Fold Woman Awards Winners
Posted by marie@thefoldlondon.com BigCommerce on 15th Aug 2024
EVERY FOLD WOMAN HAS A UNIQUE STORY TO TELL
EVERY FOLD WOMAN HAS A UNIQUE STORY TO TELL
MEET OUR 2024 AWARD WINNERS
THE GRAFTER
The Oscar nominee dedicated to telling marginalised stories.
NICKY BENTHAM
The Judges and Award Categories
We’ve brought together a group of dynamic Fold Women who are looking for the rising stars, changemakers and unsung heroes worthy of recognition.
Our judges – including friends of The Fold, Dame Denise Lewis and Smart Works CEO Kate Stephens – will be reviewing your submissions and awarding our incredible 2024 winners.
THE INNOVATOR
‘I find women who are doing their own thing in business fascinating… Women who are breaking boundaries, making space for themselves.’
- REPRESENTED BY VIVIEN WONG,
Co-founder of Little Moons
THE RISING STAR
The England netball player defying stereotypes in sport and tech.
ZIANA BUTT
The Judges and Award Categories
We’ve brought together a group of dynamic Fold Women who are looking for the rising stars, changemakers and unsung heroes worthy of recognition.
Our judges – including friends of The Fold, Dame Denise Lewis and Smart Works CEO Kate Stephens – will be reviewing your submissions and awarding our incredible 2024 winners.
THE INNOVATOR
‘I find women who are doing their own thing in business fascinating… Women who are breaking boundaries, making space for themselves.’
- REPRESENTED BY VIVIEN WONG,
Co-founder of Little Moons
THE INNOVATOR
The employment lawyer challenging the status quo.
FLORENCE BROCKLESBY
The Judges and Award Categories
We’ve brought together a group of dynamic Fold Women who are looking for the rising stars, changemakers and unsung heroes worthy of recognition.
Our judges – including friends of The Fold, Dame Denise Lewis and Smart Works CEO Kate Stephens – will be reviewing your submissions and awarding our incredible 2024 winners.
THE INNOVATOR
‘I find women who are doing their own thing in business fascinating… Women who are breaking boundaries, making space for themselves.’
- REPRESENTED BY VIVIEN WONG,
Co-founder of Little Moons
THE CHANGEMAKER
The breast cancer survivor making a difference for others.
MOLLY MACDONALD
The Judges and Award Categories
We’ve brought together a group of dynamic Fold Women who are looking for the rising stars, changemakers and unsung heroes worthy of recognition.
Our judges – including friends of The Fold, Dame Denise Lewis and Smart Works CEO Kate Stephens – will be reviewing your submissions and awarding our incredible 2024 winners.
THE INNOVATOR
‘I find women who are doing their own thing in business fascinating… Women who are breaking boundaries, making space for themselves.’
- REPRESENTED BY VIVIEN WONG,
Co-founder of Little Moons
THE THOUGHTFUL LEADER
The manager who proves you can never do too much for your team.
MONICA UNJIA
The Judges and Award Categories
We’ve brought together a group of dynamic Fold Women who are looking for the rising stars, changemakers and unsung heroes worthy of recognition.
Our judges – including friends of The Fold, Dame Denise Lewis and Smart Works CEO Kate Stephens – will be reviewing your submissions and awarding our incredible 2024 winners.
THE INNOVATOR
‘I find women who are doing their own thing in business fascinating… Women who are breaking boundaries, making space for themselves.’
- REPRESENTED BY VIVIEN WONG,
Co-founder of Little Moons
In March, we launched a global search to find our next group of inspirational Fold Women – the pioneers of tomorrow, working hard today.
We received a huge number of nominations and loved reading every one of the remarkable entries.
After an incredibly tough deliberation process, our judges – including friends of The Fold, Dame Denise Lewis and entrepreneur Vivien Wong – have chosen our five inspiring winners.
From an Oscar nominee to a pioneering charity founder, these five women embody everything that we champion at The Fold: integrity, innovation and passion. They truly deserve the spotlight.
NICKY BENTHAM, THE GRAFTER
Founder & Producer, Neon Films
‘After a year of grafting, it feels so nice for someone to recognise my work in this way,’ says Nicky Bentham. The film producer scored her first Oscar nomination in January for Misan Harriman’s gripping short film, The After, under her production company Neon Films.
Established in 2008, the company brings untold stories into the mainstream – an approach that’s not without its challenges. ‘It makes some things harder, but the only way for me to have the energy and passion to see a project through is if it’s a story I really care about.’ This passion has been a driving force since the early days of Nicky’s career, when she moved to the UK after completing university in her native Sydney. Desperate to work in the film industry, Nicky got a job in a video shop. ‘Which is so clichéd. Then I started working my way up from production runner – I made lots of cups of tea until I was indispensable.’
Her producing career went from strength to strength, but it wasn’t until she was paired with legendary Bond producer Barbara Broccoli on a mentorship programme that she saw an example of an empowered woman, who was also a mother, in the industry. ‘Barbara said that being a mum was going to be the best thing possible for my career because I wouldn’t have time for bull***t anymore,’ but it’s not that simple. In an industry that requires long hours and months of travel, mid-career people – especially women – often have to take a step back in order to prioritise their caring responsibilities.
This conversation served as the inspiration for Raising Films, an organisation set up by Nicky and other industry professionals in 2015 to support parents and carers working in the screen industry to retain that talent. This, alongside her work as the co-chair of Film Producers at Pact (the UK film industry producers trade body alliance), shows that Nicky isn’t just grafting, she’s paying it forward, too.
‘The only way for me to have the energy and passion to see a project through is if it’s a story I really care about.’
Nicky Bentham
ZIANA BUTT, THE RISING STAR
Program & Project Management Associate at Accenture
Ziana Butt is holding the door open for others. Our Rising Star winner, who has an international netball call-up in England NETS, published book, first-class BSc Hons degree and a British Empire Medal to her name at only 21, was the first person of Pakistani heritage to represent England in any form of Netball. ‘One of my main goals is to change the landscape for South Asian youngsters, and show it is possible to do well in your studies but also play sport and do other things, too’, she says. ‘If I take myself, for example, I have just achieved a first-class degree and I’m playing elite netball on the side.’
It’s this do-it-all mentality that inspired her children’s book, Aisha's Netball. ‘I had been visiting a lot of kids in school and realised that they don’t have a South Asian role model. I know I certainly didn’t have one,’ she said. In centering a female Asian character, the book shows children that there is a world of sport beyond their PE lessons – one in which they are all welcome.
Similarly, Ziana’s education – from taking computer science at GCSE to working with Accenture as a Program and Project Management Associate – has taught her that there’s a big gap between tech in schools and in the industry. According to a recent report by TechNation, only 26% of the tech workforce are women. ‘I try to encourage more women into technology by showing them that there are so many different paths and opportunities. I think not knowing that holds people back.’
Confident that she can incite change in both the worlds of sport and tech, Ziana is already at the top of her game – and we have no doubt that she will continue on this trajectory. How does she stay afloat with such a busy schedule? ‘The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is to use the word ‘and’ instead of ‘but’.’
‘Throughout my career and educational journey I have remained true to myself; I’m not afraid
to challenge the status quo.’
Ziana Butt
FLORENCE BROCKLESBY, THE INNOVATOR
Founder, Bellevue Law
When she trained as a lawyer, Florence Brocklesby’s class intake was roughly 50% men and 50% women, a statistic which isn’t reflected at partnership level. The industry’s long working day culture – perpetuated by its charged-by-the-hour structure – directly opposes roles of care that usually befall mid-career women, meaning that they often have to choose between their work and their personal life.
‘In terms of where I wanted to spend the second half of my career, it wasn’t the big firms,’ Florence explains. Instead, she founded her own firm, now renowned for its exceptional approach to flexibility and work-life balance. ‘I was concerned when I started Bellevue Law back in 2014 that I might be judged for working flexibly. But, ultimately, the firm’s commitment to flexible working and ethical business practices has turned out to be the key to its success.’
Now, Bellevue Law is one of the UK’s largest employment law boutiques, with 25 talented senior lawyers – 80% of which are women. It’s ranked in the leading legal directories and, this year, became the 15th verified B Corp law firm in the UK, which is testament to the business’ accountability, transparency and care. ‘There’s a lot of paperwork around becoming B Corp, but we didn’t have to become a completely different business because we were already doing the right thing.’
Unsurprisingly, retention of both clients and employees is high at Bellevue Law. The clients know that the lawyers are always going to pull through because they aren’t overworked, and the employees know that when push comes to shove, their work-life balance doesn’t have to suffer. So, is Florence’s innovative firm the future of law? ‘Much of my practice is advising other lawyers and law firms on issues within the industry. There’s definitely a recognition that something needs to change.’
‘Ultimately, my firm’s commitment to flexible working and ethical business practices has turned out to be the key to its success.’
Florence Brocklesby
MOLLY MACDONALD, THE CHANGEMAKER
Co-Founder & CEO, Pink Fund
Shortly after Molly MacDonald was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, she found herself in line at the food bank to feed her family. Having been diagnosed during a period of job transition, she found herself unable to pay for necessities like groceries and rent. Unfortunately, in the US, this isn’t uncommon; the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees certain employees 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected medical leave per year, but when that time is over, those patients often face the harsh reality of having to stop treatment because they can’t afford to lose their jobs. 'So I went home to my husband and said “we need to do something about this”,' she explains.
Molly, our Changemaker Award winner, didn’t have her own funds – but she had a savvy attitude and knew that something needed to be done. ‘I traded a Mid-Century Swedish table with a graphic designer in return for our ribbon logo’ and, in 2006, Pink Fund was born.
The first of its kind, Pink Fund is a non-profit organisation that has paid more than $8.5 million in bill payments to breast cancer patients’ creditors nationwide, covering the cost of basic needs like housing, utilities and insurance so they can continue treatment without any life-altering financial burdens. In 2012, Molly secured a partnership with Ford Motor Company – a moment of serendipity considering she had featured them on a vision board for her business back in 2007 – which gave Pink Fund national recognition.
Almost 20 years after her initial diagnosis, Molly’s still pioneering change. 'We’re participating in a lot of research about a side effect known as financial toxicity,’ she said. Relating to the negative impact that medical expenses and lost income, due to inability to work, can have on a patient in terms of their quality of life, it’s a relatively new concept – 'it wasn’t coined until 2013, but I was experiencing it in 2005.’ This hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed; in the last year, Pink Fund has seen a 52% increase in requests for assistance, proof that you can be the change you want to see in the world.
‘Often we're faced with things that we didn’t expect, but adversity may be that window or door to a new opportunity.’
Molly MacDonald
MONICA UNJIA, THE THOUGHTFUL LEADER
Principal, Private Wealth Solutions at Blackstone
‘Being a manager and being a leader are two different things,’ says Monica Unjia. ‘And I think we really need to push the focus on leadership.’ It’s no surprise, then, that Monica is our Thoughtful Leader award winner, due in no small part to the ways in which she sees her role as Principal within Private Wealth Solutions at Blackstone.
‘In the past I’ve experienced certain challenges that taught me some great practices and what to avoid,’ Monica explains. ‘But when I was an associate, I had a more senior person who gave me a chance. The managers really believed in me, and they helped me fly when I was learning to walk.’
Using this experience as her inspiration, Monica knows how important it is to ensure her team feels supported. ‘As colleagues, we at times spend more time with each other than we do our own family, so it’s about connecting; knowing who they are and what’s going on in their lives so I can support them in every way possible – whether that be by knowing their career goals and helping them get on the right path or giving them time off to move house.’
A study commissioned by the CMI in 2023 found that almost one-third of UK workers have quit a job because of a negative workplace culture, and as many as 82% of new managers in the UK are what it calls ‘accidental managers’ – those embarking on the role with no formal training in management or leadership. Within this context, Monica’s approach to leadership is all the more refreshing, and the results are as positive as you’d expect: ‘there are tangible differences in performance and outcome because my team feels valued. They have ownership over their work.’ With thoughtfulness and compassion, she’s leading by example.
‘Being a manager and being a leader are two different things. And I think we really need to push the focus on leadership.’
Monica Unjia
In March, we launched a global search to find our next group of inspirational Fold Women – the pioneers of tomorrow, working hard today. We received a huge number of nominations and loved reading every one of the remarkable entries.
After an incredibly tough deliberation process, our judges – including friends of The Fold, Dame Denise Lewis and entrepreneur Vivien Wong – have chosen our five inspiring winners.
From an Oscar nominee to a pioneering charity founder, these five women embody everything that we champion at The Fold: integrity, innovation and passion. They truly deserve the spotlight.
NICKY BENTHAM, THE GRAFTER
Founder & Producer, Neon Films
‘After a year of grafting, it feels so nice for someone to recognise my work in this way,’ says Nicky Bentham. The film producer scored her first Oscar nomination in January for Misan Harriman’s gripping short film, The After, under her production company Neon Films.
Established in 2008, the company brings untold stories into the mainstream – an approach that’s not without its challenges. ‘It makes some things harder, but the only way for me to have the energy and passion to see a project through is if it’s a story I really care about.’ This passion has been a driving force since the early days of Nicky’s career, when she moved to the UK after completing university in her native Sydney. Desperate to work in the film industry, Nicky got a job in a video shop. ‘Which is so clichéd. Then I started working my way up from production runner – I made lots of cups of tea until I was indispensable.’
Her producing career went from strength to strength, but it wasn’t until she was paired with legendary Bond producer Barbara Broccoli on a mentorship programme that she saw an example of an empowered woman, who was also a mother, in the industry. ‘Barbara said that being a mum was going to be the best thing possible for my career because I wouldn’t have time for bull***t anymore,’ but it’s not that simple. In an industry that requires long hours and months of travel, mid-career people – especially women – often have to take a step back in order to prioritise their caring responsibilities.
This conversation served as the inspiration for Raising Films, an organisation set up by Nicky and other industry professionals in 2015 to support parents and carers working in the screen industry to retain that talent. This, alongside her work as the co-chair of Film Producers at Pact (the UK film industry producers trade body alliance), shows that Nicky isn’t just grafting, she’s paying it forward, too.
‘The only way for me to have the energy and passion to see a project through is if it’s a story I really care about.’
‘The only way for me to have the energy and passion to see a project through is if it’s a story I really care about.’
Nicky Bentham
‘It was incredibly special to see my work woven into fabric on the loom in The Fold’s family-run fabric mill in Lake Como’
ZIANA BUTT,
THE RISING STAR
Program & Project Management Associate at Accenture
Ziana Butt is holding the door open for others. Our Rising Star winner, who has an international netball call-up in England NETS, published book, first-class BSc Hons degree and a British Empire Medal to her name at only 21, was the first person of Pakistani heritage to represent England in any form of Netball. ‘One of my main goals is to change the landscape for South Asian youngsters, and show it is possible to do well in your studies but also play sport and do other things, too’, she says. ‘If I take myself, for example, I have just achieved a first-class degree and I’m playing elite netball on the side.’
It’s this do-it-all mentality that inspired her children’s book, Aisha's Netball. ‘I had been visiting a lot of kids in school and realised that they don’t have a South Asian role model. I know I certainly didn’t have one,’ she said. In centering a female Asian character, the book shows children that there is a world of sport beyond their PE lessons – one in which they are all welcome.
Similarly, Ziana’s education – from taking computer science at GCSE to working with Accenture as a Program and Project Management Associate – has taught her that there’s a big gap between tech in schools and in the industry. According to a recent report by TechNation, only 26% of the tech workforce are women. ‘I try to encourage more women into technology by showing them that there are so many different paths and opportunities. I think not knowing that holds people back.’
Confident that she can incite change in both the worlds of sport and tech, Ziana is already at the top of her game – and we have no doubt that she will continue on this trajectory. How does she stay afloat with such a busy schedule? ‘The best piece of advice I’ve ever received is to use the word ‘and’ instead of ‘but’.’
‘Throughout my career and educational journey I have remained true to myself; I’m not afraid to challenge the status quo.’
‘Throughout my career and educational journey I have remained true to myself; I’m not afraid to challenge the status quo.’
Ziana Butt
‘It was incredibly special to see my work woven into fabric on the loom in The Fold’s family-run fabric mill in Lake Como’
FLORENCE BROCKLESBY, THE INNOVATOR
Founder, Bellevue Law
When she trained as a lawyer, Florence Brocklesby’s class intake was roughly 50% men and 50% women, a statistic which isn’t reflected at partnership level. The industry’s long working day culture – perpetuated by its charged-by-the-hour structure – directly opposes roles of care that usually befall mid-career women, meaning that they often have to choose between their work and their personal life.
‘In terms of where I wanted to spend the second half of my career, it wasn’t the big firms,’ Florence explains. Instead, she founded her own firm, now renowned for its exceptional approach to flexibility and work-life balance. ‘I was concerned when I started Bellevue Law back in 2014 that I might be judged for working flexibly. But, ultimately, the firm’s commitment to flexible working and ethical business practices has turned out to be the key to its success.’
Now, Bellevue Law is one of the UK’s largest employment law boutiques, with 25 talented senior lawyers – 80% of which are women. It’s ranked in the leading legal directories and, this year, became the 15th verified B Corp law firm in the UK, which is testament to the business’ accountability, transparency and care. ‘There’s a lot of paperwork around becoming B Corp, but we didn’t have to become a completely different business because we were already doing the right thing.’
Unsurprisingly, retention of both clients and employees is high at Bellevue Law. The clients know that the lawyers are always going to pull through because they aren’t overworked, and the employees know that when push comes to shove, their work-life balance doesn’t have to suffer. So, is Florence’s innovative firm the future of law? ‘Much of my practice is advising other lawyers and law firms on issues within the industry. There’s definitely a recognition that something needs to change.’
‘Ultimately, my firm’s commitment to flexible working and ethical business practices has turned out to be the key to its success.’
‘Ultimately, my firm’s commitment to flexible working and ethical business practices has turned out to be the key to its success.’
Florence Brocklesby
‘It was incredibly special to see my work woven into fabric on the loom in The Fold’s family-run fabric mill in Lake Como’
MOLLY MACDONALD, THE CHANGEMAKER
Co-Founder & CEO, Pink Fund
Shortly after Molly MacDonald was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, she found herself in line at the food bank to feed her family. Having been diagnosed during a period of job transition, she found herself unable to pay for necessities like groceries and rent. Unfortunately, in the US, this isn’t uncommon; the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) guarantees certain employees 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected medical leave per year, but when that time is over, those patients often face the harsh reality of having to stop treatment because they can’t afford to lose their jobs. 'So I went home to my husband and said “we need to do something about this”,' she explains.
Molly, our Changemaker Award winner, didn’t have her own funds – but she had a savvy attitude and knew that something needed to be done. ‘I traded a Mid-Century Swedish table with a graphic designer in return for our ribbon logo’ and, in 2006, Pink Fund was born.
The first of its kind, Pink Fund is a non-profit organisation that has paid more than $8.5 million in bill payments to breast cancer patients’ creditors nationwide, covering the cost of basic needs like housing, utilities and insurance so they can continue treatment without any life-altering financial burdens. In 2012, Molly secured a partnership with Ford Motor Company – a moment of serendipity considering she had featured them on a vision board for her business back in 2007 – which gave Pink Fund national recognition.
Almost 20 years after her initial diagnosis, Molly’s still pioneering change. 'We’re participating in a lot of research about a side effect known as financial toxicity,’ she said. Relating to the negative impact that medical expenses and lost income, due to inability to work, can have on a patient in terms of their quality of life, it’s a relatively new concept – 'it wasn’t coined until 2013, but I was experiencing it in 2005.’ This hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed; in the last year, Pink Fund has seen a 52% increase in requests for assistance, proof that you can be the change you want to see in the world.
‘Often we're faced with things that we didn’t expect, but adversity may be that window or door to a new opportunity.’
‘Often we're faced with things that we didn’t expect, but adversity may be that window or door to a new opportunity.’
Molly MacDonald
‘It was incredibly special to see my work woven into fabric on the loom in The Fold’s family-run fabric mill in Lake Como’
MONICA UNJIA, THE THOUGHTFUL LEADER
Principal, Private Wealth Solutions at Blackstone
‘Being a manager and being a leader are two different things,’ says Monica Unjia. ‘And I think we really need to push the focus on leadership.’ It’s no surprise, then, that Monica is our Thoughtful Leader award winner, due in no small part to the ways in which she sees her role as Principal within Private Wealth Solutions at Blackstone.
‘In the past I’ve experienced certain challenges that taught me some great practices and what to avoid,’ Monica explains. ‘But when I was an associate, I had a more senior person who gave me a chance. The managers really believed in me, and they helped me fly when I was learning to walk.’
Using this experience as her inspiration, Monica knows how important it is to ensure her team feels supported. ‘As colleagues, we at times spend more time with each other than we do our own family, so it’s about connecting; knowing who they are and what’s going on in their lives so I can support them in every way possible – whether that be by knowing their career goals and helping them get on the right path or giving them time off to move house.’
A study commissioned by the CMI in 2023 found that almost one-third of UK workers have quit a job because of a negative workplace culture, and as many as 82% of new managers in the UK are what it calls ‘accidental managers’ – those embarking on the role with no formal training in management or leadership. Within this context, Monica’s approach to leadership is all the more refreshing, and the results are as positive as you’d expect: ‘there are tangible differences in performance and outcome because my team feels valued. They have ownership over their work.’ With thoughtfulness and compassion, she’s leading by example.
‘Being a manager and being a leader are two different things. And I think we really need to push the focus on leadership.’
‘Being a manager and being a leader are two different things. And I think we really need to push the focus on leadership.’
Monica Unjia
‘It was incredibly special to see my work woven into fabric on the loom in The Fold’s family-run fabric mill in Lake Como’