Director at award winning video channel Nowness and Head of Digital at Film4. Before NOWNESS, Anna was the Head of Digital at Film4, spearheading innovation with projects such as Ken Loach’s ‘The Spirit of ‘45’ and Sundance-winner ‘Dark Horse’.
Anna's nominations:
Gaylene Gould - Head of Cinema & Events, BFI
Jenn Nkiru - Filmmaker
Jo Allan - Producer
Katie Metcalfe - Commissioner, NOWNESS & Programmer, Sundance Film Festival
Deborah Haywood - Filmmaker
Nahrein Kemp - Film & TV Consultant, Film London
Eva Yates - Commissioning Executive, BBC Films
Vanessa Bakewell - Entertainment Lead, Facebook & Founder, Women in Ents & Digital
Corrina Antrobus - Co-founder, The Bechdel Test Fest
Simran Hans - Writer and Film Critic
Gemma Greaves
Gemma is the Chief Executive of The Marketing Society, a network that she has been growing and nurturing for over a decade. There are now thriving Marketing Society hubs in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai, India and New York. An entrepreneur at heart, Gemma runs her own private club, Cabal, for the restless and humble, creating memorable and unique experiences
Gemma's nominations:
Anne-Lise Johnsen Robb - Senior Manager, Global Youth Marketing, Chelsea FC
Bo Jakubenko - Global Marketing Manager, Treasury Wine Estates
Chi Evi-Parker - Marketing & Digital Director at Monica Vinader Ltd
Claire Koryczan - Managing Partner, Decoded
Linn Frost - Client Services Director, Hometown London
Elle Graham-Dixon - Strategy Director, BBH
Sarah Woodley - Commercial Director, The Marketing Society
Sara Holt - Digital Marketing Director, LEGO
Stephanie Brimacombe - Group Chief Marketing Officer, VCCP
Nicola Kemp - Trends Editor, Haymarket Group, Campaign
Resh Sidhu
Resh Sidhu is the Creative Director of AKQA New York, formerly Digital Creative Director of VR, MR, AR at Framestore. Resh was recently awarded Honorary Doctorate from University of Arts London, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of digital, film, animation and advertising. She was named Top 50 creative leader by Creative Review and voted as one of the World’s Most Creative Women in The Drum earning her the title Queen of VR.
Meet the incredible women of AKQA New York who work with Resh here.
Resh's nominations:
Natalie Deeble - Senior Creative of Brand Studio EMEA at Google
Eliza McNitt - Writer and virtual reality director
Dinushi Perera - Associate Creative Director at AKQA NY
Yelena Rachitsky - Executive producer, Oculus VR
Milica Zec - Director of New Reality Co
Jenn Duong - Immersive VR Director
Clare Anderson - Senior Copywriter at AKQA NY
Taryn Southern - Digital storyteller and artist
Malin Persson - Senior Visual Designer at SapientRazorfish
Jessica Brillhart - Founder and director at Vrai Pictures
Natalie Campbell
Natalie is the co-founder of A Very Good Company (AVGC), a global social innovation agency. She is currently a Civil Service Commissioner and on the board of the Big Lottery Fund and LEAP, the Mayor’s London economic strategy partnership. Natalie also founded ‘Badass Women’s hour’ and hosts the shows that interview women making an extraordinary impact in the world.
Natalie's nominations:
Cindy Gallop - Founder & CEO, MakeLoveNotPorn
Karen Blackett - Chairwoman, Mediacom
Jo Arscott - Creative Director, JWT
Sairah Ashman - Chief Executive, Wolff Olins
Vanessa Kingori - Publishing Director, VOGUE
Deborah Okenla - Founder of YSYS & Membership Manager at Huckletree
Maria Purcell - Growth Manager, Workplace for Facebook
Jenn Nkiru - Filmmaker
Leyya Sattar - Co-founder, The Other Box
Yomi Adegoke - Author, Slay in Your Lane
Mercedes Benson
By day, Mercedes is a Brand Partnerships Manager of Complex UK, International DJ, founder of SocialFixt and influencer. By night Mercedes is a successful self taught DJ, as well as founding the unique music platform ‘FutureSNDS’, which celebrates new talent within the UK.
Mercedes' nominations:
Nicole Crentsil - Head of Partnerships and Marketing, Creative Mentor Network
Deborah Okenla - Founder of YSYS & Membership Manager at Huckletree
Olivia Tongo - Senior Fashion Marketing Coordinator, Debenhams
Sophia Tassew - Creative, Ogilvy
Chakkana Pryce - Stylist & Creative consultant
Basma Khalifa - Fashion Consultant & Presenter
Christina Okorocha - Cofounder of Vamp UK
Sarah Owusu - Artist
Victoria Sanusi - Reporter, Buzzfeed
Nicole McLennan - Client Specialist, WGSN NYC and UK
Ali Hanan
Founder of the award-winning Creative Equals - 'Highly Commended' Diversity Organisation of the Year 2017. Ali has also launched the Creative, Digital and Media Equality Standards, which gives companies a diversity and inclusion rating, review and road map showing ‘how’ to chance with actionable steps. Ali’s roots lie in creative direction, writing and speaking.
Ali's nominations:
Lisa Campana - Creative Director
Tamryn Kerr - Freelance Senior Creative
Jane Kinnaird - Creative Strategist, Facebook
Sarah Hardcastle - Creative, Mr President
Nikki Lindeman - Creative Director, BBH
Charlotte Hugh - Creative Copywriter, DigitasLBi
Joyce Li - Senior Product Designer, The Dots
Charlotte Khushi - Creative, Wunderman
Katy Sumption - Creative Director, The Elephant Room
Yolanda Mercy - Actor & Writer
Ciara O'Meara - Associate Creative Director, Joint London
Malika Favre
Malika Favre is a French illustrator based in London with the staple style of using as few lines and colors as possible. Her instantly recognisable work has varied from clients such as Carluccio's, Stylist magazine, the BAFTAS and Vanity Fair France and has cemented her position as one of the UK’s most famous graphic artists.
Malika's nominations:
Mara Lecocq - Creative Director & Founder, Secret Code
Lucia Orlandi - Creative Director, R/GA
Danielle Pender - Editor in Chief, Riposte Magazine
Erika Lust - Adult Indie Filmmaker
Yolanda Domingez - Visual Artist
Veronica Fuerte - Founder, Hey Studio
Lotta Nieminen - Founder, Lotta Nieminen Studio
Andrea Zittel - Artist
Piera Gelardi - Co-founder & Executive Creative Director, Refinery29
Olimpia Zagnoli - Illustrator
Nishma Robb
Nishma is Ads Marketing Director for Google UK and the ex-Chair of Women@Google. She’s a spirited marketing leader and champion for diversity in business. Nishma is also a Board Director and Fellow of The Marketing Society, was listed in the Campaign 2018 A-List and in 2016, in The Hospital Club's prestigious h100 awards, and was recognised as one of the most influential and innovative people in the UK’s creative industry.
Nishma's nominations:
Roshni Goyate & Leyya Sattar - Co-founders, The Other Box
Lauren Laverne & Sam Baker - Co-founders, The Pool
Mercedes Benson - Founder, Social Fixt and DJ
Kate Bryan - Head of Collections, Soho House
Irene Agbontaen - Designer, TTYA
Krystal Roxx - DJ & Founder, SUPERFOXX Live
Jaki Jo Hannan - Senior Art Producer, AMVBDDO
Claire Burman & Nellie Eden - Co-founders, Baby Face
Selma Nicholls - Founder, Looks Like Me
Casey Bird - Founder of The Freelance Circle & Creative Lead, Refinery29
Pip Jamieson
Last up is our founder and CEO of The Dots, The Creator Network on a mission to connect creatives worldwide and to push for diversity and inclusivity. This year, Pip has spoken at over 50 events, including Creative Equals Diversity Conference, Remix, Monocle, Glug and Cannes Lions. In 2017, Pip was named by the Sunday Times as one of the Top 100 Disruptive Entrepreneurs innovating in their respective fields and by BIMA as a Top Digital Leader. As diversity advocate, an omnipotent megaforce behind our creator network, and the brain mother of this project, Pip has a huge list of inspirational women. Here’s just 10 of them:
Melanie Eusebe - Executive Producer, WOW Festival at Southbank Centre
Emma Gannon - Author, Podcast Host, Speaker & Brand Consultant
Isabel Farchy - Founding Director, Creative Mentor Network
Karen Blackett - Chairwoman, Mediacom
Dior Bediako - Founder & Director, Pepper Your Talk
Nene Parsotam - Art Director & Co-founder, Stripes
Karen Boswell - Head of Innovations, adamandeveDDB
Chaka Sobhani - Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett
Marina Willer - Partner, Pentagram
Elizabeth Akanbi Ogabi - Founder, For Working Ladies
Nadya Powell - Founder, Innovation Disorder
Alice Mayor - Founder, We Built This City
Bethany Koby - CEO & Founder, Technology Will Save Us