Laura Tenison

Laura Tenison MBE is a pioneering entrepreneur and ethical business leader who founded JoJo Maman Bébé, growing it from a £50,000 start-up in 1993 to a £71 million omni-channel retailer recognised as the UK's leading parent and baby brand. She successfully orchestrated the company's sale to NEXT Plc and Davidson Kempner in 2022, having championed groundbreaking practices including early B Corp certification, the UK's largest all-female board, and inclusive employment across the business. Laura now runs Wonderful Escapes, a sustainable creative retreat in the Black Mountains, and shares her candid expertise on entrepreneurship, ethical leadership, and innovative growth with audiences worldwide.

When Laura Tenison sold JoJo Maman Bébé to NEXT Plc and Davidson Kempner in 2022, she brought to a close three decades of extraordinary entrepreneurial achievement. From a £50,000 investment and two employees in 1993, she had built the UK's leading independent mother and baby brand, reaching £71 million in annual sales and employing nearly 1,000 people across 99 stores in the UK, Ireland, and the US. What set JoJo apart under her leadership was not simply commercial success, but the conviction that people and planet mattered more than profit alone. Laura embedded ethical practices into every aspect of the business, from establishing the UK's largest all-female board of directors to pioneering diversity in advertising, employing people serving prison sentences and asylum seekers, supporting staff with Down's syndrome, and achieving Certified B Corporation status long before it became a movement. Her approach transformed JoJo into a digital-first, omni-channel retailer with a loyal customer base built on trust, innovation, and values-led commerce.

Laura's entrepreneurial journey began long before JoJo. Whilst still at school, she launched a made-to-measure fashion business, travelling extensively across Syria, India, and the Far East to source fabrics and build supply chains. When banks refused the funding to scale, she pivoted with characteristic resourcefulness, spotting an opportunity in the niche property market in Brittany, France. She grew and sold that business as a going concern, using the proceeds to return to her passion for fashion and launch JoJo. Over 30 years, she developed the brand into a trusted name for quality maternity wear, children's clothing, and nursery essentials at accessible prices, with product innovation that became part of family life for thousands. Her leadership extended beyond the UK, managing a fully owned US subsidiary with its own stores, e-commerce platform, and distribution centre. Laura's commitment to ethical business was matched by her dedication to social impact, including running a charity in Mozambique and implementing profit-sharing schemes, upcycling initiatives, and even creating a dog-friendly workplace. Her accolades reflect this impact: she was appointed MBE in 2005 as one of the youngest recipients for Business Services, named Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year in 2008, and has received honorary doctorates and fellowships from multiple UK universities.

Today, Laura channels her passion for sustainability and wellbeing into Wonderful Escapes, a luxury creative and wellness retreat at her historic farmstead, Wern-Y-Cwm, in the Black Mountains near Abergavenny. Featuring 18 bedrooms across four beautifully restored properties surrounding the Great Barn, the retreat offers an antidote to digital overload and a sanctuary for collaboration, creativity, and personal rejuvenation. The buildings have been renovated using traditional methods and furnished with upcycled pieces, whilst meals are prepared using locally sourced, home-grown, or foraged ingredients. Laura's mission is to help guests reconnect with what truly matters, recharge their energy, and return to their lives with renewed optimism and clarity. As a speaker, she delivers candid, entertaining, and deeply informative talks on entrepreneurship, ethical business, innovation, and leadership to audiences across the UK and internationally, including in France and Nigeria. Her media appearances on BBC's Peter Jones Meets, Beat the Boss, The Apprentice: You're Fired, and across major news channels have established her as a respected voice in British business. Whether addressing corporate conferences, networking events, or academic institutions, Laura's infectious enthusiasm and practical wisdom leave audiences inspired to tackle their own challenges with courage, creativity, and conviction.