WORDS
Imogen Almond
For more than half a century, the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award has shone a light on fearless female entrepreneurs – visionaries who, like Madame Clicquot, push boundaries, drive innovation and redefine business. In 2024, Tracy Blackwell, CEO of Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), was honoured with the award, while Francesca Brady, co-founder and CEO of AirRated, received the Bold Future Award. This year’s shortlist features an exceptional lineup of leaders, including Vivien Wong, co-founder of Little Moons, and Insiya Jafferjee, co-founder and CEO of Shellworks.
VIVIEN WONG
What is your background and what led you to become an entrepreneur?
I grew up in an entrepreneurial family with my parents running an incredibly successful Asian bakery. They are my role models and showed me the hard work and spirit it takes to succeed. My mother always encouraged me to start my own business but, wanting experience first, I spent several years in the corporate world until 2010 when, together with my brother, the idea of Little Moons was born. Recognising the rising popularity of Japanese cuisine, we saw a gap in the market to introduce Japanese desserts, specifically mochi. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe that Little Moons would become a global success.
Social media has played a huge role in Little Moons’ success. Do you think social media has been the secret to Little Moons’ meteoric rise?
While we were early adopters of TikTok, having created our account in 2019, going viral on the platform took us completely by surprise. It all started with a user-generated video that followed someone on a mission to Big Tesco to find Little Moons. This video went viral during the pandemic, when people were eager for new discoveries. It sparked a nationwide craze as people joined in the hunt and fell in love with our mochi.
Do you think the business world has changed for female entrepreneurs since you first launched Little Moons?
Yes. It was an extremely lonely journey for the first 10 years but, recently, the community of female founders has grown and it’s an incredibly supportive space. However, funding for female entrepreneurs remains at an all-time low. In 2024, female-founded businesses received, on average, £1.05 million in early-stage funding, whereas male-founded startups secured approximately £6.2 million, nearly six times more. This needs to change.
The Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award celebrates audacious female leaders. What does it mean to you to be shortlisted for this award?
I am incredibly honoured to be nominated, not least shortlisted. We took a huge risk bringing a completely unknown product to the UK, so I am honoured to have my name beside some of the previous shortlisted women. I hope it inspires more women to take bold risks.
If you could create a dream mochi flavour, using any ingredient in the world, what would it be and why?
I would love to create a mochi inspired by Ferrero Rocher – combining the crunch of the wafer with the soft texture of mochi and filled with a decadent chocolate hazelnut or pistachio ganache. It’s one of my all-time favourite chocolates.
INSIYA JAFFERJEE
What is your background and what led you to become an entrepreneur?
From a young age, I’ve always been fascinated by how things work. I was constantly trying to make miniature robots that would float across my parents’ bathtub. My love for making, coupled with ambition, took me to Stanford University where I studied product design. Subsequently, I did internships at Bose Corporation and Ford Motor Company before ending up at Apple. Here, I learned how to make things at scale but somehow felt disheartened that the smartest people in the world were all gathered to make a digital watch. That search for wanting to do something more impactful drew me to London, where I met my now co-founder and founded Shellworks.
Can you tell us about the inspiration behind Shellworks and the importance of the groundbreaking material, Vivomer?
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimates that 1,000,000 people each year die from plastic pollution’s toxic and harmful effects. Only 9 per cent of all plastics ever produced has been recycled, and by 2050 there will be, by weight, more plastic in the ocean than fish. These are scary statistics and what inspired us to start Shellworks. At Shellworks, we are breaking the reliance on petrochemical plastics by having developed the world’s first truly compostable packaging material, Vivomer. This material is grown by microorganisms into a polymer and degrades naturally without harming the environment.
Plastic pollution in the beauty industry is a massive issue. What do you think it will take to see widespread adoption of sustainable packaging across the cosmetics industry?
Widespread adoption of sustainable packaging in the cosmetics industry will require solutions that are both retail-ready and cost-effective. A key factor is ensuring sustainable materials have a viable shelf life that meets large-scale retailer standards – something we’ve achieved, enabling brands like Wild Cosmetics to launch in major stores such as Tesco and Boots.
Affordability is also crucial. Initially, our sustainable packaging was more accessible to prestige and luxury brands, but as we’ve scaled and reduced costs, we can now serve a broader, mass-market audience, making sustainability a more realistic choice for more brands.
The Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award celebrates audacious female leaders. What does it mean to you to be shortlisted for this award?
I really value being nominated for an award that isn’t just about success; it’s about bold leadership, challenging the status quo and creating meaningful change. I’m grateful to be among a group of inspiring women who are driving innovation and making a difference in their fields.
If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of career advice, what would it be?
Be more confident!
