South West Women in Business Panel Session (WCBS 2026)

Join an inspiring panel of women making their mark across the South West business community. From leadership and entrepreneurship to overcoming challenges and creating opportunities, our panellists will share their experiences, lessons learned and practical advice.

Expect an open, engaging conversation celebrating success, tackling the realities of doing business, and exploring how we can continue to champion and empower women across the South West.

Speakers

Alexis Bowater OBE, West Country Women in Business Awards

Katie Arscott, Sisters & Sequins
Katie Arscott is an entrepreneur, keynote speaker, yoga teacher, menopause specialist, published poet and avid writer. Founder of Sisters & Sequins and Simple Wellbeing, she champions women’s wellbeing, builds communities and inspires others to think bigger, live boldly and embrace life with a little sparkle!

Louise Jenner, Devon Women in Business
Louise Jenner is The Dream Job Coach and co-leads Devon Women in Business, a thriving community supporting and connecting women across the county.

A career and business coach since 2013, Louise helps people gain clarity, build confidence, and create careers and businesses that work for them. Her own career has spanned sales, management, recruitment, training and coaching, and she was the first female manager at DFS Furniture.

Through Devon Women in Business, Louise is passionate about creating opportunities for women to connect, collaborate, raise their profile, and support one another to succeed.

She firmly believes that with the right mindset, support, and resources, we can all create working lives we genuinely enjoy.
Find them at Stand 112.

Stacey Sheppard, Athena Magazine
Stacey Sheppard is a writer, content creator, marketing strategist and business ecosystem builder with more than 20 years’ experience in media, publishing and digital content.

Her career began in the interiors industry, where she built a successful platform as a writer, blogger and influencer, working with leading brands and publications and developing a deep understanding of storytelling, content marketing and what makes people connect with a message.

Today, Stacey is the founder of The Tribe, a coworking space and community for women in business in South Devon, and co-founder and editor of Athena, a digital magazine championing women in business across Devon. Her work explores the structural barriers women face in entrepreneurship, the infrastructure needed to help them succeed, and what the future of work could look like if we designed businesses around our lives rather than forcing our lives around our businesses. She is passionate about creating the conditions for women to be seen, heard and supported, while helping them build businesses that feel like home and give them room to be fully themselves.
Find them at Stand 80&86.

In the Keynote Theatre (top right of the floor plan).