Celebrating the Carer of the Year Finalists

Jun 13

Carer of the Year Finalists 2025

The Carer of the Year award honours women who excel in demanding digital careers while providing essential care at home. Balancing tight schedules, emotional demands, and dual responsibilities, these finalists demonstrate extraordinary time management, resilience, and empathy. Their stories prove that professional success and devoted caregiving can go hand in hand – setting a powerful example for workplaces and families alike.

Fatema Haji - Eye For Social

About:
Fatema Haji is the founder of Eye For Social, where she helps small and mid-sized firms grow through ad campaigns and email marketing. A former government press officer (Home Office, Ofsted, Royal Navy, DfE) with a journalism degree, she discovered her passion for performance marketing. Fatema balances entrepreneurship with a busy family life and caring for 4 children.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Fatema embodies what the Carer of the Year honours: while raising a family is a challenging task, she runs her company, added two new advertising clients just weeks after giving birth, and delivers standout results. She balances caring for her children and ageing parents by focusing on what truly matters – keeping things simple, streamlining processes, and using clear communication. Clients praise her organisation and attention to detail, and she’s now launching an affordable ads service so small firms can learn the ins and outs of ads without big budgets.

Jo Edge - Jo Edge Social

About:
Jo Edge is a LinkedIn and social-media strategist who helps purpose-driven small businesses and founders boost their online visibility. After 12 years in sales and recruitment, Jo retrained in digital marketing – creating a flexible career that fits life with her three young children.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Jo runs a thriving LinkedIn strategy business while acting as full-time carer for her teenage daughter. Despite daily hospital visits, therapy sessions, and reduced-timetable schooling, Jo has never missed a client deadline. Built on empathy, clarity, and consistency, Jo turns purpose-driven founders into confident online voices. Her story proves that brilliance at work and unwavering care at home can go hand in hand.

Marie-Louise O'Neill - Lovely Evolution

About:
Marie-Louise is a branding specialist and official Canva Creator who brings 20 years of design experience to entrepreneurs, coaches, and VAs who want on-brand graphics that can evolve over time. After agency roles in London and Northampton, she founded Lovely Evolution in 2016 to gain flexibility as a mum and now delivers logo refreshes, bespoke Canva templates, and live Zoom design sessions.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Marie-Louise has kept her design business thriving while navigating pregnancy, childbirth, and caring for her children. She arranged maternity cover, delegated critical book-design tasks, and returned part-time just weeks after giving birth. By gifting club places to charities, speaking at Digital Women Live (while visibly pregnant), and contributing Canva expertise to magazines and books, she proves that flexible planning, transparency, and compassion can power both outstanding professional impact and devoted family care.

Lucy Jessey - Crescent Digital Marketing

About:
Lucy is the founder of Crescent Digital Marketing, supporting Kent’s small businesses with social media and website know-how. She first fell into digital marketing in 2010 after launching Hever Castle’s social channels and has since combined charity and tourism roles with a passion for local enterprise. A mum of three, Lucy set up her agency for the flexibility to care for her youngest son who has autism.

Reason for Shortlisting:
While caring for her autistic son (and navigating her own recent ASD diagnosis), Lucy built Crescent Digital Marketing from scratch in January 2024. She has delivered multiple new websites, managed social channels for several firms, and launched an affordable ‘Start-up Service’. She handles every project herself yet still devotes hours each week to advocating for her son and running fundraising communications for her children’s school.

Emma Mortimer - Digitaloft

About:
Emma is Senior Digital PR Manager at Digitaloft, where she turns data-driven ideas into headline-grabbing campaigns and mentors a growing team. With nine years’ experience in content marketing and strategy – and a degree in Broadcast Media & Production – she blends creativity and analytics to help brands tell unforgettable stories. Off the clock, she’s a full-time mum, and is fuelled by coffee, determination, and a passion for making an impact both at work and at home.

Reason for Shortlisting:
Emma balances senior leadership at Digitaloft with new motherhood – returning from maternity leave to spearhead ideation training, mentor colleagues, and deliver high-impact campaigns without missing a beat. Praised by peers and management for her 110% work ethic and unwavering support, Emma proves that outstanding digital results and devoted caregiving can thrive together.

Lisa Jackson - Acorn Marketing Ltd

About:
Lisa is a Chartered Marketer and founder of Acorn Marketing, a Cumbria-based consultancy. With nearly 25 years’ experience, Lisa combines straight-talking strategy with hands-on delivery. Clients call her their “business best friend” for her down-to-earth style, creativity, and ability to get things done. Juggling motherhood, step-parenting, and caring for her father, Lisa is a firm believer in working smarter, not harder.

Reason for Shortlisting:
While caring for a father with dementia and a young daughter recently diagnosed with autism, Lisa has grown her company, maintained long-term client relationships, and mentored dozens of small-business owners. By building a lean retainer model, she delivers big-agency results yet keeps the flexibility to handle hospital runs, care-home meetings and school appointments. Lisa proves it’s possible to deliver top-tier marketing results and devoted family care simultaneously.

The Digital Women Awards are proud to celebrate these extraordinary individuals.