Teenage co-founders to speak at SCALE EXPO & SUMMIT
SCALE has announced that Honor Black and Cat Black, co-founders of the sportswear brand Maiden Cricket, will join the speaker lineup at SCALE EXPO & SUMMIT 2026, taking place on 22-23rd April 2026 at the Business Design Centre.
Currently, both still in full-time education, Cat and Honor are the youngest founders on the speaker lineup at SCALE EXPO & SUMMIT, which brings together high-growth founders, investors, and business leaders focused on scaling commercially successful companies. The sisters have been selected as part of SCALE’s inaugural Women Who Scale programme.
Created to address the lack of cricket kits designed specifically for girls, Maiden Cricket has gained rapid traction from grassroots sports to major institutions. The company recently secured a partnership with Cricket Wales, with the national women’s team now wearing Maiden Cricket kit.
Speaking about the announcement, Sam North, Co-founder and CEO at SCALE, said: “It’s incredibly powerful to have Cat and Honor with us at the SCALE EXPO & SUMMIT. What stands out about these co-founders isn’t just what they’ve achieved in such a short period of time, but the clarity of purpose and genuine entrepreneurial mindset they have demonstrated in building Maiden Cricket. They’ve identified a real-world problem, built a product with deep empathy for their customer, and are already securing meaningful partnerships like Cricket Wales – that’s what scaleup potential looks like.”
Cat and Honour will join a host of inspiring women entrepreneurs at the SCALE SUMMIT as part of Women Who Scale, discussing topics including:
- Building product-market fit from lived experience
- Navigating the gender investment gap
- Being underestimated as young, female, founders
- The role of male allies and women investors
Commenting on their participation, the sisters said they are excited to share their journey and connect with other founders and investors who want to support women-led businesses.
Cat Black: “We’re really excited about the chance to meet other women who are building and scaling businesses, like we are. Women entrepreneurs helping each other is so empowering; everyone brings different networks and different sector knowledge. Even though our business is in sport, our investors and supporters don’t have to be. That sharing of contacts and experience can be the starting point that really accelerates growth.”
Honor Black: “It’s going to be refreshing to be in a room full of people who are genuinely interested in what we’re building. SCALE SUMMIT isn’t an event where you’re going to get talked over or left waiting [for] your turn to speak. We can’t wait to have thoughtful, in-depth conversations with people who want to understand our journey and support it. Being surrounded by women doing the same thing as us is incredibly motivating.”
SCALE also spoke to Fraser Stewart, Head of Cricket for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), who is responsible for the Laws of Cricket from the village green to the Test arena. He’s also a father of two girls who both play cricket.
Stewart: “Cricket is such a fantastic sport for girls, and I’m delighted that the game is opening its doors to half the population more than it ever has done. A lot of girls drop out of sport, and in cricket, a big part of that is body image. Having cricket clothing where girls feel confident and comfortable, and can just concentrate on playing the game rather than what they might look like, is fantastic. From a business perspective, there’s absolutely no reason why opportunities should favour men. Honor and Cat have lived the problem, and I think Maiden Cricket is a brilliant story – two young girls spotting a niche in the market and going for it.”
The SCALE EXPO & SUMMIT 2026 will focus on access to capital, markets, talent, and leadership, bringing together scaleup founders at critical inflection points in their pursuit of growth.
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