Marsha Powell is the Co-Founder and CEO of BelEve, a London-based charity that supports girls and young women aged 8 to 22 as they navigate life’s most important transitions. From primary school to secondary school, through adolescence, and into early adulthood and employment, BelEve focuses on helping girls build readiness. For Marsha, readiness means more than confidence. It includes emotional stability, self-advocacy, identity, and clear future pathways. She leads the vision, strategy, and partnerships that ensure girls are not just inspired in the moment, but structurally prepared for long-term success.
Marsha Powell | Co-Founder and CEO | BelEve
Her work spans strategic direction, system design, corporate and philanthropic partnerships, organisational sustainability, and team culture. At heart, she sees herself as a builder of systems, confidence, and lasting change. At EliteX, we are proud to have Marsha Powell as part of the edition: 05 Fearless Women in Business, 2026.
Her journey into business began with lived experience. As the eldest of three sisters, Marsha learned early what responsibility and resilience meant. After losing their mother, she and her sisters turned their grief into purpose, and BelEve was born. She did not start with a formal business plan. She started with a problem she saw in her own daughter and in many other girls who were falling through the cracks during key life transitions. No one was measuring readiness in a structured way. Her early career in finance gave her commercial discipline and a strong understanding of sustainability. Over time, she combined social impact with financial thinking. Fourteen years later, she no longer sees BelEve as simply a programme deliverer, but as a system architect focused on long-term outcomes.
Legacy begins when purpose meets preparation.
One of Marsha’s proudest milestones has been supporting over 30,000 girls and young women through BelEve. However, she believes the true achievement is not scale alone, but evolution. The organisation has shifted from being seen as an empowerment charity to becoming a readiness-based system change organisation. BelEve now defines a clear unit of change and measures readiness across five domains. It partners with corporates as gate openers, pipeline builders, and practice influencers. Instead of offering one-off inspiration, the organisation designs structured pathways. This strategic shift has positioned BelEve for sustainable, multi-year impact.
The journey has not been without challenges. In the early years, funding instability created constant pressure. Marsha was sometimes underestimated as a Black female founder. She had to balance a bold vision with daily operational realities while managing personal grief and leadership responsibilities at the same time. She overcame these challenges by building strong governance, maintaining financial discipline, investing in her own leadership development, and surrounding herself with strategic allies. She stayed anchored to the mission rather than external noise. For her, resilience is not about pushing through blindly. It is about pausing, recalibrating, and rebuilding stronger.
Several key skills have shaped her success. She is a strategic thinker who sees patterns rather than isolated problems. She leads with emotional intelligence and understands people deeply. Boldness and fearlessness allow her to take risks and speak up even when it feels uncomfortable. She values partnership building because collaboration accelerates change. Above all, she maintains clarity of vision. Leadership, in her view, requires both head and heart working together.
During difficult times, Marsha focuses on long-term trajectory rather than temporary turbulence. She regularly asks whether the organisation is solving the right problem, building capacity instead of dependency, and protecting girls’ long-term outcomes. Purpose sustains her. So does community. Her sisters, her team, and her children keep her grounded and motivated. Legacy thinking drives her forward.
Her leadership style combines conviction and care. She is clear about direction, but mindful of how people feel along the way. She naturally thinks in systems rather than personalities and asks how to build structures that work beyond one individual. She holds high standards while offering high support. She challenges her team but walks alongside them. She is future focused, often thinking several steps ahead, yet remains transparent and reflective when things do not go to plan. Her goal is to develop leaders around her so that the work thrives even in rooms she is not present.
Readiness is the foundation of confidence, leadership, and long-term success.
Marsha does not see work and personal life as separate boxes. She sees integration. As a mother, her children anchor her decisions and shape her priorities. She is intentional with both time and energy, protecting key family moments and making space for rest and reflection. She believes sustainability applies not only to organisations but also to leaders. If the mission is to last, the leader must last too.
Looking ahead, she sees several trends shaping the business world in 2026 and beyond. Measurable impact will matter more than performative statements. AI integration will continue across sectors. Purpose-driven partnerships and financial sustainability in the social sector will become essential. Early talent pipeline investment will grow in importance. Organisations that survive will be those that can evidence outcomes, build strategic alliances, and adapt without losing mission integrity.
Innovation within her organisation is driven by psychological safety and clarity. Ideas are tested in pilots. Structured reflection cycles guide improvement. Experimentation is separated from ego, and data informs iteration. For Marsha, innovation is disciplined creativity, not chaos.
Her values remain constant: integrity, sustainability, equity, accountability, and long-term impact over short-term applause. Every major decision passes through one question: does this strengthen the pathway for girls. As BelEve enters a new era, the focus is on embedding the readiness model across all programmes, expanding corporate partnerships, and developing thought leadership around vision-driven female leadership. Her message is simple yet powerful. Build what outlives you. Think beyond today’s applause and focus on the system you are strengthening and the legacy you are creating.
Build systems that prepare girls for life, not just moments.