Helping women led micro
businesses become visible,
confident and ready to grow.
Hearts & Founders is a community shop and enterprise platform in Bishop's Stortford, created by Female Founders Community CIC. We give local founders affordable ways to sell, learn, test ideas, meet customers and grow with support around them.
"The fair gave me a low pressure way to test my products, meet customers and feel part of a proper business community."
Hearts & Founders · Bishop's StortfordFounders Market
Belgian Brewery · Free entry Ways
to get involved
Sell with us
Rent a shelf, join our curated markets and book practical founder workshops.
Sell with us →Visit our markets
Discover local gifts, wellbeing products and independent creative businesses.
View upcoming events →View workshops
Learn practical skills, connect with founders and leave with clear next steps.
Browse events →Back the campaign
Help create affordable routes into retail, visibility and confidence for local founders.
Back the campaign →Become a sponsor
Support a CIC creating skills, trade and local opportunity across Hertfordshire and Essex.
Become a sponsor → More than a market.
A movement for women-led local businesses.
Hearts & Founders is a community shop and enterprise platform in Bishop's Stortford, run by Female Founders Community CIC. We give women led micro businesses affordable ways to reach customers, build confidence and grow.
We support women led micro businesses who are ready to be seen but may not yet have the confidence, budget or retail access to take the next step. Our community is especially useful for early stage founders, parents and carers, creative makers, wellbeing businesses and local entrepreneurs who want practical support without pressure or jargon.
Community
A welcoming network of local women led businesses across Hertfordshire and Essex.
Opportunity
Affordable shelf rental, curated markets and founder spotlights create real routes to customers.
Inclusivity
We welcome early stage founders, parents, carers and creatives who want support without pressure.
Growth
From practical workshops to business mentoring, we help founders take confident next steps.
The demand is
already here.
Hearts & Founders has grown from real community activity, not a cold start. Through Female Founders events, conversations with local businesses and interest from founders, we have seen how much demand there is for affordable, friendly ways to sell, connect and be discovered.
"The fair gave me a low pressure way to test my products, meet customers and feel part of a proper business community."
Hearts & Founders founder · Bishop's StortfordUpcoming events
Join practical, friendly events that help local founders sell, learn, connect and be seen. Every event is designed to build confidence and create real routes to customers.
Meet our founders
Meet the people behind the products, services and stories in our community. Browse local women led businesses and support the founders building something close to home.
Handcrafted ceramics and artisan goods bringing maker culture to the local community.
For: Lovers of handmade, mindful gifts
Buy: In-store at Hearts & Founders
View profileArtisan food products crafted from locally sourced ingredients for the conscious foodie.
For: Conscious foodies and gift buyers
Buy: In-store and at our markets
View profileDigital tools that help small businesses thrive and grow in today's connected world.
For: Small businesses needing digital support
Book: tranquilit.net
View profileNatural skincare rooted in self-care rituals, clean ingredients and conscious living.
For: Anyone seeking natural, mindful skincare
Buy: In-store and online
View profile A gentle route into
confidence, skills and retail experience.
As the shop develops, our aim is to create supported retail tasters for young people who may need a gentler introduction to work and enterprise. This will be introduced in phases, with appropriate supervision, clear boundaries, safeguarding consideration and partner input before any formal placement offer is made.
This pathway will be developed carefully and will not be rushed simply to strengthen the campaign.
Awareness sessions
Low pressure creative and retail awareness sessions linked to the shop and workshops.
Structured retail tasters
Simple tasks, clear support and feedback — building confidence in a real retail setting.
Volunteering & work experience
Potential volunteering, work experience or paid opportunities — only when the model is ready.
What your support
makes possible
We will track the number of founders supported, shelf spaces filled, workshops delivered, market opportunities created, founder spotlights published and young people taking part in supported retail tasters when that pathway begins.
We will share simple impact updates so supporters can see what their money helped create.
Shop launch costs
Display fixtures, signage and the practical costs of launching the community shop.
Founder visibility & marketing
Spotlights, photography and digital presence to help local founders be discovered.
Workshop materials & events
Practical business sessions, community markets and access and inclusion preparation.
Access & inclusion preparation
Laying the groundwork for a careful, phased inclusion pathway for young people.
Community events
Regular markets, networking sessions and founder meetups across Hertfordshire and Essex.
Built for impact,
designed to become sustainable.
Hearts & Founders will combine community support with earned income. Shelf rental, sales commission, workshops, markets, sponsorship, founder membership and donations will help reduce reliance on one funding source.
We are developing the model in phases, starting with achievable retail, events and founder support before expanding the inclusion pathway.
Back the next chapter
of Hearts & Founders
Your support will help us turn community demand into a visible high street space for local women led businesses. Funding will contribute to the practical costs of launching the shop, creating affordable selling opportunities, delivering founder support and building the foundations for a careful, inclusive retail pathway.
What donations help fund
- Shop launch costs
- Display fixtures and signage
- Founder visibility and marketing
- Workshop materials
- Access and inclusion preparation
- Community events
If we raise less than the full target, funds will be prioritised towards the essentials needed to launch safely and professionally.