Resources · Posted March 11, 2026
Meet the Women Shaping The Melting Pot Community
This International Women’s Week, we’re celebrating inspiring women in The Melting Pot community whose work, ideas and leadership are helping build a fairer, more connected world.
At The Melting Pot, our community is full of people working to build a fairer, more creative and more connected world.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Give to Gain.” It’s a theme that feels particularly fitting for our community a place where ideas, support and encouragement are shared freely.
In the spirit of giving, learning and lifting one another up, we asked a few women from our community some quick questions.
Think of it as the kind of conversation you might overhear in the kitchen at The Melting Pot: thoughtful, inspiring and sometimes unexpected.
Kara Olayinka
Kara Olayinka is CEO of Tiny Changes, a charity working to create a fairer future for young people. Her work is rooted in a long-standing commitment to women’s rights and children’s rights.
What conversation would you like Potters to have in the kitchen over a cup of tea this week?
“What’s on your mind?”
Which women inspire you?
Fatou Baldeh — look up her work on FGM, she’s the most inspiring woman I know. I’m also inspired by rising artists like Olivia Dean, Becky Sikasa and Amelia Dimoldenberg who lift up other young women on their journey.
What should the Scottish Government invest in to help women in Scotland?
There’s a long list, but the two on my mind today are 1. culturally competent, anti-racist healthcare, including mental healthcare and 2. childcare for all children aged under 3.
What gives you hope for the future?
There are over 8 billion people in the world – more than enough to form powerful movements for good
Looking to the future, how are you looking for Tiny Changes to grow?
I’d love to see Tiny Changes grow from our current small size to many, many more youth leaders running projects that help minds feel better.
Elena Soper
Elena Soper is Partnerships & Events Lead at The Young Women’s Movement and a familiar face in the community at The Melting Pot. Her work centres on bringing people together to support young women and drive positive change.
What conversation would you like Potters to have in the kitchen/over a cup of tea this week?
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is Give To Gain. This theme encourages a mindset of generosity and collaboration, something which we see on a daily basis at The Melting Pot! I would love to see Potters chat about how they can support the women in their lives, both personally and professionally. What can you give or share to emphasise the power of reciprocity and support?
Which women inspire you?
I am constantly inspired by the women who put themselves at risk to be changemakers in their community. I’m thinking of the women living through conflict, but I’m also thinking about the women who are at the frontlines in their own communities right here in Scotland. I’m so inspired by the women against the far right campaign, and all the women who are standing in solidarity with refugees and asylum seekers by showing up to hotels to show their support.
What should the Scottish Government invest in to help women in Scotland?
We are in the middle of a funding crisis. We need commitments to provide flexible, multi-year funding to continue to deliver services for women who need it most. We’ve already seen many charities close or scale back operations, and women are being left without the spaces and support they need. If government is relying on charities to provide services, there needs to be more financial investment.
Any recommendations for films, books or series?
- The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny by Laura Bates
- The Feminist Killjoy Handbook by Sara Ahmed
- Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Looking to the future, how are you looking for Young Womens Movement to grow?
We are looking into how we can diversify our income by developing a training and consultancy offer where we can work with organisations to better support young women in the workplace. We also want to help organisations deliver truly participatory research to address data gaps that will allow us to design services and programmes to address the unmet needs of the people around us.
Community, collaboration and collective action
At The Melting Pot, we’re lucky to be surrounded by women who are leading organisations, challenging systems, supporting others and imagining better futures every day.
If you’re passionate about building a fairer future, explore coworking membership at The Melting Pot or join one of our upcoming events.