Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: The power of collective momentum

Maria Mavrikos is the founder of Steelchicks, a bold and purpose-driven brand championing women in construction, trades, and beyond.

Passionate about breaking down barriers in traditionally male-dominated industries, Maria has built Steelchicks into a platform that not only delivers high-quality workwear but also empowers women to show up with confidence and pride in their profession.

With a strong focus on community, visibility, and inclusion, Maria is committed to creating opportunities for women to thrive, connect, and support one another.

Her journey is a testament to resilience, innovation, and backing yourself – values that continue to drive both her business and her impact.

Despina Karatzias, a certified trainer, business coach, and author of Adventures of a Balloon Girl, has over 2 decades of experience driving innovation in tourism and small business operations.

As founder of the Institute of Excellence, she has transformed industry training since 2014, specialising in areas like customer experience excellence, business and product development, partnership marketing and leadership. 

With a background in software engineering and years of bookkeeping experience, Hana helps business owners simplify their finances and feel confident in managing them.

Through tailored bookkeeping services, BAS lodgements and accounting software training, she empowers small business owners to stay compliant, confident, and in control.  

Storm Rise, artisan jeweller and founder of Gilded Poppy Makery, brings over 15 years of experience in creating mindful, handcrafted jewellery.

Renowned for her warmth, humour, and dedication to quality, she specialises in guiding women to rediscover their self-confidence through slow craft jewellery techniques.  

Mariyam Sayers is the founder of kandu sustainability, bringing over a decade of experience leading environmental compliance programs across major industries, including aviation, mining, and automotive. As an ISO lead auditor, she has worked with multinational systems and teams, developing deep expertise in compliance and organisational processes.

Through her work, Mariyam recognised that technical expertise alone wasn’t enough to drive meaningful change. This, combined with witnessing environmental loss firsthand, led her to establish kandu sustainability – focused on translating complex sustainability concepts into practical, accessible frameworks.

Today, Mariyam collaborates with sustainability and behaviour change specialists to support organisations across Australia and beyond. She is also a sessional academic at Monash University, where she teaches innovation for impact and carbon strategy.