Edinburgh-born entrepreneur Bethan Higson, founder of alcohol-free aperitif brand Mother Root, will return to her home city next month as a speaker at egg’s Women on Top Summit.
The event will take place at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms on Thursday 24 September, bringing together more than 300 women for a day of conversations, workshops, networking and practical support themed around “Own your voice”.
Higson will join journalist, broadcaster and Mother Pukka founder Anna Whitehouse, as well as Maxine and Darcy Laceby, the mother-and-daughter team behind wellness brand Absolute Collagen.
Mother Root was ranked 11th in The Sunday Times 100 for 2026, becoming the highest-placed drinks company in the list of Britain’s fastest-growing private businesses. The company reported sales of £7.2 million and annual sales growth of 206.5% over a three-year period.
Higson spent more than a decade working in the wine and spirits sector, including several years at Moët Hennessy, before launching Mother Root during maternity leave in 2018. Seeking a sophisticated alcohol-free alternative to wine, she developed the brand’s signature ginger aperitif.
The business is now stocked by major retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado. In 2025, Higson secured a £90,000 investment from Steven Bartlett on BBC One’s Dragons’ Den in exchange for a 5% stake in the company.
Whitehouse, whose Flex Appeal campaign has helped bring flexible working into the national conversation, will also appear on the programme.
Absolute Collagen founders Maxine and Darcy Laceby will share their experience of building a multimillion-pound business together. Maxine started the company from her kitchen table at the age of 50, following 25 years as a stay-at-home mum. Working with Darcy, who was studying food development at the time, the pair developed the idea into what is now described as the UK’s best-selling collagen drink.
The speaker line-up also includes LinkedIn and personal-branding specialist Alicia Teltz. Having worked for more than 15 years with global organisations including LinkedIn, SAP, Mastercard and Gartner, Teltz now advises founders and senior leaders through The Hype Department. She has built an audience of almost 60,000 on LinkedIn.
Created by Scotland-wide women’s network egg, the annual Women on Top Summit will feature main-stage conversations, hands-on workshops, community exhibitors, networking opportunities, lunch and a closing celebration.
The programme will also include an AI Lab, providing guided support on everyday uses of artificial intelligence, alongside a Wellness Lounge.
Free on-site childcare will be available through Lothian Childcare Solutions. egg has also introduced a limited number of subsidised tickets for women on low incomes and those on maternity leave, intended to reduce financial and practical barriers to attending.
Kylie Reid, founder of egg, said: “The Summit is the one day of the year when hundreds of women from across the egg community can be in the same room – sharing ideas, building confidence and making connections that can change what happens next for them.
“This year’s theme is ‘Own your voice’, because too many brilliant women still hold back from speaking up, putting themselves forward or sharing what they have built. We want every woman to leave feeling more confident about taking up space, alongside new contacts, practical ideas and potential collaborators.
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“We also know that attending a full-day event is not equally accessible to everyone. Providing free childcare and subsidised tickets is an important part of making sure more women can be in the room.”
Royal Bank of Scotland and FreeAgent are headline sponsors of the 2026 Women on Top Summit. The event is also supported by Melville Independent Plc, Eastern Western Motor Group, Miller Homes, YourScene, Caledonian Sleeper and Anderson Strathern.
More information is available at weareegg.co.uk.
