Veuve Clicquot hosted its 2026 Bold Woman Award at 1 Hotel Mayfair this week, bringing together founders and industry leaders across fashion, hospitality, music, wellness and sustainability.
Originally launched in 1972, the award programme has long recognised female entrepreneurship, but this year’s shortlist felt particularly reflective of how modern business and culture increasingly overlap.
Among the shortlisted names were Kanya King, founder of MOBO Group, Paula MacKenzie, CEO of PizzaExpress, and Marisa Poster, co-founder of PerfectTed, highlighting the growing influence of brands rooted in lifestyle, community and everyday culture.
The inclusion of PerfectTed particularly signals the continued rise of wellness-driven consumer brands within mainstream business conversations, while Kanya King’s nomination reinforces the lasting cultural impact of platforms like MOBO as the organisation marks its 30th anniversary.
This year’s winners also reflected a broader focus on purpose-led innovation. Smruti Sriram, CEO of Bags of Ethics, received the Bold Woman Award for her work in sustainable manufacturing and ethical production, while Alisha Fredriksson was awarded the Bold Future Award for her carbon capture technology company, Seabound.
Beyond the awards themselves, the evening demonstrated how platforms like Bold by Veuve Clicquot are evolving into wider cultural spaces — where entrepreneurship, creativity and lifestyle increasingly intersect.
As luxury brands continue investing in conversations around innovation and influence, this year’s Bold Woman Award offered a snapshot of the founders shaping contemporary culture far beyond their own industries.
