By Daniel Kudayah
Esther Damilola David, founder of Kaizen Brunch, a women-focused community initiative, has called for stronger support networks to help women navigate financial challenges, career development, relationships and personal wellbeing.
David, who is preparing to host the community’s first brunch in Manchester on October 17, said many women struggled with the pressure to succeed in different areas of life while lacking access to meaningful guidance, mentorship and supportive relationships.
She said the initiative was inspired by her personal experiences, including the challenges of moving to the United Kingdom and learning to navigate a new financial system.
“Looking back, I often think, ‘I wish I knew then what I know now.’ There are things I would have started much earlier if I had had someone who had already walked the road I was walking,” she said.
According to her, conversations with other women revealed that many were dealing with similar concerns, despite differences in their backgrounds, careers and personal circumstances.
“The more I spoke to women, the more I realised that I was not the only person who felt this way. Women were navigating completely different situations, whether it was starting a new career, moving to a different city, experiencing burnout, starting a business or simply trying to understand what this stage of life was supposed to look like,” she said.
“What struck me was that the circumstances were different, but the feeling was often the same: we don’t want to feel alone in this.”
Kaizen Brunch is built around three pillars: Wealth, Womanhood and Wellness, with activities designed to encourage conversations about financial literacy, career progression, identity, relationships and physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
David said the initiative was intended to address the interconnected nature of these issues rather than treat them as separate aspects of women’s lives.
“You can be ambitious about your career and still be struggling with burnout. You can be financially successful and still be trying to understand relationships. You can be building a business while also figuring out who you are,” she said.
“Kaizen brings those conversations to the same table.”
She explained that the community was designed to offer more than conventional networking opportunities, with an emphasis on practical knowledge, lasting relationships and mentorship.
“I don’t want it to be just about listening to someone speak and leaving inspired for a few hours. I want women to leave with something they can actually use, whether that is a new perspective, practical knowledge, a connection, a mentor or simply the confidence to take the next step,” she said.
David added that the initiative was not intended to undermine other women-focused organisations but to provide a space where women could discuss professional ambitions alongside personal challenges without feeling pressured to present themselves as having everything figured out.
“Kaizen is intentionally different in that we are focused on the whole woman,” she said.
On wellness, the founder said discussions involving health and other sensitive subjects would require appropriate expertise to ensure participants received reliable information.
“I am very intentional about who we invite to speak because I don’t want someone simply being good at social media or having an interesting personal story to be mistaken for professional expertise,” she said.
She added that the initiative would distinguish between general education and personalised professional advice, particularly on health and financial matters.
“Kaizen can create a conversation that helps women understand a subject and ask better questions, but it should never replace someone seeking appropriate professional advice for their individual circumstances,” she said.
David also stressed the importance of making the community welcoming to women at different stages of their lives, irrespective of their professional status, wealth or social connections.
“I don’t want it to be a community where you feel like you need to already be successful, well-connected or influential before you can belong,” she said.
“You don’t have to be a founder. You don’t have to be an influencer. You don’t have to have a certain job title. You don’t have to walk into the room already knowing everyone.”
According to David, Kaizen currently has 15 women in its community and has secured partnerships with several brands. The October gathering is expected to provide an opportunity to introduce more women to the initiative.
She said the immediate priority was to establish a strong foundation and ensure that participants benefited from the relationships and knowledge shared within the community.
“At this stage, I am more interested in building the right foundation than chasing large numbers. I want to know that the women coming into the community are actually connecting with one another, sharing knowledge, finding opportunities and feeling like they belong,” she said.
The longer-term plan, she added, is to expand Kaizen through regular gatherings, mentorship programmes, practical resources and partnerships across different cities, with the ambition of reaching thousands of women.
David said she was particularly interested in developing a network of mentors who could guide women seeking to advance in their careers, establish businesses or navigate unfamiliar stages of life.
“If we can build a community where a woman can come in at one stage of her life, receive support and practical knowledge, grow, and then eventually turn around and support another woman, that is the kind of scale I am interested in,” she said.
Explaining the name of the initiative, David said Kaizen is derived from a Japanese concept centred on continuous improvement through small, consistent changes.
“The idea behind Kaizen is essentially becoming one per cent better, one conversation at a time,” she said.
Reflecting on the decision to establish the community, she said she had learnt that waiting for perfect conditions could prevent people from acting on ideas that might benefit others.
“The idea had been in my head, but this year I decided I had to stop waiting for the perfect time. The more women I spoke to, the clearer the need became, and eventually I had to decide whether I was going to keep talking about the idea or actually build it,” she said.
She expressed hope that women attending the brunch would leave with practical knowledge, meaningful connections and renewed confidence to navigate their personal and professional lives.
“If she leaves thinking, ‘I really needed that,’ then I will know we are doing something right,” David said.
