Meet some of Australia’s most accomplished and dynamic female entrepreneurs, who have unapologetically forged their professional paths in industries ranging from PR, modelling, psychology and tech. However different their professions may be, one element binds them: community.
Sophie McGrath
Director at Sophie McGrath PR and Founder of Bed Intention
Sophie McGrath’s journey into PR and entrepreneurship has been nothing short of dynamic. From garnering invaluable agency experience along with being a qualified yoga teacher, Sophie is one of Melbourne’s most inspirational and tenacious women. Along with managing her eponymous PR agency, Sophie is expanding her sexual wellness brand, Bed Intentions, into one of the world’s toughest markets: the United Kingdom. Splitting her time between Australia and the UK, 2025 is looking bigger than ever for both her businesses. With society often positioning women as rivals in the personal and professional spheres, Sophie asserts that International Women’s Day is ‘a celebration of the achievements we’ve made and a call to action to continue breaking barriers and lifting each other up.’ For any PR or entrepreneurship aficionados, Sophie’s advice is to ‘embrace curiosity, build authentic relationships, and never shy away from taking risks. Success comes from staying adaptable, trusting your instincts, and knowing that every challenge is an opportunity to grow.’
Laura Lee
Psychologist And Sexologist, Director of Blue Space Psychology
With over 17 years of experience in clinical practice and coaching, Laura Lee’s mission is to shake things up in the sexual therapy and psychological spheres. High quality sexual healthcare and awareness shouldn’t be luxuries; according to Laura, this knowledge should be accessible to everyone. She runs consultations, workshops and supervision to professional healthcare providers, as well as having online courses, coaching and public speaking. When chatting to The Modern Muse Magazine, she expressed that ’while women around the world continue to have their access to healthcare, autonomy and freedom taken away, we need to draw on the power of the collective to effect change. When I think of International Women’s Day I am reminded of the importance of community, and coming together. We are each other’s biggest cheerleaders!’ Laura advises anyone wishing to thread a similar career path to ’seek out your community. Go to events. Seek out learning opportunities. Connect online. We’re here, and we want you to join us!’
Ruchi Page
Digital Creator, Inclusive Practices Advocate, Writer and Model
Binding makeup with activism, Ruchi Page advocates for increased inclusivity in the modelling industry, which had set a uniform idea of beauty and body image for many years. She aims to educate her audiences on colourism, LGBTIQUA rights, gender inequalities and racism. This International Women’s Day, Ruchi ‘celebrates the power that women in her life possess’. This day ‘champions women as multifaceted beings – intelligent, diverse, capable and authoritative.’ For those veering off the traditional career pathway, Ruchi advises ’to try not get in your own way. You’ll make mistakes, need to refine skills or simply may not be good at what you’re trying to create at the start. But persistence and willingness to be better will make you who you want to be.’
Melanie Perkins
CEO and Co-founder Of Canva
One of Australia’s youngest disruptors of the tech space, Melanie Perkins and her co-founder Cliff Obrecht’s global powerhouse Canva attracts over 130 million monthly users. The software’s simplicity, access and power is testament to the combination of brilliant and innovative minds, coupled with ambition. With the ongoing controversy surrounding gender bias in the workplace, Perkins implemented policies that abolish any gender bias at Canva, resulting in the company retaining 41% female representation. Despite arguable global domination and an approximate company value of $48.7 billion, Perkins always felt that they were purely custodians of their money; it was never truly their property. In 2022, the founders signed up to Bill Gates’ the Giving Pledge, promising to donate the majority of their profit to charitable causes. The Canva Foundation has contributed to many noteworthy causes, including disaster relief for earthquake recovery in Turkey and Afghanistan along with aid relief following Libya’s floods and Hawaii’s wildfire destruction.
Zoe Foster-Blake
Author and Founder of Go-To skincare
Quite literally, Zoe’s trustworthy, simple and jargon-free skincare brand is our Go-To. She understood the need for fuss-free and effective products that fit into busy lifestyles and deliver results. With a background spanning a decade at Cosmopolitan and Harper’s Bazaar, Zoe’s strong foundation as a beauty director gave her a faultless understanding and knack to decode skincare. As if she didn’t already wear enough professional hats, Zoe also published Things Will Calm Down Soon, in 2024. This book is a humorous yet utterly relatable dive into the hectic world of career, relationships, single parenting and near-catastrophes that her heroine Kit Cooper faces.
Find more inspiring women here.
