Female Founders Summit 2025: Meet the woman who didn’t think she would get this far in her male-dominated sector

This one-of-a-kind experience is returning to Northampton from June 12 to 14, for its second consecutive year in the town and fourth year since it first launched.

There will be a wide variety of masterclasses, workshops, networking opportunities and keynote speakers to enjoy – as well as a full day of holistic wellbeing at Delapre Abbey, one of the much-loved venues from 2024.

Organised by master coach Lucienne Shakir, this event welcomes business owners from all over the world and epitomises the importance of women supporting women in the push towards equality in the business world.

Dani Wykes is the founder and managing director of Logistics Solutions Group, a warehousing solutions company specialising in storage, transport and consultancy.

The company prides itself on offering bespoke solutions that fit people’s businesses – including warehouse space and bulk storage, which are sourced and managed by experienced operators.

Logistics Solutions Group was founded in 2019 and Dani is passionate about ensuring her clients do not pay a premium for the level of urgency they can accommodate.

As a young female in a male-dominated sector, Dani believes it is key to stay true to what you think is right and not be led astray by others trying to steer the direction of a business.

“I’ve been championed by some incredible men along the way,” said Dani, who admits her younger self would never have thought she would make it this far in this tough industry.

The business owner is committed to making 2025 a year when she thrives personally and professionally, after she was diagnosed with ADHD around three years ago and dyslexia in April.

Looking back on her earlier years, Dani does not believe those around her would believe she has got to where she is today after falling into the logistics industry at 24 years old.

She wonders how different her life would have been if she had got into the industry earlier, after not feeling like she “sat in the right box” when she was younger – but now she is passionate about ensuring others are not left behind.

Dani told this newspaper: “Setting up and succeeding in a male orientated industry does so much more than make me proud. Having sacrificed so much of my peace of mind, money and time with my children in arguably their most influential years, I had to make it work. It was a non-negotiable.

“I’m not just proud, I believe in myself and I want to help other people learn to believe in themselves too. It’s a transformative feeling.”

Dani reiterated that trusting yourself no matter what challenges you face is key to living the life you desire, and she wants to help others overcome what she has.

The business owner hopes to set up an academy to help people build skills and move towards meaningful employment, which will be rooted in ensuring they believe in themselves.

This comes off the back of the misfortune she faced in how she has been treated in the past – as a woman, mother, due to her health struggles, and conditions she has been diagnosed with in recent years.

Dani is returning to the Female Founders Summit for the second consecutive year and said: “I was absolutely surprised at just how much I got from it. I wanted to try something new and got this sudden awareness that I didn’t have a community.”

The founder left last year’s two-day event with a new community of people who listened and cared, which she described as “uplifting”.

“It showed perfectly that the human in the middle needs nurturing,” said Dani. “It helped me remember that at the heart of everything we do, we need nourishment and to know we matter.”

Dani shared her admiration for organiser Lucienne and described her as “unapologetically fair” in her fight towards equal rights for all.

“Last year I went in with some hesitation,” said Dani. “This year I will be embracing the whole thing – the knowledge and community.

“The Female Founders Summit gave me a place to see that being different and having our own challenges was not only okay, but there is a community that cares and understands.

“It has helped reframe how I view everything by giving myself the benefit of compassion and the sense of community I didn’t realise I desperately needed.”

The final release of tickets are now available and attending all three days, which includes the wellness day and business summit, is currently £520 plus VAT. For just the business summit on the final two days, tickets are currently £420 plus VAT.

Having been the exclusive media partner of the Female Founders Summit 2024, the Chronicle & Echo is delighted to be partnering with the event again in 2025. Join us for new stories every Monday and Thursday in the lead up to June.

For more information on the Female Founders Summit 2025, and to secure your ticket, click here.