Nicki Bedford has always been driven by a love of creation and bringing ideas to life. “As a serial entrepreneur, I’ve always loved the process of building something from the ground up. Pair that with my passion for women in business, and creating the Female Founders Network was genuinely a match made in heaven,” she says.

For Bedford, the idea for The Female Founders Network, a business community for women, came from seeing a gap in the entrepreneurial space for women who were serious about building lasting businesses, not just side ventures. “I kept seeing ambitious women with incredible ideas who weren’t always in the rooms where the big opportunities were happening, or who didn’t feel confident enough to claim their space. At the same time, while I was building my own ventures, I realised there wasn’t really a community for women who were really serious about entrepreneurship, not just side hustles, but careers and companies they were hungry to grow.”

That need for connection and opportunity sparked the birth of The Female Founders Network, a space designed to help women thrive. “It’s about putting ambitious women in the right rooms, creating opportunities, and surrounding them with others who share that same energy.”

Bedford believes the UAE offers a uniquely fertile ground for women building businesses. “The UAE is one of the most exciting places in the world to be building as a woman right now,” she explains. “There’s such a buzz of energy here; people genuinely want to create, scale, and support each other’s businesses. And what makes it different is that this momentum really comes from the top. The leadership has made entrepreneurship and gender balance a priority, and you can feel that trickle down into the opportunities available on the ground.”

The numbers speak for themselves. Women now make up around 18% of all entrepreneurs in the UAE. In just the past year, over 5,900 new business licenses were issued to Emirati women in Abu Dhabi alone, bringing the total there to more than 21,000. “When you look across the whole country, the scale of Emirati women’s contribution to the economy is massive, and it’s only growing,” Bedford says. “Beyond the statistics, there’s this unique sense that anything is possible here; if you have the ambition and the vision, this is a country that backs you to build it.”

The Female Founders Network, she explains, goes beyond a typical business community. “For us, it’s never just been about creating another community. Our goal is much bigger; we’re building an ecosystem for female founders. The community element is at the heart of it, but what really sets us apart is the way we work with world-class partners to open new doors. Google came on as our launch partner, and right now we’re working closely with AWS on an upcoming pitch night. It’s those kinds of partnerships that give our members access to resources, opportunities, and networks they might never have had on their own.”

When it comes to challenges, Bedford says that for many women, the barriers to success are often internal rather than external. “The biggest hurdle for women building businesses is what’s happening in their own minds. Overthinking, second-guessing, procrastinating, all of those inner patterns that hold you back from just taking the next step.” Her advice? “What I’ve learned is that the fastest way through it is action. When you move, even in small ways, you create momentum, and confidence follows. And when you’re surrounded by the right people, other ambitious women who remind you that you’re not alone and that your vision is possible… it gets a lot easier to silence the doubt and keep going.”

For those considering the leap from corporate life into entrepreneurship, she’s refreshingly honest. “The first thing I’d say is to really make sure this is what you want. Entrepreneurship has become a bit of a buzzword lately, but the reality is it’s tough. Without a North Star, a clear vision of why you’re starting, it’s very easy to burn out or lose your way,” she says. “At the same time, it’s also one of the most rewarding paths you can take. You get to build something that’s yours, that reflects your vision, and there’s nothing quite like that. 

Asked to describe herself, Bedford smiles. “I’m fiercely driven, and I put that same energy into everything I do, whether it’s building businesses or supporting the women in my community. I’m also incredibly loyal and protective of the people around me. Creating spaces where women feel safe enough to share challenges, but also confident enough to celebrate their wins, is something I take seriously. At the same time, I’m the first one to laugh at myself, and I think that’s important.”

Building this community, she says, has transformed her both personally and professionally. “Honestly, I feel like I was born for a role like this. I’ve always cared deeply about my team and the growth of the people around me, so building the Female Founders Network has felt like a natural extension of that,” she shares. “For me, leadership is about genuinely loving the process of helping someone do something they’ve never done before, watching them grow, step outside their comfort zone, and knowing I’ve played a part in creating that environment.”

Balance, she admits, is still a work in progress. “Balance is something I’ve always struggled with, and I think most entrepreneurs would say the same,” she says. “I had to take a hard look at myself and the way I operate, and since then I’ve made some real changes. Now I try to find a rhythm that works with my energy. What I’ve learned is that you have to get really good at listening to your body. If it asks for a break, give it one, because if you don’t, it will force you to take one.”