Before Artemis had a name, it was just an idea in my head. Such a simple, human solution to a problem I was now familiar with. A problem I was now aware had been all around me, in every ambitious working mother.

I was now noticing talented women, new mothers in particular, disappearing from the leadership pipeline. Not because they lacked skill or ambition, but because the system wasn’t built for them. They came back from maternity leave feeling isolated, doubting themselves, and unsure how to navigate a career that now had invisible hurdles.

So I pitched an internal mentorship scheme.
A network that would pair senior working mothers with pregnant women, so they could share real strategies, honest stories, and the unspoken knowledge you can’t find in any policy document.

This wasn’t just about retention, it was about rebuilding confidence, unlocking talent, and making sure the business didn’t lose some of its best people.

But when I shared the idea with my manager, they shut it down. “I’m supportive of it, it’s a great idea. HR would never go for it.”

I left that meeting disappointed but not defeated. Because if my workplace didn’t see it as a priority, I knew the women who needed it would. And if no one else was going to create it, I would.

That’s when Artemis stopped being an idea for their organisation and started becoming a movement of our own.

– D