Merje Shaw, Co-Founder and MD of digital consultancy Path59: Think small, act big - Brought to you by NatWest

Shaw and her 20-plus team of full-timers and consultants help large corporations (charities and housing associations especially) to think like start-ups to improve their digital presence.

Her big break, she says, was landing her first client: “I didn’t intend to start a business when I did, but when opportunity knocks, you don’t turn it down.”

Today, one of her driving forces is a desire to help people connect to each other and to their environments. “I’ve always felt a need to be part of something bigger,” says Shaw, who recently added another string to her bow when she founded Scandi-inspired garden and homewares website Scandiscapes.

Top tip: “Don’t be afraid to own up to mistakes – it will make you stronger.”