Female Founders Summit 2025: Mother who took the plunge to start business alone looks forward to event

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.

Alisha Pacey has worked in the recruitment industry for more than eight years, in roles across offices, sales, business support and commercial recruiting.

She admits that she fell into the industry at a time when she was looking for something new locally, and she progressed quickly off the back of the fresh start.

However, everything changed for Alisha in January when she made the leap from being self-employed to a female founder with the launch of ‘The Online Recruiter’.

“The Online Rec is going really well and in the right direction,” Alisha told the Chronicle & Echo. “The main thing in this job is building relationships, community and trust – and talking to as many people as I can.”

Alisha says she wishes she had decided to take this leap earlier, particularly since she joined Lucienne’s academy programme in September last year.

“There are so many other females who should be jumping and we don’t,” said Alisha. “It’s the judgement, lack of funding and sometimes female critics can be the worst.”

Alisha looks forward to attending the Female Founders Summit for the first time in June, as she says she was “really jealous” of those at the event last year when she saw it all on social media.

She said: “It looked really motivational. I want to build a connection with as many people as I can and get my name out there.”

The founder is intrigued to learn more about the financial side of running a business in particular, as she believes many women are often held back from asking questions about the costs they can expect to face.

Alisha also looks forward to being part of the conversation about dealing with loneliness as a female founder, how to manage time effectively, and the importance of taking time off when you need it.

General release 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. These prices will rise on May 17.

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.