Brave, resilient, inspiring – meet the women shaping Illawarra’s business future

Just shy of 50 women doing brilliant things in the Illawarra business landscape are up for the region’s premier women in business awards.

The who’s who of Illawarra women in business gathered at Centro CBD on Friday (21 March) for the announcement of the 49 finalists in the 2025 Illawarra Women in Business (IWIB) Awards.

IWIB director Glenda Papac said the high finalist numbers demonstrated the continued strength of Illawarra businesswomen in the face of challenging conditions.

“Each year I am overwhelmed at the number of applications we receive and once again this year all finalists are of a very high standard, which will make judging difficult for our judging panel,” she said.

“Women of the Illawarra have proven in the past how resilient they are. Most of these women have gone through very tough times over the last few years and have turned their business around to be bigger, better and stronger.

“It amazes me the number of new businesses starting up each year, especially in this economy.”

Among the finalists were regulars on the awards circuit, including Solve Care director Ellen Noye, Need A Feed founder Shaz Harrison, Miss Zoe’s School of Dance founder Zoe McCarthy, Two Face Investigations’ Kylee Dennis and Tiny Tins owner Karlie Zec.

But among the familiar faces were many newcomers to the scene, including Wallawa Traffic Group owner Bec Woods.

The business, a proudly Indigenous-owned operation that opened in August last year, is in the running in two categories – Best New Business and Commitment to the Community.

“We do a lot of stuff with the community that we don’t put on our social media,” Bec said.

”We just do it because we want to help the community.

“It’s not an industry with a product or service that can be given to the community. We find other ways to give to the communities we serve. A lot of it centres around getting underprivileged kids into sports programs and breaking cycles of disadvantage.”

Though Kiama’s Rachael Jones is no stranger to awards as an interior designer, her new business Perfetta Shoes is up for the Innovative Business Woman award.

She said the IWIB Awards were the ideal platform to spread the word about a business that seeks to solve a problem for an under-serviced demographic – women who struggle to find shoes in their size.

“I wear shoes up to size 43, and I don’t own a single pair of classy heels – I can’t get them,” she says. ”I scour the Southern Highlands and Sydney, I poke my head into every shoe shop door and ask if they carry size 42/43 and the answer is invariably, ‘No, sorry’. It can really get you down.

“It’s about more than the shoes – I am selling a service to people who have been unhappy and under-serviced. The right pair of shoes can give you confidence.”

After searching the globe for the right manufacturer, Rachael settled on a fifth-generation cobbler in Italy. The first Perfetta prototypes came out two weeks ago, and production is expected to begin in September with three styles at first, in sizes starting from as small as five.

The IWIB winners across 12 categories will be selected by an interviewing panel of more than two dozen judges, including Anthony Wise, Ben Harrison, Clair Hardy, Delyse Del Turco, Di Chalk, Diana Foye, Glenda Papac, Graham Lancaster, Ioanna Alexopoulos, James Welch, Jenny Hirst, Joanne Danckwardt, John Kerr, Jordyn Taylor, Kim Maslanka, Leanne Smith, Lisa McCosker, Maralyn Young, Maree Kerr, Margaret Biggs, Melinda Griffiths, Narelle Hawken, Vi Blazevska and Virginia Wren.

Despite the tough job ahead, Fiducian Illawarra owner, awards sponsor and judge of the Outstanding Executive Employee Award Di Chalk said the IWIB Awards Day was “definitely the highlight of the year”.

“It’s a fabulous opportunity for us all to celebrate our local women’s successes and achievements, in both business and community. Each year the IWIB Awards Day is a wonderful, supportive event.”

The finalists for the 2025 Illawarra Women in Business Awards are:

• Ally Thomas – Thirroul + Co & Malia the Label
• Alisha Musker – Cram Foundation
• Adriana Manfredi – Adriana Manfredi Cakes
• Amy Hall – Banksia Support Services
• Bec Woods – Wallawa Traffic Group
• Bianca Hunt – FLW Connect
• Carla Villano – Novotel Northbeach Wollongong
• Christine Dekker – Graceful Steps Dance Emporium
• Claire Carson – South Coast Therapy & Support Group
• Dandan Zhou – Webb Financial
• Danielle Colley – Danielle Colley
• Ellen Noye – Solve Care
• Emma Lawrence – Always Education
• Felicity Gallegos – Novotel Wollongong Northbeach
• Jackeline Giovannucci – Link Kin
• Jade Taylor – Pilates Haus
• Jane Broadhead – Cove Financial Group
• Debbie Warriner – Cove Financial Group
• Jenny Henderson – What’s On in Wollongong & Parents Guide Illawarra
• Jessica McGuinness – PhysioHealth & Sports Injury Clinic
• Jessie Alice – EverCircle
• Julie Lyddiard – Slumber Wonderland
• Karlie Zec – Tiny Tins
• Katey Randall – MMJ
• Kayla Morosin – Evolve Health Illawarra
• Kelly Andrews – Healthy Cities Illawarra
• Kimberley Douglas – Solve Care
• Kristy Duffy/Anna Broadhead – Awareness Co
• Kylee Dennis – Two Face Investigations
• Kylie Moffitt – PhysioHealth & Sports Injury Clinic
• Kylie Montgomery – One Cake Down
• Louise Moulton – Louise Moulton Legal
• Lyndell Clark – Project Bucephalus
• Michelle Glasgow – Women Illawarra
• Natalie Rachlewicz – Propel Technologies
• Natasha Nutt – Movementum
• Penny Dordoy – SAHSSI
• Rachael Jones – Perfetta Shoes
• Rachel Lee – Scribbly Gum Photography
• Rayna Gillott – Pilates Haus
• Sharna Mahanidis – The Illawarra Dance Academy
• Shaz Harrison – Need A Feed
• Simone Potter – Bush Magic Adventure Therapy.
• Suzy Wheatley – Mortgage Choice Figtree
• Teagan Hines-Waterman – Focus Tutoring
• Tracey Zarowski – Suns Out Skates Out
• Yasmin Roberts – Novotel Wollongong Northbeach
• Zoe McCarthy – Miss Zoe’s School of Dance

The winners of the 2025 IWIB Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Friday, 2 May at the Fraternity Club, Fairy Meadow.