Founder of The Plattform recognised for PR excellence and inspiring startup success — proving motherhood is no barrier to building a thriving business

Penny Joyner-Platt, founder of Bedfordshire-based PR and marketing agency The Plattform, has been named a double finalist in the prestigious 2025 Best Businesswomen Awards — shortlisted for both Best Marketing and PR Businesswoman and Best New Business.

A mum of two and former agency director, Penny launched The Plattform from her kitchen table during the Covid-19 pandemic after feeling pushed out of the traditional workforce. Armed with nothing but a laptop, deep industry knowledge, and a passion for human-led storytelling, she rebuilt her career on her own terms — and has since created one of the most impactful independent PR and marketing businesses in the region.

“It wasn’t just about starting a business — it was about taking back my voice, building a work life that fit around my boys, and proving that motherhood doesn’t end ambition,” Penny says. “I want other women to know that you don’t need funding, an office or a big team to make something brilliant happen. You just need to start.”

Now working with major clients including Raymond James Hitchin, DB Wider Fit Shoes, Worcester Lloyd and NFU Mutual, Penny has grown The Plattform by more than 200% in three years. The agency’s standout 2024-25 campaign with Sara Davies MBE reached nearly 70 million people worldwide — all led from Penny’s home, with a part-time team and a whole lot of passion.

The Best Businesswomen Awards celebrate the UK’s most inspiring and successful female entrepreneurs. Penny’s shortlisting comes at a time when women are launching more businesses than men in the UK — a trend that reflects both resilience and creativity in the face of continued structural challenges.

“We need to keep reshaping the narrative around women in business,” says Penny. “It’s not about starting again — it’s about building boldly, on our own terms. We need to champion the mums carving out new paths, the women redefining success beyond the 9-to-5, and the founders creating brilliant things quietly and powerfully behind the scenes. Awards like this recognise not just profit, but purpose — and the impact of doing business with heart.”

Winners will be announced at the national finals on 10th October in Daventry.

To learn more about The Plattform, visit: www.the-plattform.com