Leeds Entrepreneur celebrated at International Women’s Day House of Lords Reception

Leila Zadeh, founder of premium lifestyle brand Dordana, was spotlighted at a special International Women’s Day event at the House of Lords on 7 March celebrating her success as a business founder.

Leila, whose business launched with a collection of traditionally
crafted glycerine soaps, was one of 100 female entrepreneurs from
across the UK selected for Small Business Britain’s annual iAlso100 –
a line up of 2025’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs.

Leila was named as one of Entrepreneur’s iAlso100 this year in
recognition of her impressive entrepreneurial journey, including
running her business alongside a host of other responsibilities. In
particular, Leila was profiled for skilfully integrating her business
aspirations with busy family life as a parent of two. Leila runs
Dordana with her husband, actively involving their children to instil
entrepreneurial skills early on and foster teamwork at home and work.

Leila said, “Being named among the iAlso100 is a real honour, and
attending the House of Lords to celebrate with so many inspiring
businesswomen made it truly momentous. It was a fantastic opportunity
to connect, reflect, and champion the impact of female entrepreneurs
in Britain.”

Named after the word for a single pearl in Persian, Leila began
working on Dordana at the end of 2022. Previously an academic
researcher, and looking for a better way to integrate work with life
around her two young children, she launched a collection of
traditionally-crafted glycerine soaps infused with a fresh mandarin
scent.

"Our soap is unique due to its exceptional hydration for the skin,
crafted by hand using a century-old family recipe and traditional
soap-making techniques." Leila is working on expanding the business to
include a range of premium fragranced products with a focus on artisan
excellence.

When asked about her experience of being a business woman from
Yorkshire, Leila said “Leeds is a fantastic place to start a business.
There are many strong support networks dedicated to supporting female
entrepreneurs, a wide variety of local events, and valuable free
resources from institutions like the British Library’s IP Office and
local government.”

The special event in the House of Lords brought together hundreds of
female business owners from across the UK to showcase their powerful
economic contribution and the transformative, positive impact that
entrepreneurship can have on women.

Indeed, recent research from Small Business Britain, in partnership
with Starling Bank, found that four in five (80%) women business
founders report feeling more confident in themselves after launching
their businesses and 87% express feeling happier.

Leila enjoyed afternoon tea and networking in Westminster, meeting
other founders from across the country, as well as special guests,
which included representatives from the King’s Trust and across
government. “The sun was shining, it was a wonderful day,” said Leila.

Speeches on the importance of International Women’s Day for female
entrepreneurs were delivered by Michelle Ovens CBE, founder of Small
Business Britain; Maria Vidler, chief customer officer at Starling
Bank; Emma Heal, managing director of Lucky Saint; and entrepreneur
Jessamine Hislop, founder of Little Pickles Markets who also features
in this year’s iAlso100 campaign.

“The drive and determination of women-led businesses across the UK is
nothing short of remarkable. Despite the entrepreneurial load of
running a business, women are demonstrably happier and more confident
for taking on that challenge and making a huge impact through their
businesses,” said Michelle Ovens CBE, founder of Small Business
Britain and the ƒ:Entrepreneur campaign.

“Through the f:Entrepreneur campaign, we want to foster this
confidence and creativity to boost women’s successes this year and
beyond, which will drive so much growth and recovery for the UK as a
whole. It was great to have amazing women like Leila join us for the
day to recognise their value and impact on entrepreneurship.”

Launched in 2017 by Small Business Britain, the f:Entrepreneur
iAlso100 campaign highlights the immense and multi-dimensional
contributions of women business owners, many of whom lead
purpose-driven businesses while supporting their local communities
through mentoring, volunteering, and collaboration. Now in its ninth
year, the campaign reflects how female entrepreneurs continue to
thrive in the UK despite persistent economic challenges.

Delivered by Small Business Britain, the iAlso100 campaign also
offers a range of events, training, and networking opportunities to
boost skills, confidence, and growth for female founders across the
country.