March 17, 2026 - 243 views
Students at Coleg Llandrillo were given an afternoon of inspiration, insight and real-world advice when successful businesswomen – including former students – returned to the college to mark International Women’s Day.
Held ahead of the global celebration on March 8, the special event encouraged students to step outside their comfort zones and consider building their own businesses in the future.
The event echoed the famous words of trailblazing US politician Shirley Chisholm: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
Helping students feel empowered to create their own opportunities were four guest speakers who have successfully launched businesses across a range of sectors including art, wellbeing, STEM and social enterprise.
Among them were two former Grŵp Llandrillo Menai students — yoga teacher and wellbeing coach Nia Evans, and Ally Louise, founder of social enterprise Prom Ally CIC. They were joined by Welsh illustrator Niki Pilkington and former scientist and chemistry teacher Awen Ashworth.
The event was hosted by Sasha Kenney, a role model with the Big Ideas Wales programme, which connects young people with entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of business leaders.
Sasha said hosting the event and introducing the speakers was a truly uplifting experience.
“Their stories reminded us that success isn’t just about building businesses,” she said. “It’s about lifting others, breaking barriers and creating a legacy that empowers the next generation of girls and women locally and globally.”
For Ally Louise, returning to speak at the college where she once studied was a special moment.
“It felt like a full-circle moment talking to students in the same place that I attended as a teenager,” she said. “It was great meeting the other inspirational women on the panel and hearing about the businesses they’ve founded.”
Students were also given the chance to chat with the speakers after their presentations, asking questions and learning about the challenges women sometimes face in business.
Key themes included building confidence, believing in your own ideas and supporting other women along the way.
By sharing their personal journeys — including the risks they took and the lessons they learned — the speakers left students with a powerful message: with determination, creativity and support, the next generation of female entrepreneurs in North Wales can create opportunities of their own and shape the future of local industries.
