An Evening of Fascinating Women

Earlier this week, 120 guests gathered in a beautifully secluded garden in Victoria for a celebration that has quietly become one of London’s most meaningful traditions:  ‘An Evening of Fascinating Women’. Now in its 15th year, the event continues to thrive on a simple but powerful formula: no name tags, no agenda, just connection. 

What began as an intimate gathering co-founded by Allyson Stewart-Allen and Susan Steele has evolved into a celebrated annual gathering. 

This year’s event was co-hosted by Naomi Kerbel (SEC Newgate), Allyson Stewart-Allen (International Marketing Partners Ltd.), Laura Biggs (Women in Work),  Jessica Rasmussen (Two Magnolias Venture Capital), Dana Whitaker (Reuters), and Lucy Fawcett (Dow Jones), each of whom brought their own networks and energy to the evening. The evening brought together women from many different backgrounds, though all with one thing in common: the relentless pursuit of excellence in their fields, operating with grace, gra vitas, and generosity, as well as incredible warmth and openness. 

In her welcoming remarks, Naomi Kerbel captured the spirit of the evening with warmth and poignancy: “We are 25 years into a new century, halfway through the third decade, and halfway through this very year. A perfect pause point. A moment to reflect on how far we’ve come and how much further we can go.” 

Referencing Jane Austen’s legacy 250 years on, Naomi spoke of women as bridge-builders who champion others even when they are not in the room. Her words set the tone for an evening that was less about professional performance and more about presence, generosity, and shared experience. 

The guest list reflected the event’s growing reach and resonance: founders, CEOs, choreographers, journalists, non-executive directors, and campaigners, all united by a commitment to excellence and a spirit of openness. As one guest put it on LinkedIn, “Sometimes the best networking happens when it doesn’t feel like networking at all”. 

The evening was widely celebrated online, with posts highlighting the effortless networking, generosity of spirit, and sense of possibility that emerged from the gathering. One standout post read: “When women come together with open minds and open address books, remarkable things happen.” 

In a world increasingly defined by digital noise and transactional relationships, ‘An Evening of Fascinating Women’ offers something that is increasingly rare: space to listen and to share. It is a reminder that leadership is not always loud, and that legacy is built not only in boardrooms or headlines, but in gardens, over glasses of wine, in conversations that ripple outward.  

So, here’s to the next 15 years of fascinating women, and the futures they continue to shape. 

Watch the highlights video here