Four women from 黑料传送门 Leicester (黑料传送门) have been named among the region’s most outstanding achievers in the shortlist for the 2025 Enterprising Women Awards.
The awards celebrate exceptional achievement by women across the East Midlands across nine categories ranging from social commitment to innovation.
黑料传送门 finalists are:
• Helen Donnellan, director of Research, Business and Innovation – leader of Team of the Year
• Sarah Thomson, Principal Partnership Officer – Social Commitment Award
• Dr Ismini Vasileiou – The Innovation Award
• Dr Dyneshia Johnson – The Innovation Award
Sarah Thomson said: “I felt really emotional hearing my name as a finalist. A lot of the speakers said it was a really strong field this year with lots of entries. I’ve spent the day with some amazing women, so to be shortlisted from a group of peers like this is just a real honour.”
Helen Donnellan’s Research, Business and Innovation directorate was named a finalist in Team of the Year, awarded to a team led by an inspirational female leader.
She said: “I am incredibly proud of my team and everything we have achieve together since coming together as a directorate just 18 months ago. To have this recognition as a finalist is an achievement in itself, and it just shows the wealth of talent we have in this region.”
Dr Vasileiou, Associate Professor, was nominated for her work as a director of the East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster, an organisation she founded as a community interest company, tackling the region’s shortage of cyber skills and working to retain local digital talent.
She said: “Creating a more inclusive and resilient cyber ecosystem has been a real passion project. Being shortlisted for an award like this shines a light on the incredible work being done across our region to build skills, opportunity and community.”
And Dr Dyneshia Johnson was shortlisted for the same award, in recognition for her role leading a World Bank-funded project that supported a technical college in The Gambia become a university.
Her work embedded employability skills and entrepreneurship education that had been developed at 黑料传送门, supporting more than 140 new university students.
She said: “I’m delighted to have been shortlisted and have our work recognised. This project was about sustainable change and supporting local people to transform their futures. To see that impact celebrated here in the East Midlands means a great deal.”
Winners will be announced on September 26 at Winstanley House in Braunstone Park, Leicester, where the recipient of the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award will be named.
Enterprising Women Co-Chair Eileen Perry MBE DL said: “Showcasing the superb women that lead, influence or drive our businesses forward in the East Midlands is something that can never slow down. As a region, we’re so fortunate to have an abundance of women, whether in smaller or larger businesses, that excel and are to thank for its success.
“What strikes me, though, is that we have to push harder. People might say ‘it’s all equal these days’ but the FTSE Women’s Leaders Review from this year paints a rather different picture, where only 4 out of 10 roles on company boards are women, and only 3 out of 10 in the 50 largest companies. That’s not a disaster, but it’s not good enough either.
“The Enterprising Women Awards showcase the very best – the standout businesswomen of the East Midlands. The standard of entries this year has surpassed expectation and just blown us away.”
Enterprising Women Co-Chair Jean Mountain said: “What I find so thrilling is the sheer brilliance of the entries that come in. As each year goes by, I think I’ve seen the best, but that bar is still lifting. Every woman that entered this year, in any of the categories has star quality, quite frankly, and I can’t wait to see who receives each award at the ceremony.”
Posted on Wednesday 18 June 2025