From co-founder of Caudalie, Mathilde Thomas, to Eshita Kabra-Davies, the brain behind fashion rental company By Rotation, we’re delving into the stories of women with very different journeys, but incredible influence. These are the stories of five of the women joining us for our Step Forward Summit, who are redefining success, breaking down barriers and revolutionising their industries.  

Mathilde Thomas, Co-Founder Caudalie

Mathilde is a pioneer in the world of beauty and skincare. As co-founder of French beauty brand Caudalie, she is on a mission to create clean, ethical and sustainable products as powerful as the natural ingredients they are formulated with.  

She was inspired to create her brand in 1993, after speaking with grapevine resveratrol researcher and doctor, Joseph Vercauteren, at her parents Bordeaux vineyard. Immediately recognising the antioxidant power of grape skins that would otherwise have gone to waste, Mathilde’s journey with Caudalie began.   

Mathilde’s success has gone from strength to strength since. In 1997, Caudalie launched their first ‘Vinothérapie Spa’, Les Sources Des Caudelie, a relaxing hideaway based in Mathilde’s family estate where the brand's story first began. Caudalie now boasts 50 spas worldwide, where guests can enjoy rejuvenating treatments by the brand’s leading Vinotherapists, using all natural products.  

Mathilde wrote her first book, New York Times bestseller The French Beauty Solution, in 2015, offering practical skincare and beauty advice and expertise. She was recently awarded the SKEMA Leadership Award, honoured for her commitment and services to sustainability and her impact on beauty and wellness.  

Mimi Ikonn, Co-Founder of Intelligent Change

Mimi is a multi-company entrepreneur, author and founder of Intelligent Change, the brand behind The Five Minute Journal and the Productivity Planner. Mimi also creates content on healthy living habits, wellbeing and sustainability on her YouTube channel, which offers a glimpse of her creative, entrepreneurial lifestyle. 

Born in Azerbaijan, Mimi moved to Canada as a young woman to study at George Brown College. She quickly realised that education was not the route to the level of creativity she had dreamed of as a child and dropped out to pursue her dream career as an Image Consultant.  

In 2010, Mimi co-founded Luxy Hair. During this time, she developed an interest in living mindfully, unmotivated by money, Mimi looked for success through happiness instead. In a 2019 podcast, Mimi explained she had found herself living “in survival mode” for a long time whilst finding success through more ‘traditional routes’ and switched her mindset after a ten-day meditation trip to a Vipassana Retreat. 

After this change in focus, Intelligent Change was born. Backed by scientific research and with a mission to create beautiful, fun ways for others to change the behaviours holding them back from happiness, Mimi’s creations through Intelligent Change are now coveted worldwide.

Eshita Kabra-Davies, Founder & CEO of By Rotation

Eshita is the mastermind behind industry-changing fashion rental service, ByRotation, a company that has empowered its top Lenders to earn over four thousand pounds a month using their own wardrobes.  

Eshita was inspired to start ByRotation after visiting her birthplace of Rajasthan, India on her honeymoon. Dismayed by the pollution caused by the textile waste of fast fashion, Eshita was inspired to create a more sustainable industry which put the environment first and By Rotation was born.  

With overconsumption of new products being the main issue caused by the fashion industry and 85% of textile waste going to dumps; Eshita saw a way where consumers could refresh their wardrobes without buying more. Officially launched in 2019, ByRotation allows users to rent the clothing from other users in the community and supplement their own incomes with the clothing they already own.  

The impact is incredible. By Rotation not only allows users to refresh their style at a fraction of the retail price but encourages its community to transform fashion purchasing habits 'by sharing more'. By Rotation now boasts a user base of over 375,000 Lenders across the global, with over 80,000 listings worth more than $45 million. 

Lemon Fuller, CEO & Founder of Lemonade Dolls

Lemon is the CEO and Founder of Lemonade Dolls, an inclusive, diversity-celebrating lingerie subscription brand that has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2019. It is now the UK’s fastest growing lingerie brand.  

Born in the UK, Lemon began her career as a dancer and choreographer, which took her to Los Angeles to work with superstars including Beyonce and Justin Bieber. Noticing a huge disparity in the confidence levels between the talented men and women she was working with, Lemon stared her first Instagram page, focused on female empowerment in 2017.  

From there, Lemonade Dolls was born as a ‘love letter’ to anyone struggling with their confidence. Made from 100% recyclable materials, Lemonade Dolls are on a mission to help every woman love the skin they are in, with a size-diverse, inclusive range of stylish, fun underwear. The brand launched with a concession stand in Topshop, Oxford Street and now boasts a range including the one-of-a-kind Fuller Cup, a wireless bralette with no underwire but unparalleled support. Lemonade Dolls are committed to sustainable fashion and donate underwear to displaced female refugees every time a customer spends £100 on their website.  

Daisy Morris, Founder of The Selfhood

Daisy is an author, social media strategist and Founder of the social media consultancy and community, The Selfhood. A self-described ‘data geek who loves the creative process’, Daisy’s community has crafted in-person and online communities for thousands of professional women.  

The Self Hood are on a mission to take the guess work out of crafting an audience online, partnering with brands to create community-focused, emotionally driven campaigns, which make 'URL experiences as humans as IRL' interactions. Daisy also holds workshops and creative sessions on mental health and social media, the importance of community and sharing ideas and goals with confidence.   

Since starting her journey with The Self Hood, Daisy has worked with Meta, Apple, Gucci and TEDx, to name a few. The Self Hood also fundraise with YoungMinds UK, through their campaign, Check Yourself Before Your Notifications, a campaign dedicated to encouraging mindful social media usage.  

Daisy and The Self Hood hold regular meet ups and co-working events for professional women to share ideas, connect and work alongside each other in an ever hybrid working environment. You can find out more about the next event on The Self Hood’s website.  

To find out more about these incredible women and how their journeys can inspire your own success, catch them at out Step Forward Summit on 7th of March at The Brewery, Moorgate.