Female Fusion, the UAE’s largest licensed business community for women, has officially announced the winners of its inaugural 2025 Female Fusion Awards. Hosted during a dedicated ceremony in Dubai on February 12, the event honored high-growth female-led businesses and women entrepreneurs for their measurable operational success over the past year.
Quick Facts
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Inaugural awards hosted in Dubai on February 12.
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Merit-based recognition for top UAE female entrepreneurs.
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Winners received practical business support and PR services.
Merit-Based Recognition for UAE Founders
Designed to bypass the traditional pay-to-play model prevalent in many corporate award circuits, the Female Fusion Awards focused entirely on independent, data-backed business performance.
The initiative opened its doors to all women entrepreneurs operating within the UAE, explicitly excluding event sponsors from the applicant pool to maintain strict judging 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.”
Highlighting Top Female-Led Businesses Across Sectors
The 2025 awards evaluated companies across multiple vital sectors of the UAE economy, ranging from health and wellness to professional services and e-commerce.
Dr. Anna Zickerman, founder of UPANDRUNNING, took home the top honor as the Heriot-Watt University Entrepreneur of the Year, while also securing the Health & Wellness Business of the Year award.
Vanessa Gia Bayma of CBC Consultancy and Events claimed two categories: Crimson Legal Small Business of the Year and Address Beach Resort Food & Beverage Business of the Year.
Other notable winners included Qadreya Al Awadhi of Bumblebee, named Letswork Solopreneur of the Year, and Tia Simone Watson of LittleXWolf, who won the Jacky’s Business Solutions Young Female Founder of the Year (Under 30).
The Market Buzz Impact & Sustainability Award went to Theresa Tsui of Skills3 Creative Enterprise for Social Impact. Latika Chawla of Giftbag.ae secured the TLB Business Advisory Services Ecommerce Business of the Year. Jenna Jenkins of Luxe Incorporations Corporate Services Providers LLC won Professional Services Business of the Year, and Layla Alhajjaj of Boho Salon claimed the Fashion & Beauty Business of the Year.
Reacting to her dual wins, Dr. Anna Zickerman stated: “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.”
Independent Judging and Practical Business Support
Submissions underwent rigorous evaluation by an independent panel consisting of experienced investors, entrepreneurs, and senior executives from both regional and international markets. The criteria prioritized actual substance, evaluating startups on performance, innovation, resilience, and economic impact.
“Judging the Female Fusion Awards gave us a first-hand view of the ambition, resilience and capability of women building businesses across the UAE,” noted 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.”
Moving beyond traditional trophies, the awards provided winners with immediate, practical business tools. Winning packages included legal services for contract drafting, professional PR support, expert mentorship, community memberships, and co-working space access.
About Female Fusion
Established by global advisor and entrepreneur Jen Blandos, Female Fusion is the UAE’s most extensive licensed business network for women. The platform connects over 60,000 professionals, leaders, and founders across 35 countries, maintaining an active core membership of over 1,000 women. Operating at the intersection of corporate leadership and entrepreneurship, the community provides structural growth programs, masterclasses, and strategic partnerships designed to help female founders build scalable operations and drive measurable economic impact. Female Fusion plans to expand its award categories in 2026 to include female leaders within corporate organizations.
Source: Zawya
