IWD 2026: Female Founder Interviews – Grace & Green

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Celebrating International Women’s Day 2026 we spoke to female founder, Frances Lucraft Founder and CEO of Grace & Green as she dives into the stigma that still surrounds women and having a period in the female founder interviews series celebrating International Women’s Day 2026.

Fran worked in the water and sanitation industry for decade, witnessing first-hand the impact that period and bladder support products have on our water systems, oceans and wildlife. She knew something had to change, so founded Grace & Green from her basement, on a mission to make sustainable period care a basic right for all. 

What was your motivation behind starting your own business?

Before Grace & Green, I was working in water and sanitation in the non-profit world, incredibly rewarding, but painfully real in showing how the status quo around menstrual products was both damaging to the planet and deeply stigmatised. It felt like everyone knew there was a problem, yet sadly back then, no one was doing much about it. 

So I think it was a mix of frustration, idealism and probably a lot of naïve optimism to think I could start a business that would address it. 

What is the hardest and most joyous part of your role as a female founder?

The hardest part? Raising money. Without question. In the UK, female-founded businesses still receive around 2% of venture capital funding. Two percent. It’s one of those statistics that I still quite don’t believe when I see it.  

Raising money is still very male dominated. When you’re pitching, you’re not just selling your business, you’re often subtly proving your credibility in a room that hasn’t historically backed people who look like you. You’re asked about risk where others are asked about vision. You’re asked about the downside where others are asked about scale. It can be exhausting, and motivating in equal measure. But thankfully things are changing, especially as the female investing landscape is changing.  

Building Grace & Green while raising a family has also been the ultimate lesson in humility and logistics. I know every working parent will relate, but female founders do really feel the strain here. There have been moments where I’ve felt stretched thin and I genuinely couldn’t have done it without my amazing partner. Entrepreneurship may look like a solo act from the outside, but behind every founder juggling family there is usually a very strong support system holding the fort, and that’s my partner! 

The most joyous part, though, has been the community of female entrepreneurs. There’s something incredibly powerful about women backing women, sharing contacts, sanity-checks, hard truths, and the occasional voice note from others that just says “You’ve got this.” 

Networks like Buy Women Built are a testament to that. They’ve created space for female founders to be visible, supported and celebrated, not as a niche, but as a force. 

Are there any barriers women still face in your industry that doesn’t get enough attention?

Absolutely. While there’s more conversation about femtech and sustainability now than when we started, a real barrier is how normalised period stigma still is. 

And then there’s the pressure on women founders to do it all perfectly, when in reality the only thing that’s perfect about entrepreneurship is how imperfect it always feels! 

What is your current favourite brand/company and why?

I always admire the brands that make sustainability effortlessly aspirational, genuinely thoughtful products that make people go: “Oh that makes sense.” Inside our own space, I’ve loved watching pioneers who take meaningful risks and push culture forward. Bold thinking reminds me that doing well and doing good doesn’t have to be a choice, it can be the best of both. 

I’ve been following Plantsea for a while now and genuinely admire what they’re building. It’s one of those brands where you can feel the intention behind it, not just the product, but the thinking. Their approach to plant-based, seaweed-led innovation feels both totally grounded but also so revolutionary. It’s not sustainability for show, it’s sustainability because it makes sense.  

Plus they have an amazing co-founder Rhiannon who I really admire, there is something incredibly inspiring about female founders in technical, innovation-led spaces, especially in areas like biomaterials and formulation, where women haven’t always been centred. It expands what leadership in science and sustainability can look like. 

What advice would you give women trying to enter your industry?

Start before you feel ready. You won’t ever feel ready and you’ll just feel equipped enough to keep going. 

Importantly: build real skills, especially around your numbers and your supply chain and start raising money as early as possible.  Lastly, I would say find your people. Entrepreneurship can be very lonely, but the right community / team is so pivotal in your success.  And if in doubt: panic early and pivot quickly. Mistakes happen, and that’s okay, it’s how to adapt and move forward. 

Do you have any female founders or leaders who have inspired you?

Yes, lots! But one of the earliest and most enduring inspirations for me has always been Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop. 

Long before “purpose-led” became a buzzword, she proved that business could be a force for good without losing its commercial edge. She didn’t wait for permission, and didn’t pretend that ethics and ambition couldn’t coexist. That unapologetic mix of activism, humanity and entrepreneurship I think showed a lot of people that  values don’t dilute a brand, they define it. And that’s something I’ve tried to remind myself throughout building Grace & Green. 

But beyond the big, household names, I’m endlessly inspired by the hundreds of women in my own network. I’ve been lucky to collaborate with extraordinary women across women’s health, sustainability and social impact. There are so many bold voices in this space, but I’m especially inspired by those who champion from the sidelines, who amplify others, open doors, and create space for more women to step forward and I think that quiet advocacy is often what changes things fastest. 

The founders, leaders, operators, investors, and change-makers who show up often very quietly, not just building businesses, but supporting communities, and movements and just being incredibly mentors and advocates giving their time and advice. The women who share advice and contacts without ego, who are the ones that often don’t get the recognition they deserve. That kind of generosity is powerful, and it’s shaping a different model of leadership. 

Uncommon support Grace & Greens Period Dignity by providing free period products in all our workspaces. Discover more about Grace & Green here.