About Branch

Becoming a mother is one of the most significant transitions in a woman’s career.

Pregnancy, maternity leave and returning to work raise new questions about identity, ambition and direction, yet most women navigate this professional transformation alone. Unsurprisingly, we continue to see women lose confidence, connection and career momentum during this period.

I’m Harriet, the founder of Branch. After more than a decade of building businesses and working with founders, I experienced the transition into working motherhood myself and found the return to work far more complex than I expected. I went through it twice and saw the same pattern everywhere: talented, ambitious women quietly struggling through this moment in their careers.

But I also experienced the power of meeting other women navigating the same transition. Those conversations and relationships became some of the most important of my professional life.

Branch is built on a simple belief: the transition into working motherhood should not be navigated alone.

Branch is a membership for women building both careers and families. Through small cohorts for maternity leave and returning to work, members meet others at the same moment and become part of a growing professional network.

Because the women you meet during this transition often become some of the most important relationships of your career.

Harriet Wright, Founder

Meet our team

  • Harriet Wright headshot

    Harriet Wright

    CEO and co-founder

    Harriet is a second-time founder, having spent the last decade building businesses. In 2021, Harriet experienced firsthand how difficult returning to work can be. At this time, a small group of women were invaluable to Harriet, and the idea for Branch was born.

  • John Ridpath headshot

    John Ridpath

    COO and co-founder

    As an experienced leader, educator, and technologist, John brings a unique blend of skills to his role as Co-Founder. In his current role, John works alongside Branch’s coaches to revolutionise how parents return to the workforce. He has a particular focus on Branch’s technology, products, and operations.

  • Anouk van den Eijnde headshot

    Anouk van den Eijnde

    Facilitator

    Anouk is a learning and development project lead and an accredited coach. She has spent over 15 years working as a programme manager in the tech, start-up and non-profit sectors, most recently at Google, leading community for Google Maps. Anouk has extensive experience helping women navigate career and life challenges and transitions.

  • Florence Okin headshot

    Florence Okin

    Facilitator

    Florence is an intuitive leadership coach and talent advisor. She has spent the last decade building and scaling high-performing teams and launching new markets for venture-backed tech companies, including Hired Inc and Hootsuite. Florence’s coaching work brings together her extensive experience in building teams and a deep understanding of human nature.