The UK’s fastest-growing community for ambitious female founders has announced the return of its flagship IGNITE conference, expanding it to two power-packed days.
The 51% Club will hold the conference on June 12 and 13 at STEAMhouse, in Birmingham.
Building on the success of its inaugural event, IGNITE25 is set to inspire, empower, and equip women entrepreneurs with the strategies to scale their businesses and reverse the recent decline in female business ownership.
This year’s conference arrives at a critical time for female entrepreneurship in the UK. While the West Midlands remains a strong hub, recent Government research shows a concerning national reversal of progress, with 43,000 fewer women owning or leading SMEs compared to 2022.
The 51% Club is determined to tackle this head-on, championing the immense £250 billion economic opportunity that stands to be unlocked by empowering women to start and scale at the same rate as men.
IGNITE25 promises an unparalleled line-up of talks, masterclasses, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to fuel founder growth. Speakers will include:
"IGNITE25 is more than just a conference; it's a pivotal moment for female entrepreneurship," said Tara Attfield-Tomes, founder of The 51% Club.
"We are bringing together an extraordinary calibre of speakers and experts to provide ambitious women with the actionable insights and powerful connections they need to not just succeed, but to scale. The recent statistics on female business ownership underscore the urgent need for events like IGNITE, and we are committed to making a tangible impact on the economic landscape."
Attendees will benefit from five curated content zones across the two days: Growth Zone, where they can master sales and marketing essentials; Founder Focus, a space to nurture mindset and wellbeing; Innovation Lab, a hub for leveraging all-things-tech; Founder Fireside, featuring exclusive interviews with inspirational founders; and the Investor Zone, covering finance and funding fundamentals.
The conference will also feature an Advice Marketplace in the STEAMhouse Atrium, connecting founders with leading organisations providing tailored guidance, alongside dedicated networking sessions to foster peer support and collaboration.
Other confirmed speakers for IGNITE25 include: Jordan Dargue, angel investor and founder of Lifted Ventures, which champions inclusive investment across the regions; Kate Cooper-Fay, the visionary CEO of Cooper-Fay Harris, and investment and Portfolio Optimisation Expert; and Roxanne Goodman, founder of Female Founder Finance and managing director of Goodman Corporate Finance, which has funded more than £3billion to UK SMEs.
In addition to founders including Sally Bee, health and wellbeing expert and six times heart attack survivor; Lucy Hope, the founder of The Daughters of Mars, an innovative period care startup; and Pamela Aculey, founder of tech start-up MIXD Reality and Just Like Me Books.
Tickets for the conference are on sale now. For the full agenda and to secure your place, visit the51percent.club/ignite-2025.
