Leadership is an opportunity to create impact and influence in a positive way. It's the ability to be a catalyst for others to change their situation and the way they see their future.
Hannah Oyewale Founder & CEO, Young Ladies Club
Hannah Oyewale - Founder & CEO, Young Ladies Club
2026 WE Empower UN SDG Challenge Finalist, Europe & North America Region
For Hannah Oyewale, purpose has shaped every stage of her journey.
Growing up in Hackney, East London, Hannah experienced many of the challenges that continue to affect the young women she serves today. Raised in a single-parent household as one of seven children, she grew up surrounded by poverty, crime, and limited opportunities. Those experiences affected her education and placed her among negative influences. Yet even then, she remembers carrying what she describes as "an insatiable drive" and a deep sense that her life had a greater purpose.
At the age of sixteen, Hannah's life changed direction. Through her faith, positive role models, and mentors within her community, she rebuilt her confidence and ambition. She immersed herself in personal development, attended motivational seminars, and sought guidance from leaders who were creating opportunities for young people. Their work inspired her to imagine a future where she could do the same.
That determination carried Hannah to university, where she became the first person in her family to graduate with a first-class degree. She later began speaking at universities, encouraging young people to believe that their background should never determine their future. As audiences continued asking to learn more about her story, she wrote I Dare You, a personal development book encouraging young people to pursue purpose with courage and determination.
While travelling and speaking, Hannah recognised another need.
She realised there were very few organisations intentionally creating leadership, networking, career development, and entrepreneurial opportunities specifically for young Black and global majority women and girls. Rather than waiting for someone else to address that gap, she founded Young Ladies Club in 2012.
"I didn't see any organisation that represented young Black women like myself," she recalls.
Empowering the next generation of women leaders
Young Ladies Club's first major partnership came through Microsoft, which supported employability and skills workshops for young women. Following the success of that programme, the organisation hosted an employability and skills conference for one hundred young women at Microsoft's offices in Reading. Looking back, Hannah describes that partnership as the catalyst that helped launch the organisation's journey.
Today, Young Ladies Club continues to create opportunities that help young women develop confidence, leadership skills, employability, and ambition. Its programmes include mentoring, career development, interview and CV clinics, financial capability workshops, and wraparound support for women and girls affected by domestic abuse and violence.
One initiative that particularly reflects the organisation's impact is its fifteen-week mentoring programme delivered in schools. Working alongside Capgemini, Young Ladies Club introduced girls aged twelve to fifteen to women leaders, career workshops, confidence-building activities, and professional environments many had never experienced before.
The programme's impact reached beyond the classroom.
One mother contacted the organisation to describe the remarkable transformation she had witnessed in her daughter's confidence after only fifteen weeks. For Hannah, moments like these reaffirm that meaningful change often begins by helping one young person believe in her own potential.
Young Ladies Club has also supported women recovering from domestic abuse through programmes funded by the Mayor of London's Office for Policing and Crime. One participant shared that the workshops had helped her begin healing from her experiences of abuse. Stories like these continue to remind Hannah why the work matters.
Commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Young Ladies Club advances several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by creating opportunities for young Black and global majority women to access education, mentoring, leadership development, employment, and financial capability programmes.
Its work directly contributes to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by removing barriers that limit opportunities for women and girls. Through mentoring, employability programmes, and confidence-building initiatives, the organisation also advances SDG 4 (Quality Education). Partnerships that strengthen financial capability and career readiness further contribute to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by helping young women build brighter futures.
By investing in confidence, education, and leadership, Hannah is helping create lasting opportunities for young women to thrive in their communities and beyond.
Leadership rooted in purpose
For Hannah, leadership was never about holding a title.
"It was never about a title for me. It was always about being a catalyst for change."
That philosophy continues to guide both her work and her organisation. Hannah believes leadership is measured not by position, but by the positive influence people create in the lives of others. Her own lived experience allows young women to see someone who understands many of the barriers they face while demonstrating that those barriers can be overcome.
Although her journey has included homelessness, abuse, and significant personal challenges, Hannah never allowed those experiences to define her future. Instead, she remained committed to the purpose that first inspired her as a teenager.
When asked what advice she would give aspiring women entrepreneurs, her answer was simple:
"Know your 'why.'"
She believes purpose provides the resilience needed to overcome setbacks, remain focused through difficult seasons, and continue building even when circumstances become challenging.
Looking ahead, Hannah hopes to impact 10,000 more young women and girls over the next five years while expanding Young Ladies Club's reach through a new digital academy. By combining technology with mentoring, leadership development, and community partnerships, she hopes to create opportunities for young women not only across the United Kingdom but around the world.
More than a decade after founding Young Ladies Club, Hannah continues to demonstrate that purpose can transform adversity into opportunity. Through her leadership, she is empowering young women to recognise their potential, pursue their ambitions, and become catalysts for change in their own communities.
For Hannah, success has never been measured simply by the number of programmes delivered or partnerships formed. It is measured by the lives transformed and the confidence built in every young woman she serves.
"Ultimately," she says, "the impact is the aim of the game."
By Chance Clarisse Umurangwa, WE Empower Challenge Intern