Female Founders in Engineering and Manufacturing: Role Models for Young People

An award-winning architectural designer with over a decade of experience in sustainability, Antoinette founded AGREKA Build to decarbonise the construction industry. Her company transforms agricultural waste wheat straw into WHEATEX, a circular, bio-based insulation board. Based in London and Chester, she is tackling fuel poverty and shaping a healthier built environment through regenerative design and material innovation, supporting farmers while reducing carbon in construction.

Eloise started Elandr after years of watching teammates quit netball because of ankle injuries. She knew ankle braces were uncomfortable and expensive, so she set out to build a shoe with real protection built right in. Backed by England Roses captain Serena Guthrie MBE as special advisor, Elandr has already won multiple awards for innovation in sportswear.

Dr Holly Reeve co-founded HydRegen after completing her DPhil in Chemistry at the University of Oxford, where she developed the core technology from lab research to commercial product. HydRegen combines industrial biotechnology with modern chemical manufacturing to create more sustainable processes for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Holly was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry's Felix Franks Biotechnology Medal in 2022 for her pioneering work bridging biology and chemistry at scale.

Insiya Jafferjee co-founded Shellworks to tackle the global plastic crisis by engineering materials from natural microbes that perform like plastic but biodegrade harmlessly. A design engineer by training, she turned her university research into a growing business now working with major beauty and packaging brands. Insiya is proving sustainability and performance can go hand in hand.

Jen co-founded DefProc Engineering in Liverpool to bridge the gap between great ideas and real products. The company specialises in innovation project management, helping clients develop connected devices, IoT solutions and hardware prototypes from concept to market. Recognised in The Manufacturer Top 100, Jen leads a team that has delivered projects across healthcare, transport and smart cities. She is passionate about making British manufacturing more innovative and accessible.

Jordan co-founded myenergi in 2016 to make renewable energy accessible to everyone. From a small unit in Lincolnshire, she helped grow the company into a global green tech business employing over 350 people. Their zappi charger became the UK's bestselling home EV charger. Jordan champions more women in STEM and sustainability.

Lucy invented MarinaTex as a university student, creating a compostable alternative to single-use plastic using fish waste and red algae. Her innovation won the international James Dyson Award and has been recognised globally as a breakthrough in sustainable materials. Lucy is proving that the answer to our plastic problem might already exist in what we throw away.

Melissa started her first company aged 23. The idea for Nourished came in 2018 when she dropped vitamin pills at airport security and thought there had to be a better way. Plant-based since her teens, she created 3D-printed personalised vitamin stacks tailored to each person's needs. Nourished is now stocked in Boots and over 500 Holland & Barrett stores nationwide.

An architect and Associate Professor at The Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL, Mollie co-founded Automated Architecture to solve the housing crisis through technology. Using a network of robotic micro-factories, the company builds sustainable timber housing modules at 30 to 40 per cent lower cost than traditional methods. Their approach reduces construction waste and speeds up delivery. Mollie is reimagining how we build homes, making quality housing affordable and environmentally responsible.

A textiles specialist and printmaker, Renuka discovered the potential of onion skins while using them for traditional fabric dyes. She founded HUID (Dutch for 'skin') in Oban, Scotland, to transform this food waste into packaging materials - a cardboard alternative and a plastic wrap replacement, both with natural properties that extend food shelf life. Winner of the Innovate UK Young Innovator Award.

Roni founded Jomas Associates as one of the few Black female CEOs in the construction industry. Her firm delivers geotechnical solutions for major infrastructure projects across the UK, from railways to housing developments. She has won numerous awards and actively champions diversity in engineering, mentoring young women and proving that excellence knows no boundaries.

Sarah was a jewellery designer whose pieces were worn by celebrities like Kim Kardashian. During Covid she questioned whether fashion was worth its environmental damage. She discovered banana plants produce agricultural waste that can be turned into soft, breathable fabric with a 90% lower carbon footprint than cotton. She founded 29Acacia to create scalable sustainable textiles and partnered with denim giant Arvind to pilot manufacturing at scale.

An expert in AI and supercomputing, Amy founded Danu Robotics out of frustration with wasteful recycling systems still reliant on manual labour. She built a team of robotics and computer vision specialists to create H.E.R.O., a smart robotic system that uses AI to identify and sort recyclable materials with incredible speed and accuracy. Named a Blue Earth 100 winner, Danu Robotics is building the foundation for a truly circular economy.

Neo started her brand to find a natural solution for her daughter's eczema, drawing on her grandmother's traditional South African remedies. What began as a personal mission grew into a full skincare range rooted in botanical wisdom. Now she also runs the Cosmetic Formulation Academy, empowering women to create their own skincare lines and build sustainable businesses from scratch.