There is something quietly magnetic about being in a room filled with people building something from nothing. The ideas feel sharper, the conversations more honest, and the energy sits somewhere between ambition and survival instinct. On Tuesday 19 May, that atmosphere arrives at The Fable by Drake & Morgan as Female Founders Rise hosts its first-ever live podcast recording in London.
Set against the theatrical interiors of the Farringdon venue, The Female Founders Rise Show will bring together founders, creatives and aspiring entrepreneurs for an evening centred around candid conversation, practical advice and genuine connection. Part live podcast, part networking event, it feels less like a polished corporate panel and more like the kind of conversation people actually want to hear.
For London’s growing community of female and non-binary entrepreneurs, it arrives at a moment when conversations around burnout, funding, sustainability and leadership feel more relevant than ever.
An evening built around honest conversations
Founded by entrepreneur and investor Emmie Faust, Female Founders Rise has grown into a thriving community supporting more than 11,000 female and non-binary founders through events, resources and mentorship. The platform has carved out a space that feels refreshingly direct in an industry often dominated by filtered success stories and polished LinkedIn narratives.
Its live debut at The Fable promises exactly that same honesty.
Hosted by Emmie Faust alongside Mae Yip, co-founder of the creative careers platform ERIC, the evening will focus on “Honest Talks & Growth Tactics for Female Founders.” Rather than offering vague motivational soundbites, discussions will dive into the realities behind building a business: securing investment, scaling sustainably, managing leadership pressures, balancing parenthood, and navigating the emotional weight that often comes with entrepreneurship.
Importantly, the event leans into practicality. Each live podcast episode will conclude with actionable takeaways guests can genuinely apply to their own businesses or careers. It is advice designed for real life rather than social media highlight reels.
The guest speakers bringing real-world experience
The evening’s speaker line-up reflects that same grounded approach.
Entrepreneur Lottie Unwin will discuss balancing motherhood alongside running three businesses, offering insight into the realities of modern entrepreneurship beyond the carefully curated narratives often seen online.
Meanwhile, investor and exited founder Rupa Popat brings a different perspective entirely. Through her $26 million super angel fund backed by the British Business Bank, Popat has already made 23 investments into early-stage businesses, giving attendees a rare opportunity to hear directly from someone actively shaping the future of start-up investment.
Together, the conversations are expected to move beyond surface-level inspiration and into the more nuanced realities of growth, resilience and decision-making.
Why The Fable feels like the right setting
There are few venues in the City that manage to feel both theatrical and intimate in equal measure, but The Fable by Drake & Morgan has always leaned into atmosphere.
Just moments from Farringdon station, the venue’s dramatic interiors, velvet seating and storybook-inspired design make it a fitting backdrop for an evening rooted in storytelling and conversation. There is also something quietly symbolic about the event taking place within a female-founded hospitality group created by Jillian MacLean MBE, reinforcing the event’s wider focus on women building businesses across industries.
Unlike larger networking events that can often feel transactional or impersonal, this one appears intentionally designed to encourage genuine interaction. Doors open at 5:45pm, giving guests time to settle in with a welcome spritz before the live recordings begin, while the post-show networking session creates space for attendees to continue conversations long after the microphones are switched off.
For solo founders, freelancers, creatives or even those simply curious about entrepreneurship, it feels like the kind of evening where meaningful introductions are just as valuable as the talks themselves.
A different kind of founder event in London
London has no shortage of business events, but many can feel overly polished or inaccessible. What makes Female Founders Rise stand out is its refusal to pretend entrepreneurship is effortless.
There is an increasing appetite for conversations that acknowledge the less glamorous realities behind growth: the uncertainty, the exhaustion, the balancing act, and the pressure to constantly perform success online. Events like this resonate because they offer something more human.
At £24 per ticket — including a welcome drink, live podcast access and networking session — the evening also feels intentionally accessible compared to many founder-focused events in the capital.
For anyone navigating their own business journey, considering launching something independently, or simply wanting to spend an evening surrounded by ambitious, like-minded people, this is likely to be one of the more interesting networking events happening in London this month.
Event Details
What: Female Founders Rise Live Podcast Show
Where: The Fable by Drake & Morgan
When: Monday 18th May 2026
Time: 5:45pm – 8:45pm
Tickets: £24 per person including welcome spritz and networking session
Secure tickets via Female Founders Rise Event Page
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