FEMALE FOUNDER TRADE MISSION

We believe investing in women is the number one way to change the world. We’re passionate about creating opportunities for women in business and finding creative ways for them to share their ideas with the world.

We know that when women are supported and connected in their journey, they have increased opportunities for success. Hosting this tour is an important part of our strategy to connect Australian women with global opportunities. The Female Founders Trade Mission to Europe has been specially created for women with global ambitions and female future leaders.

This event will offer participants an opportunity to connect with founders, speakers and business leaders.

This unique international tour offers the opportunity to create global networks, leverage and

discover new opportunities, expand to new markets and raise their personal profile.

Delegates will attend business events and networking events in London and Paris, with

international founders and have the opportunity to explore Paris & London with time for

holding business meetings.

FEMALE FOUNDER TRADE MISSION

The 7 day trade mission will be led by Peace Mitchell and Katy Garner, founders of AusMumpreneur, The Women's Business School & Women Changing The World Press.

This event will offer participants an unique opportunity to connect with authors, speakers, leaders and women from around the world. This mission is open to female founders looking to expand internationally and who want to understand the European market and build long-range international networks.

There are also opportunities for women who are looking to connect with and learn from other female leaders.

A key aspect of the tour is connection to government representatives and industries.

“The Female Founder Trade Mission was transformational for my businesses. First and foremost were the connections made of which one was with Mariana Santos based on the work she is doing to empower girls and women. This sits well with my Coaching business and overall vision to empower others. We are currently in talks for me to be an ambassador Chicas Poderosas in Australia.

Attending the websummit in Lisbon was monumental as I start to develop my tech products and create a start up company, hearing the women at the Australian Ambassador evening was a much needed boost to consider doing business in Lisbon especially as I am still part of the European Union being a British Citizen.

Attending the Women In Tech event in Lisbon was mind shifting as it reminded me to be visible as a Woman of Colour in Engineering/Technology. I have aspirations to further my work in championing girls in STEM and Women in Tech in Africa as well as closer to home in Australia and London.”

Yemi Penn, 2019 FFTM Delegate

Tour leader Peace Mitchell

Peace Mitchell is one of Australia’s leading women’s entrepreneurship experts. Peace believes that investing in women is the #1 way to change the world and is passionate about supporting women to reach their full potential. Together with her business partner Katy Garner, she has helped thousands of women achieve their dream of running a successful business, with an online community of over 150,000 women.

Peace is the co-founder of The Women's Business School, AusMumpreneur & Women Changing the World Press. She is the Chair of Tererai Trent International and Australian Ambassador of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. Peace is an investor, international keynote speaker, TEDx speaker and author.

Peace received the Diversity in Tech Mentorship Award in 2021 and the PauseFest SuperConnector Award in 2022.

Tour leader Katy Garner

Award winning entrepreneur and author Katy Garner is the co-founder of Women Changing The World Press, The Women’s Business School and AusMumpreneur.

With a background in publishing, events and community engagement, she’s passionate about being a voice for women and has been active in advocating for more recognition of the work of Australian women in business with local, State and Federal politicians, to encourage more funding and support for women in business. Katy was awarded the QRRRWN Entrepreneurship Award in 2019.

Tour leader Kathy RHODES

Kathy Rhodes is a business and marketing strategist from Sydney. Her purpose is to bring out the gold in ideas and people. Early in her career she did this for corporations like ANZ, ING, Zurich, and HP; fast food chain Mad Mex; and a range of luxury brands. Today, she does this for thought leaders so they can become world-changers through Thought Alchemists.

Joanne cassady - qld

Joanne Cassady is the director of Balgarra Designs, a 100% Aboriginal-owned business specialising in hand-painted and hand-printed products. Joanne is a self-taught artist, mother and grandmother. Joanne is a descendant of Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta Nations, from New South Wales and Victoria. Joanne has been painting and teaching for over 20 years. She has run art stalls at markets and conferences nationally, created street murals and commissioned works, and held various exhibitions. The artist won the design competition for the National NAIDOC Week poster in 2017 for the theme “Our Languages Matter”. Joanne loves to teach and uses education through art.

Rachel Condos-Fields - QLD

Rachel is a CEO, Founder and seasoned Executive based in Brisbane Australia with a love of community, sport and travel. She has two teenage daughters, a loving husband and two fur kids. She is someone who never walks away from a challenge and aspires to make the lives of those around her better. She loves meeting new people and connecting with others.

Rachel has the tendency to always "imagine" what could be and once she knows something might be possible, there is no stopping her to see it come to life. She has a background as an Executive in the financial services industry for an ASX listed entity but after 18 years of corporate life, she decided to hang up the boots to create a business fuelled by passion and purpose. Rachel loves giving back and has been part of the sustainable growth of a community in Nepal since 1999.

Patricia Guerrero - QLD

Patricia is a colorful person. She believes a smile is the key to fill the world with love. In her late thirties, Patricia decided to go on a big adventure that would change her life forever. She is a Chilean migrant who arrived in Australia in 2012 to study English. She was a single girl exploring the country. The daughter of a social worker and custom officer, Patricia grew up between the transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Years later, She moved to work for a non profit organization in a small town to help them to overcome poverty. After two years working there, she was recognized by the Lord Mayor for her work with the community. However, It was not after 2014 when Patricia’s life flourished the most. Through a Chilean scholarship, she came back to Australia and graduated with honor from her Master Degree at UQ with 38 weeks pregnant.

Fiona Holmstrom - QUEENSLAND

Co-Founder and Director of STEM Punks, Fiona Holmstrom believes STEM Education should be accessible for everyone, (especially girls) and believes helping children develop skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics will prepare them for a future where they can make a difference.

STEM Punks mission is to “Inspire Tomorrow’s Innovators” and teach children 21st Century Skills by enabling a mindset of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Diversity and inclusivity is important to Fiona, who wants to honour the students who particularly need STEM but may not have the access or resources due to their location, socio-economic status, race, ability or gender.

Elle Likopolous - VICTORIA

Specializing in international investor liaisons – Elle has an acute understanding of the market and buying patterns of current international investors and business visa requirements for a purchase of a business.

Principle of Absolute Business Brokers, Elle holds the team to high expectations and level of training to ensure ongoing success and targets reached consecutively every year.

Mariam ElHouli - VICTORIA

Mariam is a devoted mother of 5, thriving entrepreneur, and acclaimed fiction author. As a business coach and public speaker, she empowers others to reach their full potential. She also serves as a director, contributing my skills to various projects.

Nestled on a farm, Mariam’s family share their space with a lively array of animals. Balancing her roles, Mariam finds joy in writing and reading, complemented by a passion for cooking. This dynamic blend of family, creativity, and business fuels her journey, making every day a rewarding adventure.

Amy hall - NSW

Amy Hall is a proud mother to two beautiful Autistic children; wife and partner to an incredible man and have been privileged to be a member of a wonderful community on rural New South Wales, Australia.

Amy is a teacher, a youth mental health advocate and a Child & Adolescent Behaviour Support practitioner. She has been fortunate to earn multiple university degrees in Education, Leadership, Youth Work and Mental Health advocacy, and is currently working on her second master’s degree in Disability Policy and Leadership.

Amy lives with an acquired brain injury and multiple learning disabilities after enduring a serious assault in her adolescence. She has always needed to work hard to retain information and has learned to navigate significant barriers with numbers and reading, but this effort has been the bridge to overcoming great adversity and modelling for others

RAQUEL MANNING - NSW

Thirty years ago, Raquel built a property development and home-building empire. Its collapse was as spectacular as its magnificence. Divorce, bankruptcy, the death of her mum, Raquel found herself a single mum, with $20 to her name and years of court battles ahead. She embraced financial ruin.

Money could always be made but freedom is precious. Blue Diamond Property Group was born, specialising in off-market Development sites - suburbs of the future. The name comes from a magical conversation with her son, who'd drawn a picture to cheer her up. He'd designed a house for her, close to the sea, because she loves the sea, and mountains in the background, because she loves mountains. "When you walk in, there's a feature wall full of blue diamonds, because you love blue and deserve all the diamonds in the world."

Blue Diamond builds communities, places for people to make their dreams come true.

Candice Wilson - NSW

Candice is a creative, energetic, animal enthusiast, mumpreneur living with purpose. She is the proud founder/director of Bloomingtails Pty Ltd which she established in 2015. They opened their second location in 2022 in the Hunter Valley; Bloomingtails Farmstays on 13 acres. She is super passionate about animal welfare and ethics with a strong to desire to make a difference in the world in the pet industry.

Candice loves mentoring her staff, colleagues and people around me. She has a real positive energy, zest for life and love nurturing her body, mind and loved ones. She also loves giving back to the local community and being involved in charity events and fundraisers. In her spare time, Candice loves spending time with her family in nature, all her animals, and reading a good biography.

JOANNE COLELY - WA

Joanne is a resilient and passionate individual who believes in the transformative power of art. Leaving behind a successful corporate career, she embraced motherhood and a new path as an artist, defying ageism and self-doubt.

Joanne’s work has not only raised funds for charity but has also provided opportunities for disadvantaged youth and individuals with disabilities to express themselves creatively. She is dedicated to inspiring others to pursue their passions and make a positive impact in the world.

Ellie Shefi - USA

A fierce advocate and changemaker, Ellie is an 8x #1 international best-selling author, speaker, strategist, attorney, publisher, consultant, and advisor for organizations. She uses her 30+ years of combined experience in law, business, education, and human, civil, and constitutional rights advocacy to give a voice to the voiceless, fight against injustice, and create opportunity. An accomplished and trusted leader, Ellie has committed her life to creating impact through the empowerment of others.

Ellie’s story is not just about success, but about triumph over adversity. Surviving abuse, rape, domestic violence, homelessness, cancer, and more, she has mastered mindset, resilience, and resourcefulness.

Ellie is honored to share her story and expertise in top media outlets including NBC, ABC, CBS, New York Times, USA Today, Forbes, and Entrepreneur. And she features other changemakers as the host of the Free by Design™ television show, You Are Not Your Scars® podcast, and Creating an Impervious Mind® expert YouTube series.

TERI ROUSE - USA

Dr. Teri Rouse is an early and behavior interventionist, autism and reading specialist, educational coach and consultant, with 30 years of experience with children from Pre-K through higher education. Not only has she taught children of all ages, she is an international speaker, international multiple Best-Selling author, and the creator of REAL Peaceful Parenting Framework, Braver Than You Believe Blueprint, and Snuggle Bunny Book Club.

Because of her own life experiences, her love of learning and a passion for helping families, she made it her mission to empower parents to restore peace in their home through a variety of techniques and strategies.

Aytakin Aliyeva - USA

Aytakin is the Founder of Femigrants Foundation, a global community of female immigrants of diverse backgrounds in STEM and Business. With over 10 years of experience in project management, marketing communications, and social media, Aytakin has a passion for empowering immigrant women to achieve their professional and personal goals.

As a Forbes featured community builder and a double gold award winner in the Women Changing The World awards, Aytakin successfully grown Femigrants from 10+ members to more than 5,500 members in less than three years. She has organized 30+ professional networking events and training, interviewed 100 immigrant success stories, and designed and led the 'Femigrant Influencers' video series.

Through Femigrants, Aytakin provides crucial support networks, educational opportunities, and impactful events to help immigrants transition into a new community, culture, and workplace.

Joanna hunter - SCOTLAND

Joanna is a metaphysical teacher, published author, international speaker and the founder of the worlds largest metaphysical experiment, called My Million Dollar Experiment. She was born with her spiritual gifts switched on, which made for a character building childhood. Now, Joanna helps others activate their magic and deeply connect to source energy.

She is mum to 3 incredible children, her youngest child is autistic, home schooled and they are a neuro-divergent family, which makes them all highly creative. She lives in the magical Highlands of Scotland but she was originally born in Stockholm Sweden. She is bilingual. In her early 30’s, Joanna survived multiple organ failure and she was told she would not leave the hospital - she is a walking miracle.