Olga Balakleets Marks 10 Years of the Creative Women Forum

Creative Women Forum 10th anniversary events poster

An Exclusive Interview on Artistry, Innovation, and the Future of Female Entrepreneurship

Marking a decade of global impact, the Creative Women Forum is set to celebrate its 10th anniversary from 3 to 5 June 2026 in some of London’s most historic landmarks.

Founded in 2016 by internationally acclaimed concert pianist and cultural entrepreneur Olga Balakleets, the platform has evolved from a single conference into a thriving international ecosystem spanning over 60 countries and reaching a global audience of 473.3 million.

This year’s milestone anniversary event, themed “Future Forward: 10 Years of Creative Leadership,” will open at the House of Commons before moving to the Goldsmiths’ Hall, uniting a diverse collective of influential female leaders including royal family members, CEOs, and cultural icons such as Bianca Jagger and HRH Princess Noura Al Saud.

Olga Balakleets helped us delve deeper into the origins of this global community and the significance of hosting such a prestigious anniversary in the heart of the City of London.

Red Bus: The Creative Women Platform has reached an extraordinary audience of over 400 million people across 60 countries since its inception in 2016. Looking back at the past ten years, how has your original vision for the forum evolved, and what do you feel has been the most rewarding aspect of watching this international community of women flourish?

Olga Balakleets: It has been an extraordinary journey. I never imagined that from our first Creative Women conference in Cyprus in 2016, we would arrive where we are today. I certainly did not plan even an annual event, let alone the growth of a truly international community.

Today, Creative Women has become a global platform that brings together thousands of female leaders and opinion-makers from across the world. They connect not only once a year at our flagship gathering, now known as the Creative Women Forum, but continuously throughout the year across many different countries.

We now have an exciting international calendar, with London, Riyadh, Cyprus, Milan, New York, Dubai, Cannes, and Davos serving as our key meeting points. Our membership programme is expanding rapidly, offering unique opportunities that are not available elsewhere. Our forums and panels feature some of the world’s most powerful and influential speakers, and our global network of representatives continues to grow.

However, the most rewarding moments come when I hear that joining Creative Women or attending one of our events has been a life-changing experience. When a woman finds her path, meets the right business partner, or achieves goals she once thought were beyond her reach, that is what truly matters.

It is an incredibly fulfilling feeling, and it drives me to continue inspiring and supporting many more women with dreams and ambitions, providing them with the guidance, inspiration, and connections they need to succeed.

Developing lifelong friendships with partners who believe in your vision, and who follow and support you, is incredibly rewarding. I am enormously grateful to these forward-thinking women for supporting both me and the Creative Women Platform.

Red Bus: Opening this milestone 10th anniversary at the House of Commons and continuing at Goldsmiths’ Hall brings a significant sense of gravitas and history to the event. How does hosting the forum in such iconic London landmarks help to elevate the voices of the female leaders and innovators participating this year?

Olga Balakleets: Our future is always rooted in history and tradition, which is why organising our events in special historical venues, while focusing on innovation and the future success of women, plays such an important role. We want to experience history, be inspired by it, and step confidently into the future with new creative solutions across all industries.

I also value holding our events in beautiful places where women feel special and uplifted. Goldsmiths’ Hall is one of the earliest places of success for British entrepreneurs, and hosting our opening in the heart of British history, at the Houses of Parliament, with the presence of British and international female leaders, carries a profound significance. It will give our milestone forum a powerful start.

Red Bus: As an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, your own background is deeply rooted in the arts. With a programme that includes both live performances and discussions on Al and investment, how do you see the relationship between creative excellence and business leadership shaping the future for women in the creative industries?

Artistry and entrepreneurship are more closely related than people often imagine. As an artist and having been brought up as a creative human being from childhood, I developed creativity throughout my life. When I became a producer and an entrepreneur, I continued to value creativity above all else.

The motto of our platform, “Being Creative, Being Successful!”, helps women from all industries we bring together under one roof to develop their creativity—whether in finance, technology, politics, media, or naturally the creative industries.

With this vision, we naturally include live performances and programme elements that encourage an innovative approach to life and business. Being different and discovering your creativity will only help you in whatever field you specialise in, strengthening both your personal growth and business leadership.

Red Bus: The forum is known for bringing together a diverse array of voices, from global celebrities and royal family members to cultural change makers like Bianca Jagger and HRH Princess Noura Al Saud. In a world that can often feel divided, how does the forum ensure that it remains an accessible and inclusive space where women from all backgrounds can connect through mentorship?

Olga Balakleets: It is more important than ever to focus on inclusivity and on bringing together women from different backgrounds, cultures, and religions. We aim to provide a safe space where humanity and mentorship can heal and bridge divides in ways that are not easily achieved elsewhere.

It is deeply fulfilling to host our forums, where female voices contribute to making our world more united—where creative dialogue is encouraged, new relationships are formed, and women experience the transformative power of mentorship

We are privileged to have among our speakers figures such as Bianca Jagger and HRH Princess Noura Al Saud, along with many other distinguished speakers who are remarkable achievers in their respective fields. Through their insight, leadership, and commitment to mentoring others, they have the power to positively change the lives of many women and help create a more connected and less divided world.

Red Bus: Your theme for this year is “Future Forward: 10 Years of Creative Leadership”. As you mark this significant anniversary, what are your hopes for the next decade of the Creative Women Forum, and how do you believe the platform can continue to build bridges and inspire the next generation of visionary leaders?

Olga Balakleets: Over the past ten years, the Creative Women Forum has grown from an idea into a truly international platform, and this anniversary feels both humbling and energising. Looking ahead to the next decade, my hope is that we continue to deepen what we have already built: a global community where women feel seen, heard, and meaningfully connected across industries, cultures, and generations.

I would like the Forum to become not only a meeting point, but a year-round ecosystem of opportunity—where mentorship is active, collaborations are continuous, and ideas are translated into real impact. The future I see is one where we are not simply gathering to discuss change, but actively shaping it together through shared projects, partnerships, and initiatives that extend far beyond the event itself.

Building bridges has always been at the heart of Creative Women. In the next ten years, I believe this will become even more important. In a world that often feels divided, our responsibility is to create spaces where dialogue replaces distance, where differences become strengths, and where women from all backgrounds can find common ground through creativity, leadership, and purpose.

As for the next generation of visionary leaders, I hope we continue to inspire them not only through our speakers and programmes, but through access, mentorship, and visibility. Young women should feel that leadership is not distant or exclusive, but something they can step into with confidence and authenticity.

Ultimately, my vision is for the Creative Women Forum to remain a platform that empowers women to think boldly, connect globally, and lead with both creativity and compassion, shaping a future that is more inclusive, more innovative, and more united than the one we inherited.

The Creative Women Forum takes place from Wednesday 3rd to Friday 5th June 2026 and tickets can be booked through the official box office at https://creativewomen.co/creative-women-forum-london-2026/

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