Female Fusion Announces Winners of 2025 Entrepreneurship Awards

Independently judged awards recognise real business performance, innovation and impact, alongside mentorship, memberships and strategic support

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, February 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Female Fusion, the UAE’s largest licensed business community for women, announced the winners of its inaugural 2025 Female Fusion Awards at a special award lunch on 12 February 2025, honouring women entrepreneurs and female-led businesses for outstanding achievement and growth throughout 2025.
The Female Fusion Awards recognise measurable business performance and impact achieved during 2025. Independently judged and not pay-to-win, the awards were open to all women entrepreneurs in the UAE, with sponsors excluded to ensure transparency.

“We created these awards because there’s very little real recognition for small and growing businesses,” said Jen Blandos, Founder and CEO of Female Fusion. “Too much of it is either for large corporates or it’s paid for. We wanted something that founders could genuinely earn. If someone looks back in five years and says winning this award was one of the moments that helped them step up, grow faster or think bigger, then we’ve done our job. This was our first year. We’re just getting started.”

2025 Female Fusion Awards Winners
The 2025 Female Fusion Awards recognised excellence across multiple sectors of the UAE economy.

Heriot-Watt University Entrepreneur of the Year: Dr. Anna Zickerman, UPANDRUNNING
Crimson Legal Small Business of the Year: Vanessa Gia Bayma, CBC Consultancy and Events
Letswork Solopreneur of the Year: Qadreya Al Awadhi, Bumblebee (Food)
Jacky’s Business Solutions Young Female Founder of the Year (Under 30): Tia Simone Watson, LittleXWolf
Market Buzz Impact & Sustainability Award: Theresa Tsui, Skills3 Creative Enterprise for Social Impact
TLB Business Advisory Services Ecommerce Business of the Year: Latika Chawla, Giftbag.ae
Professional Services Business of the Year: Jenna Jenkins, Luxe Incorporations Corporate Services Providers LLC
Address Beach Resort Food & Beverage Business of the Year: Vanessa Gia Bayma, CBC Consultancy and Events
Health & Wellness Business of the Year: Dr Anna Zickerman, UPANDRUNNING
Fashion & Beauty Business of the Year: Layla Alhajjaj, Boho Salon

“Judging the Female Fusion Awards gave us a first-hand view of the ambition, resilience and capability of women building businesses across the UAE,” said Dr Nermeen Mustafa, Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt University Dubai. “It was inspiring to see founders combining strategic clarity with courage and determination to scale their ventures. At Heriot-Watt University Dubai, we place strong emphasis on practice-led learning and meaningful industry engagement. Recognising real entrepreneurial achievement and supporting initiatives that empower women in business strengthens the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region,” she added.

Winning came with practical support - including legal services for contract drafting, PR support, mentorship, memberships and co-working access.
Reacting to the win, Dr. Anna Zickerman, Founder of UPANDRUNNING, said: “To be named Heriot-Watt University Entrepreneur of the Year is a huge honour. It feels validating to have the business recognised in this way. The three months of PR support is a tremendous prize, and I’m excited to use it to expand our reach and strengthen our brand.”

An Independent Judging Panel
Entries were reviewed by a panel of experienced entrepreneurs, investors and senior executives from the UAE and international markets. Each submission was assessed against clear criteria including performance, innovation, resilience and impact - rewarding substance over storytelling.
Sponsors were not eligible to enter the awards, and judging decisions were made independently based on clear criteria. Sponsors supported the winners with practical resources but had no influence over the results.

The goal was simple: recognition that genuinely helps.

Mita Srinivasan
Market Buzz
mbi@themarketbuzz.net
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