Bedford-based strategist Rachel Dunford has won in two categories at this year’s Best Businesswomen Awards 2025.
Rachel, known as The Impact Specialist and founder of The Impactful Community, won gold in the Best Business in Business Services category and also took home silver in the Best Networking Group category for her growing women’s business network at a prestigious gala awards event held at the Daventry Court Hotel.
The Best Businesswomen Awards were created eleven years ago to celebrate the achievements of female-led businesses and charities across a diverse range of industries.
Open to all female business owners, the awards highlight the business acumen, drive and dedication of talented businesswomen who are all inspirational role models.
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Describing Rachel’s win, the judges said: “The entry clearly demonstrated the huge amount of impact Rachel had on her clients.
“She is a brilliant performer delivering outstanding resilience and client outcomes. This was an outstanding entry that demonstrates exceptional business acumen, ethical leadership, and a deep commitment to both client service and community.
“Her strategic growth, innovative service development, and values-led approach were strongly supported in her entry by high-quality evidence.”
Rachel began Rachel Dunford Consulting to help businesses measure, articulate and amplify the positive impact they create – not just in commercial terms, but via the change they create for their clients, communities and wider world.
Through services such as her Rapid Impact Review and Impact Strategy support, Rachel helps organisations evidence and communicate the difference they make.
Her second award of the night, the silver for The Impactful Community, recognised the success of the women’s business network she founded in 2024.
Rachel’s community now brings together values-driven women from across the globe each month to explore how they can create meaningful impact through their work, celebrating the power of collaboration over competition.
Speaking about the awards, Rachel said: “Winning gold for my business and silver for the Impactful Community in the same evening feels incredibly special.
“I’ve built my business on a belief that doing good and doing well can, and should, go hand-in-hand, and to have that recognised at a national level is something I’ll never forget.
“I’m very grateful to my clients and my collaborators as well as my wonderful community for enabling me to do the work I love and to have the chance to make a real impact myself.”
