Three wise women: female founders who inspired us in 2021

Kris Hallenga, Josephine Philips and Hattie Hasan stood out among the many ladies featured in Constructive Information journal this 12 months, by turning three nice (and really completely different) concepts into actuality

We appeared again on the 4 uplifting problems with Constructive Information journal printed this 12 months and picked out three of the ladies we featured who impressed us probably the most. Right here, we recap their tales to assist encourage you for 2022.

 

1) Classes from 12 years dwelling with terminal most cancers: Kris Hallenga

After we spoke to her for the primary subject of Constructive Information journal of 2021, Kris Hallenga was in a reflective temper. It was then 12 years since she was recognized, aged 23, with terminal breast most cancers and given simply two and a half years to dwell.

Hallenga advised us that she credit her longevity to wonderful medical care, a concoction of latest and not-so-new medication, the love of family and friends, and, most significantly, an abiding ardour for all times.

A lot of that zeal over the past decade and extra, she has poured into CoppaFeel!, a most cancers consciousness charity that Hallenga arrange simply three months after her prognosis. Its mission is straightforward: to speak boobs. Or, extra precisely, boobs with lumps. Colleges, music festivals, social media platforms; CoppaFeel! takes its message to younger folks wherever they’re, nonetheless it could.

Behind the intense message of the 17-strong CoppaFeel! workforce, there’s a refreshing irreverence to a lot of what they do. “Spreading the boob love,” is how Hallenga sums up their technique. In comparison with the normally sober world of medical charities, their upbeat tone helps to set CoppaFeel! aside. It additionally resonates with their target market, who, like lots of the workers, are primarily younger adults.

Enjoyable and irreverent, Hallenga’s persona helps CoppaFeel! attain younger folks. Picture: James Bowden

This summer season, Hallenga launched her first ebook, which has a characteristically tongue-in-cheek title – Glittering a Turd. (Her Instagram deal with is @howtoglitteraturd). One revelation Hallenga has arrived at is coming to see that it isn’t the metaphorical turd that made her nice. Her ‘greatness’, for need of a greater time period, was at all times inside her.

“What I imply is that I hope that there was one thing inside me that will have powered me to create one thing particular and do one thing extraordinary with my life even with out most cancers. It shouldn’t take most cancers to do cool shit, I assume,” she mentioned.

I would like us to search out our superpowers, our strengths, our ‘big-ness’ with no terminal sickness

Hallenga mirrored that most cancers has helped her to be “cheered from the sidelines”, “to be allowed to be me”, and he or she urged everybody to grab the possibility to do the identical.

“We’re extra proud of people that’ve achieved via ache and struggling than those that are simply being unapologetically loud and proud and sensible and smart and joyful,” she mentioned.

“So, I would like us to search out our superpowers, our strengths, our ‘big-ness’ with no terminal sickness. I’m giving everybody permission to exist totally with out most cancers. With out turds. Simply glitter.”

The above is an extract from an interview with Kris Hallenga by Oliver Balch. Learn the complete article right here, which was first printed as a canopy story in Constructive Information journal. Present a Constructive Information journal subscription for Christmas. 

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2) The lady on a mission to make our garments final without end: Josephine Philips

Like so many inventions, it was private want that led to the creation of the Sojo app. Founder Josephine Philips a 23-year-old graduate, needed a few of her garments repaired and tailor-made, however her stitching expertise weren’t as much as it.

“I discovered that going to a seamster was an excessive amount of effort and time, which meant I by no means acquired spherical to doing it,” she advised Constructive Information. “Sojo was created to resolve this.”

Customers enter their postcode, select a neighborhood seamster and the service they want and await assortment of their clothes by a motorbike courier. The garments might be returned inside 5 days, able to put on. Sojo has primarily targeted on London up to now.

 

Inspiring women

The ‘Deliveroo of clothes repairs’: Josephine Philips launched the Sojo app. Picture: Daphne Milner

Round two and a half years in the past, Philips made a aware determination to attempt to keep away from quick vogue. Earlier than turning into conscious of its often-unethical provide chains and its environmental affect, she admits she was an “avid” shopper.

“However as soon as I realised that buying from these large manufacturers didn’t align with my feminist values – their enterprise success was constructed off the again of the exploitation of majority ladies of color garment employees – there was no going again.”

As soon as I realised that buying from these large manufacturers didn’t align with my feminist values, there was no going again

It’s the first skilled foray for Philips, whose earlier expertise consisted of waitressing, and interning at Depop.

Since launching, Sojo has pivoted its method considerably to give attention to powering repairs and alterations for manufacturers, in order that firms can up their circularity and sustainability video games.

Explains Philips: “We began by partnering with secondhand retailers Past Retro and Traid in September in 15 London shops, after which within the final couple of weeks we’ve launched our first e-commerce partnership with vogue model Ganni. It’s presently in a London pilot stage however we’ll be increasing to remainder of the UK in January and in addition different European nations subsequent 12 months. We additionally produce other model companions within the pipeline for the brand new 12 months.”

Sojo has attracted important funding since we first reported on it too: a primary funding spherical of £300,000 closed with the likes of Simon Beckerman, the founding father of Depop, turning into concerned. Sojo additionally gained the Santander X Entrepreneurship competitors and acquired £75,000 in equity-free funding.

The above is an tailored extract from an interview with Josephine Philips by Lucy Purdy. Learn the complete article right here, which was first printed in Constructive Information journal. Present a Constructive Information journal subscription for Christmas.

3) The brains behind the UK’s first ever all-female tradespersons register: Hattie Hasan

A digger operator in Yorkshire, a tree surgeon within the Midlands and a stonemason in Scotland are among the many consultants to characteristic on a nationwide register of tradeswomen, which launched in March due to Hattie Hasan. “We had been featured win our first week on BBC1’s Morning Dwell and this resulted in our telephone (fairly actually) ringing off the hook!” says Mica Could, who additionally works on the venture.

Hasan, who based Stopcocks Girls Plumbers, needed to make sure that susceptible homeowners who really feel safer with tradeswomen are capable of finding them. The not-for-profit venture National Register of Tradeswomen is the brainchild of Stopcocks Girls Plumbers founder Hattie Hasan MBE, who says the intention is to make sure that susceptible homeowners who really feel safer with tradeswomen are capable of finding them. Hasan grew up in a violent dwelling, so is aware of first-hand what ladies in comparable circumstances face.

“Girls are scared to permit tradesmen into their dwelling, not solely out of concern of the lads themselves, however due to the response of their abusive accomplice in the event that they discuss to the tradesman or supply him a cup of tea,” she advised Constructive Information. “With the ability to entry a register of licensed, totally certified tradeswomen is a method they’ll take again some management.”

 

The UK’s first register of tradeswomen launched this spring

The UK’s first register of tradeswomen launched this spring. Hattie Hasan is pictured on the fitting

In line with plumbing accreditation physique WaterSafe, practically a 3rd of ladies would favor a feminine plumber to work on their dwelling. Causes cited included feeling safer, being much less more likely to be patronised, and trusting one other lady to not rip them off.

With the ability to entry a register of licensed, totally certified tradeswomen is a method they [women experiencing abuse] can take again some management

Hasan and her workforce have already got greater than 100 verified tradeswomen on their books and dealing away across the UK – and they’re eager for extra to register their interest. To date, most are plumbers and electricians, with painters and interior designers shut behind in quantity, then carpenters and joiners, with just a few plasterers, automotive mechanics, basic builders and roofers.

For safeguarding causes, the Nationwide Register of Tradeswomen just isn’t a searchable database – as an alternative workers on the organisation personally assign verified tradeswomen to every job.

The register extends the work already being completed by Stopcocks in coaching ladies in new expertise to additional their careers or arrange on their very own. There are additionally plans to launch a tradeswomen’s school and to coach ladies to work particularly inside the properties of susceptible people who find themselves experiencing home abuse.

In January, the workforce will run a DIY drop session in for survivors of abuse in West Yorkshire (folks focused on attending ought to e mail mica@tradeswomen.uk to search out out extra). And, due to the rising curiosity from employers to extend gender variety of their workforces, the workforce has simply launched an Opportunities website so that ladies can discover about employers which may be looking for their expertise.

The above is an tailored extract from this text, which was first printed in Constructive Information journal. Present a Constructive Information journal subscription for Christmas.

Principal picture: Josephine Philips, photographed by Daphne Milner