Event Report | WIDD Winter Meeting 2025
Friday 14 November, The Featherstone Building EC1 (Hybrid)
As the year drew to a close, professionals from across digital and design gathered for Women Innovators in Digital and Design’s Winter Meeting, hosted at The Featherstone Building and streamed to attendees online. With the theme “2025 Insights, 2026 Strategies,” the evening brought together experienced leaders, emerging talent, and curious practitioners eager to reflect on a fast-moving year and prepare for the one ahead.
Set against the welcoming backdrop of Tide HQ, the event opened with an invitation to pause before accelerating into 2026. Across keynotes and panel discussions, speakers shared candid insights on leadership, culture, social media, cybersecurity, personal resilience and wellbeing, each offering a grounded, lived perspective on what it actually takes to thrive in demanding digital environments.
A recurring message throughout the evening was the value of intentional leadership. Whether discussing enterprise tech, cybersecurity, high-performance cultures, or navigating the pressures of agency life, speakers echoed a similar sentiment: success hinges not on speed and and comparison, but on clarity, courage, and the willingness to lead with integrity. Leadership, several noted, is less about having all the answers and more about creating spaces where questions, experiments, and mistakes can move a team forward.
DEI remained an integral thread, woven into every session rather than positioned as a separate topic. From discussing the stories we tell in our teams to the systems we build in our organisations, attendees were reminded that equity and inclusion are not “initiatives” but essential design decisions that determine who gets seen, heard, supported, and empowered.
What lingered most from the conversations was a shared understanding that the 2026 will reward those who reflect before they react. Whether exploring smart financial tools, regulating the nervous system in high-pressure roles, or learning from the real challenges of running a social media agency, each speaker offered a practical reminder that growth begins with awareness.
As discussions continued over drinks and canapés, the atmosphere was one of connection and curiosity, professionals exchanging lessons, contacts, and reflections from a year defined by rapid change but also remarkable innovation.
Thank you to our speakers and every attendee for contributing to a thoughtful, energising close to the year. The insights shared will strengthen the community that continues to define Women Innovators in Digital and Design.
