Dinah Bennett OBE, FRSA (Invited), FHEA
Founder and Director
Our Founder Dinah Bennett OBE is recognised as a world leader in the field of enterprise and entrepreneurship, specialising in gender, international entrepreneurship and SME development.
Dinah, alongside her team of specialist associate consultants, has enabled people and organisations all over the world to gain enhanced insights into enterprise and entrepreneurship for more than twenty-five years. Through ICE, their expertise has added value to economic policy and practice, institutional leadership and entrepreneurship, and engagement with the small business community.
As a published author, acclaimed speaker and a recognised expert in her field, Dinah has inspired, informed, challenged and provided deep insights into enterprise and entrepreneurship. Alongside her many publications and articles she recently co-authored the book ‘Entrepreneurship, Neurodiversity & Gender‘ with associate Yolanda Gibb, which explores opportunities for enterprise and self-employment as pathways to fulfilling lives. Dinah also co-wrote Hallmarks, a bestselling book for owner-managers of growth companies which is still widely used internationally as an innovative management development programme.
View a selection of Dinah Bennett’s publications here
Awards
Dinah was awarded and OBE for services to Women’s Entrepreneurship in 2011, and was one of the first women to be honoured with the Queen’s Award for Achievement in Enterprise Promotion in 2005.
In 2006 she was awarded the First Women’s Corporate Award by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
Membership of professional bodies
- Honorary Fellowship of The Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs IOEE ) since 2016
- Member of International Advisory Panel for Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Policy network (GWEP)
- Advisory Board Member of the International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship (Emerald Publishing) since 2010
- Member of T20 preparatory Group for Saudi Presidency of G20 in 2020 representing Women’s Economic Empowerment, 2019
- Member of the International Advisory of The Knowledge Economy Forum since 2009
- Trustee of the Institute of Small Business and Entrepreneurship 2004 – 2010, 2019 – 2025
- Trustee of The Millin Charity in Newcastle
- Trustee of Willowburn Hospice based in North West Durham 2009 – 2017
- Board Director JackandGrace Bcorp certified for last three years
Professional associations
- Member of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Entrepreneurship 2011 2016
- Co-Founder of Societal Innovation & Enterprise Forum (SIEF) since 2017
- Global Lead for Enterprise Development with WEI Forward (Women’s Economic Imperative)
- European Space Agency (ESA) Consultant to the Human and Robotic Exploration Programmes Innovation Board
- Founder and Vice Chair UK Women’s Enterprise Policy Group
- Judge Huawei Asia-Pacific Tech4Good module in “Seeds for the Future” ICT Competition 2021 and 2022
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) since 2003
- Visiting Fellow of Entrepreneurship, St Aidan’s College Durham University since 2010
- Visiting Professor, Ecole Superior de Commerce (Toulouse Business School), France 2002-2009
- Visiting Lecturer, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, SA, 2008-2010