Elevate Your Business: a celebration of ambition, resilience, and community.
On Monday 10th November, the University of East London proudly opened its doors to host the inspiring NCC’s Women in Business event under the powerful theme “Elevate Your Business.” Sponsored by Signorelli, the morning was a celebration of ambition, resilience, and community, bringing together over 50 guests , including entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders from across the region. The atmosphere was electric as conversations unfolded around scaling businesses, breaking barriers for women entrepreneurs, and building sustainable strategies for growth.
Among the special guests was MP James Asser, who joined the event to show his support for women-led enterprises and local business initiatives. His presence underscored the importance of continued investment in female entrepreneurship and equal opportunities across all sectors.
Beyond keynote talks, the morning featured interactive workshops where participants rolled up their sleeves to share ideas, exchange experiences, and openly discuss the challenges they face. These sessions sparked powerful conversations, with many attendees leaving not only with new strategies but also with a renewed sense of solidarity and inspiration.
Guests were treated to an exceptional spread of food and drinks, generously provided by Signorelli. The University of East London’s hospitality created the perfect setting for meaningful connections and bold ideas to flourish.
Although unable to attend in person, Uma shared a heartfelt message that resonated deeply with the spirit of the evening:
“Good morning to this incredible group of Women – I am so sorry not to be able to join you today for Newham Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Network meeting. I was really looking forward to meeting so many inspiring women entrepreneurs, small business owners, community leaders and students, and having the chance to speak to you all. I always say if you want a job done right, get a woman to do it – and all of you are living examples of that!
We know that women have to work twice as hard to excel in the field of business and, as with so many areas of life, equality for women in business is a long way off. I was shocked to see that according to estimates, only 19% of active SMEs in the UK are female-led – up a mere 3% since 2020. And women only represent 1 in 3 entrepreneurs. We rightly recognise that if only 1 in 3 politicians are women, that is too few, and the same is true when talking about business. There has been progress made on FTSE board representation, but women need to be active and at the forefront throughout the whole lifecycle of businesses, from education, start ups, to C suite and boards.
To change this, government, business and higher education all need to work together, and as the MP for Stratford and Bow I will continue to work closely with Newham Chamber of Commerce, local educational institutions and of course local businesses, to help provide you all with the platform you need, and deserve, to thrive and succeed. I wish you all the best for an excellent event, and I look forward to attending in future.”
“This event was a celebration of talent, courage, and collaboration,” said Dee Hopal (Chair of Women in Business). “NCC are proud to create a platform where women can connect, learn, and lead with confidence. The energy in the room proved that when women come together, they don’t just elevate their enterprise, they elevate entire communities.”