Madame Clicquot was arguably the first female entrepreneur in history.

In 1805 after her husband's death, and aged just 27, at a time when a woman couldn't work or even hold a bank account, she took over the reins of the company and went on to build one of the most powerful luxury brands in the world. Madame Clicquot was undoubtedly and unapologetically bold in both her aspirations and her actions.

The Bold by Veuve Clicquot Awards celebrate female entrepreneurs and business leaders around the world and pay homage to Madame Clicquot and her bold spirit. Winners of the prestigious Bold awards are selected for their entrepreneurial spirit, transformational abilities and ethical approach to business. This year, the finalist’s ranged from tech to healthcare to environmental sectors, creating products and platforms to effect positive change in our modern world. Choosing winners was no easy task as the 2021 finalists were all so deserving of bold acclaim; however, the two overall winners were Kristy Chong, founder and CEO of Modibodi, who received the Bold Woman Award, and Manuri Ganawardena, founder of HealthMatch, recipient of the Bold Future Award.

What does it mean to be a bold entrepreneur today? The current female leaders and changemakers such as Kristy and Manuri are following in Madame Clicquot’s footsteps, admittedly with fewer obstacles and greater freedoms but still navigating setbacks and solving real problems, especially at a time of turmoil during the global pandemic. So, what’s the one thing the most successful businesswomen of today have in common? Being bold. They are bold in their aspirations and in their actions every single day - they take risks, trust their instincts and are bold enough to keep their focus, follow their dreams, and never fear failure.

At the Veuve Clicquot Bold Awards in 2021, keynote speaker, acclaimed actor and entrepreneur, Rose Byrne talked about what it means to be a bold entrepreneur. Rose has not only featured in some of the world's biggest movies to critical acclaim, she's also one of the co-founders of Dollhouse Pictures – an independent production company that generates and promotes female-driven storytelling. She is the epitome of a bold woman.

“Now more than ever, we need to be inspired by courage and tenacity, resilience and resourcefulness. They are what will get us through these tough times, after all”, said Rose at the awards ceremony. “We celebrate bold women who play by their own rules. The ones who blaze a trail for others. Women who see obstacles as challenges, and challenges as a chance to reset and do better. Right now, when the world is in great turmoil, these women are a great reminder that it's often in the difficult moments, that we find our strength, change focus, and find a path through, create positive change.”

“I've always been interested in women's stories,” Rose continued. “At the heart of Dollhouse, is the drive to tell stories by women about women. We believe in telling stories that are diverse, inclusive, inspiring, and different. Much like Madame Clicquot's story, whom I've been reading about, and have wondered what she would have done if she was faced with a global pandemic. She met every challenge in her life boldly, so I have to imagine that she would have faced it with resilience and courage. A young widow with a six-year-old daughter, she not only had the courage to take over her husband's business, but she completely re-imagined it. It annoyed her immensely that champagne was cloudy, so she invented a way to produce it crystal clear. She was the first to create a vintage champagne, a rosè champagne, my favourite. And when the Napoleonic wars prevented her from getting her champagne to the biggest market, she simply broke the Russian blockade. She was unstoppable, which is of course, why we call her the Grande Dame of champagne.”