Last Tuesday evening, founders, operators and innovators from across the South West gathered in Bristol for Electra – a community event for women in fast-growth businesses, supported by TechSPARK and a brilliant group of local partners.

Hosted by Briony Phillips, whose warm, magnetic energy immediately set the tone, the carefully curated format encouraged meaningful conversations and genuine connections. Electra isn’t simply another networking event for female entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs; it’s a space to celebrate achievements, exchange ideas and leave with fresh perspectives.

The evening’s headline guest was Shona Beats, former COO of Headspace, who helped grow the meditation app from a two-person startup to a global business reaching 80 million users across more than 200 countries.

Rather than focusing solely on growth metrics, Shona reflected on her own experience of burnout and recovery, before sharing how those lessons have shaped her work around embodied leadership. Through an engaging fireside chat – complete with ice cubes instead of a roaring fire – attendees heard about the early days of Headspace, the complementary strengths of its founding team, and why wisdom may become one of the most valuable skills alongside intelligence in an AI-driven world.

The conversation was followed by a practical workshop, where participants were guided through exercises designed to explore leadership beyond strategy and execution. A standout moment for many was a visualisation inviting attendees to meet their future selves, ask important questions and return with fresh insight – an experience that sparked plenty of conversation long after the session ended.

Alongside Shona’s keynote, attendees also had the opportunity to meet and learn from a fantastic group of founders showcasing the breadth of innovation happening across the South West.

Gillian Ridley Whittle, founder of Peachaus, brought along a beautiful collection of the brand’s purpose-led lingerie and offered bra fittings throughout the evening, helping attendees find a better fit while showcasing Peachaus’ focus on comfort, confidence and thoughtful design.

Imogen Clarke from Micrima Limited demonstrated the company’s pioneering technology for measuring breast tissue density – an innovation with the potential to transform breast cancer screening and improve patient outcomes.

Seeing the hardware up close was a powerful reminder of the world-class health tech innovation being developed here in the South West, with the potential to make a real difference to women’s lives.

Meanwhile, Kira Goode from Eleria showcased the company’s thoughtfully designed menstrual cups, helping attendees find their ideal fit through a quiz based on their body and individual needs. She also demonstrated Eleria’s innovative menstrual cup cleaning solution, designed to make reusable period care more convenient, hygienic and accessible.

Of course, no community event would be complete without plenty of conversation over delicious food and drinks, providing even more opportunities for founders and operators to build new relationships.

Events like Electra showcase what makes the South West tech ecosystem so special: ambitious founders, supportive communities and conversations that go far beyond business growth. They’re spaces where people don’t just exchange LinkedIn connections – they leave with new ideas, renewed confidence and a stronger sense of belonging.

TechSPARK is proud to support Electra and the growing community it continues to build. Keep an eye on what’s coming next.