Anna Bance

Anna Bance is the founder of Girl Meets Dress, Europe's leading online platform for designer dress and accessory rental, pioneering clothing rental as a transformative way of shopping. She launched the business whilst serving as Head of UK PR at Hermès, spotting an untapped opportunity in the luxury fashion market and becoming the first company globally to offer luxury fashion hire online. Recognised as one of Management Today's Top 6, 35 Under 35 cover stars, Anna has earned multiple accolades including the Drapers Innovation Etail Award and NatWest Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year. Her presentations equip audiences with practical insights on identifying market gaps, scaling disruptive businesses, and turning entrepreneurial vision into commercial success.

While serving as Head of UK PR at Hermès, Anna Bance identified an untapped opportunity in the luxury fashion market and acted on it, launching Girl Meets Dress to become the first company in the world to offer designer clothing and accessory rental online. Spotting a gap where women wanted access to high-end fashion without the commitment of ownership, she combined her insider knowledge of the luxury sector with an entrepreneurial instinct for market timing. Her degree in Fashion Promotion from London College of Fashion had equipped her with the skills to not only build the business but also generate worldwide press attention from the outset, positioning Girl Meets Dress as a disruptive force in an industry ready for transformation.

Anna's credibility as a founder and innovator is rooted in both her professional background and the tangible success she has achieved. Under her leadership, Girl Meets Dress scaled across Europe and secured investment from Global Founders Capital, the fund backed by Rocket Internet's Oliver Samwer, validating her vision for rental as a distinct and viable ecommerce category. Her work has earned recognition from Management Today, which named her among its Top 6, 35 Under 35 cover stars, and she has received multiple industry accolades including the Drapers Innovation Etail Award, NatWest Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year, and the Specsavers Everywoman in Retail Award. Anna has also been featured in the Online Fashion 100, Top 100 Web Start Ups, and as Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year, reflecting her influence in reshaping how consumers engage with fashion.

As a speaker, Anna offers audiences practical frameworks for identifying market gaps, building disruptive businesses, and turning entrepreneurial vision into commercial reality. She draws on her own journey from corporate role to founder, sharing the decision-making processes and strategic thinking that enabled her to launch and scale a pioneering platform in a competitive industry. Her presentations equip business leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators with actionable insights on spotting opportunities in fast-moving markets, leveraging PR and brand positioning for growth, and navigating the challenges of scaling a start-up. Anna's ability to communicate both the strategic and human sides of entrepreneurship ensures audiences leave with tangible tools they can apply to their own ventures and organisational goals.