Hosted by Kings University, the annual Women Entrepreneurs Network Retreat recently returned and featured a jam-packed weekend of inspiring sessions, practical workshops and community building to help female entrepreneurs and their businesses thrive!
Organised by Kings College London, the WEN Retreat brought together a diverse community of women with an entrepreneurial spirit, who are empowered to support each other’s ideas and ventures and who share common learning and experiences.
The retreat, held on July 7th, 8th and 9th, saw attendees from various universities and organisations across the country convene at Kings University’s Strand campus. The event provided an exceptional platform for networking, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among women in higher education, fostering an environment of support and empowerment.
Throughout the retreat, attendees had the opportunity to share their personal experiences, exchange best practices, and identify strategies to overcome barriers to success as female entrepreneurs. We had the pleasure of having our legal business questions answered by a business lawyer, we learnt more about Intellectual property and branding from experts in the fields, and we were massively inspired by hearing from Sonya Barlow the founder of Like Minded Females (LMF Network).
The retreat concluded with a collective commitment to implement the ideas generated during the event. Participants left Kings University with a renewed sense of purpose, armed with actionable strategies to effect change within their businesses no matter what stage. Many women entrepreneurs were able to collaborate and connect their business ideas in ways that will hopefully see successful business partnerships blossoming.
Our Student Enterprise Manager Elizabeth Batchelor also attended; reflecting on the retreat Elizabeth said “The Women Network Retreat at Kings University was a resounding success. It brought together talented female students and graduates from various universities who are passionate about developing their business ideas in a collaborative and supportive environment.”
As the retreat came to a close, attendees expressed their gratitude to Kings University for organizing such an inspiring event. The impact of the Women Entrepreneurs Network Retreat will indeed create a positive impact on those that attend and will certainly encourage more women entrepreneurs to take bold steps in business.
We recently caught up with Joanna Gaslowska, a second-year student from London Met’s School of Art, Architecture and Design, to hear about her experience attending this year’s WEN Retreat.
What did you enjoy the most about being part of WEN?
To be an entrepreneur is brave. To be a woman entrepreneur in the world where only 6% of the CEO positions are run by women is another level of courage. But being able to see so many proactive ladies on WEN Retreat gave me a great sense of support and motivation to carry on fulfilling my dreams.
What immediate actions if any will you be taking forward following participating in WEN?
Connecting with the ladies from the Retreat. Being able to share with them and listen to each other stories. Start thinking about the branding of my business and networking.
What are your overall thoughts on having a dedicated enterprise programme for women?
Great idea to create this safe space for women to be able to share, discuss, rethink etc about any concerns that they might have. It was encouraging to meet women from different backgrounds, being on different stages of their business building process.
We are excited to encourage and support female entrepreneurs at London Met and we thank Kings College London for inviting us along to participate in their exciting WEN retreat.