Pauline Paterson, founder of Dr PawPaw, has been crowned Aphrodite Winner 2021 at the NatWest everywoman awards.

The Aphrodite accolade, sponsored by Daily Mail, is for ‘a woman who founded her business whilst raising a child/children aged 12 or under’.

After her daughter was diagnosed with eczema, former hairdresser Paterson tried a myriad of products to help soothe the effects, but the only one that worked was a papaya fruit-based balm that she had used growing up in Australia.

Paterson spotted the opportunity to bring the product to a UK market, seeking out Australian producers, but none was interested in exporting.

Despite her lack of business experience, Pauline decided to create her own papaya brand, learning to run a business on instinct. Through trial and error – from finding a manufacturer to sourcing the right ingredients – she created the DR PAWPAW range of multipurpose papaya balms suitable for all ages and skin types.

After just one trade show she had interest from all over the world and eight years on, Dr PAWPAW turns over £5m and is seeking investment to grow the business further.

everywoman is a global platform for women in business that drives positive change by empowering women to achieve their professional potential.

Established in 1999, everywoman has supported thousands of women worldwide in establishing businesses and progressing their careers.

Working with leading corporations and organisations, everywoman improves productivity and performance through diversity insights to unlock female potential resulting in economic and societal gain.