Being a Female Founder means breaking barriers, challenging norms and proving that gender doesn't limit entrepreneurial prowess. As the Founder of Dermanda Skincare, I am proud to be a woman and create a range that is loved by women. Being a Female Founder is not just about running a business; it's a commitment to empowering the next generation of women in entrepreneurship. It's a journey of self-discovery, leadership and impacting the beauty industry in a positive way. It’s about setting an example to other women, I strive to be a role model, fostering inclusivity and diversity in business.

What inspired you to start your own business, and how did the idea for your brand come about?

The inspiration to start Dermanda Skincare stemmed from a personal journey. As a pharmacist, I have always been obsessed with formulations and absorption and as an aesthetic practitioner, I was frustrated with a lack of effective skincare solutions for my patients to continue their routine at home. I was seeing patients using too many products, having too many steps in their skincare regime and using harsh products not suited to their skin type which was damaging the skin. I sought to create evidence-based products for everyone, minimising the number of steps in the skincare regime. I wanted to create a range that fused the very best of science and nature, using the finest ingredients and of course, the range had to have excellent formulation and absorption!

The brand emerged from a passion for empowering individuals to embrace their unique beauty. Dermanda is not just about skincare; it's a holistic approach to self-love and care enhancing skin health and confidence within. The Dermanda Skincare concept is “your forever skincare” – everything you need, every day.

In an industry that predominantly caters to female customers but is often still dominated by male colleagues at the C-suite level, being a female founder of a beauty start-up has meant the opportunity to create:

1. A product with superlative transparency in terms of the scientific proof and quality of ingredients
2. A stellar team of female marketers, operators, and formulators that are either at the forefront of the industry or represent its future.

What inspired you to start your own business, and how did the idea for your brand come about?

In 2019, when I was introduced to Hanns and Giovanni (the scientists behind the breakthrough liposomal formulation for Intuisse), which has the ability to permeate the skin barrier. In our discussions, we quickly saw the opportunity to leverage my experience in skincare to make the benefits of NAD+ accessible to consumers, not just via IV drips, as historically had been the case, but topically.

Being a Female Founder means embodying resilience, innovation, and empowerment. It means breaking barriers in a traditionally male-dominated industry, while leveraging my unique perspective to create products that resonate with diverse audiences.

Moreover, leading by example, fostering inclusivity, and inspiring other women to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. It’s being part of a supportive community and celebrating collective success. Above all, being a female founder means staying true to my vision and leaving a legacy of empowerment for future generations of female entrepreneurs.

What inspired you to start your own business, and how did the idea for your brand come about?

The inspiration behind creating Olivanna’s skincare line was deeply rooted in my upbringing within the British countryside and a profound belief in the potency of British botanicals. This connection to nature's offerings motivated me to harness these ingredients alongside science led actives, creating products that are both effective and gentle. I in turn, envisioned creating a luxury British Biotech brand that transcends generations, allowing both myself and my daughters to enjoy the incredible benefits to our skin.

There are two key things here for me - gratitude and responsibility.

Even though it is immensely hard work I do feel a sense of gratitude that I have been able to pursue my passions for human health, innovation and sustainability. 

In a way being a founder is the ultimate form of self expression as you are following your true passion, which is quite similar to that path that a scientist or researcher takes, you follow your interest and curiosity, which gives you that feeling of ultimate flow and fulfillment.  

Whilst immensely rewarding there are challenges, Women in business and women in STEM face similar dynamics, with huge drop off rates in women in senior roles in Universities and companies, e.g. <5% of senior leaders are female STEM graduates and < 15% x of STEM Professors are female. This carry’s through to funding with less than 3% of VC funding goes to female founders.

On the flip side - according to Forbes, female led companies have higher levels of success, delivering higher revenues, profits and equity per dollar invested, company culture also benefits with higher levels of employee work life balance and equity.  So with this comes a sense of responsibility, to have a positive impact on both the trajectory of the company and those that you work and collaborate with on a daily basis.