Ambitious Women in Essex: Key Lessons from Chelmsford’s Female Founder Meet-Up
What do four Essex founders think about networking, community and building sustainably in 2026? Shannon Kate Murray reports from Chelmsford's Ambitious Women in Essex Christmas meet-up.
On a Wednesday morning in December, Ambitious Women in Essex hosted its Christmas meet-up at City Space in Chelmsford. Seasonal treats handmade by Luca’s Cakes, a warm room and open conversation set the tone - no pitching circles, no required introductions, no pressure to perform. Just women in business, talking hohnestly about what’s working and what they’re building next.
The panel featured four Essex-based founders: Natalie Scarsbrook, co-founder of Blatella Films and the filmmaker behind Witchcraft and Stilettos, a project reframing the Essex Girl narrative. Preen Chakadonha, founder of Black And Being Essex, a community platform and directory supporting Black people across the county. Aimee O'Connell, founder of The Cupid Collective, specialising in social media and content creation for small businesses. And Michelle Passfield, founder of Marketing withMichelle, helping business owners gain clarity and confidence through strategic marketing.
Across an hour of discussion, they shared what they actually know about networking, building community, and what ambition looks like heading into 2026.
Photo Credit: Fountain Fotos, City Space.
On networking: "Enjoy it. Have fun with it."
Michelle opened by reminding the room that networking doesn't need to feel formal or forced. Enjoy it. Have some fun. Don't let one bad experience put you off.
Her advice was practical: prepare ahead of time, read the room, go and speak to people who are standing alone, and always follow up afterwards, even just a quick message to say it was nice to meet someone. She added one etiquette tip that rarely gets mentioned: let the host know if you can't attend. It shows respect and maintains the relationship.
Attend consistently, she said. Even when you're busy with client work. Especially then.
Eve Calderbank, founder of Ambitious Women in Essex, noted that much of the community's growth has come through consistent visibility on LinkedIn, proving that showing up online and showing up in person reinforce each other.
Natalie reframed networking in a way that stayed with the room long after she said it: networking is relationship-building for the long term. You don't know how you might work together one day. Women-only spaces, she added, tend to create more open, relaxed conversations, the kind that allow genuine connection rather than performative pitching.
On community: "There's enough work to go around"
Preen spoke candidly about building Black and Being Essex across Instagram, WhatsApp, in-person events and a growing online directory. Her approach comes down to ongoing feedback, asking what the community needs, listening for the gaps, and filling them. We don't have the capacity to do everything ourselves, she said. Collaborate with others who can fill the gaps. We can rise together.
Michelle's take was equally grounded: community is everything. You can have more than one. Thank people more for referrals. Celebrate each other's wins, something women often skip when they're busy running a business. Make thoughtful introductions. And don't just focus on meeting new people… spend time with the people you already know. Relationships deepen with time, not just with new contact.
Natalie talked about how community reduces the isolation that comes with freelancing. She started informal hang-out days for creatives that began casually and evolved into real collaborations, shared projects and friendships. Her freelancers are now hiring each other for work.
She shared one moment that captured the room: she supported another filmmaker who was up for the same award. It wasn't a competition; it meant they were both doing something right. They became friends and colleagues.
Aimee closed the section simply: don't feed the scarcity mindset. Helping someone helps you. There's enough work to go around.
From left to right: Caroline Mercieca, Shannon Kate Murray, Dawn Andrikopoulos, Michelle Passfield, Ella Duggan and Eden Waite
What they're each prioritising in 2026
As the panel wrapped, each founder shared what they're building towards. The answers were different but the theme underneath them was the same.
Natalie is focused on getting Witchcraft and Stilettos out into the world: a feature documentary she's been developing for years, targeting a late summer or early autumn launch. She also wants to grow the Blatella community of freelancers in a sustainable way, do more events, and be braver about putting herself forward, especially at female networking events.
Preen wants to find balance for herself. With BABE continuing to grow, she's prioritising consistent support for the everyday running of the business so she can be present in it rather than just keeping it moving.
Aimee is planning to bring in a business partner… someone who takes a share of the business in exchange for helping it grow further. It's a significant step and she's ready for it.
Michelle wants VA support so she has more time for the things that fill her back up: socialising, her personal life, working out. She's building a business that has room for her in it.
Eve's answer was the simplest and perhaps the most quietly powerful: record the nice stuff, every single day.
Ambition in 2026, listening to this panel, is less about scale and more about sustainability. Growth that feels supported rather than solitary. Progress that fits a life rather than overwhelms it. That sentiment echoed throughout the room: a collective exhale from women who are building on their own terms.
Ambitious Women in Essex was created through Essex County Council and has grown into one of the county's most supportive business communities because it removes the pressure from networking entirely. City Space, thanks to founder Hedi Fountain, provided the perfect backdrop for conversations that were open, encouraging and genuinely useful.
If you're a female entrepreneur based in Essex, you can find and register for future Ambitious Women events on Eventbrite.