Female Founder Friday: In Conversation with Kat Fellows, Founder of Lesh

From launching Fenty Skin in the UK to launching an entirely new category of postpartum product, Kat Fellows’ journey is one of transformation—from beauty brand boss to breastfeeding innovator. A career in corporate marketing gave her the skills, but it was motherhood that handed her the mission. Her brand Lesh is on a mission to make breastfeeding more dignified, sustainable and, frankly, less of a faff.

I, Gideon, had the pleasure of speaking with Kat about how she pivoted from beauty to motherhood innovation, what it’s like being a female founder in a traditionally overlooked space, and why leaking boobs might just change the world.

GS: Could you summarise your background and how you came to launch Lesh?
KS:
Sure! I was working in beauty marketing for over a decade—big brands, big campaigns. In fact, the last role I had before starting Lesh was launching Rihanna’s Fenty Skin in the UK, which was a massive career moment.

But when COVID hit, everything changed. I had a baby, stopped wearing makeup, and my passion for beauty just fizzled out. Suddenly, the stuff I used to care about didn’t seem important anymore. My priorities shifted massively.

GS: That’s such a common theme post-COVID—did you always imagine you’d be a founder?
KS:
Not at all. I never thought I’d be an entrepreneur. I always believed that success meant working for a huge, recognisable brand and climbing the corporate ladder. But the more time I spent in those environments, the more I realised I was constantly pushing against the grain.

I wanted to do things differently, innovate—and that’s not always welcomed in corporate. I also hate being told what to do! Looking back, all the signs were there, I just needed a reason to take the leap. And then that moment came—I needed a product that didn’t exist. So, I built it.

GS: Let’s talk about that moment. What was the problem you discovered that became the spark for Lesh?
KS:
I gave birth to my son right at the height of lockdown. Like many first-time mums, I didn’t know what to expect. All I’d ever heard about breastfeeding was how hard and painful it was—everyone talked about mastitis, thrush, cracked nipples… not exactly encouraging stuff!

But I took a free online course that painted a much more positive picture. It talked about the bond you build, and that really resonated with me. I hadn’t felt particularly bonded with my baby during pregnancy, and I thought breastfeeding might help with that. And wow—it really did.

GS: So it was a positive experience overall?
KS:
It was incredible. I ended up having a planned C-section, and when they placed him on my chest, he did the little breast crawl and latched immediately. That moment honestly blew my mind. It was euphoric.

And while the first couple of weeks were painful, I stuck with it and became obsessed with how amazing breastfeeding could be. But—and it’s a big but—I was leaking milk constantly. All day. All night. For two and a half years. No one tells you that part.

GS: That’s wild. How did you manage that?
KS:
Not very well! The options were all terrible.

• Disposable breast pads? Bad for the planet and they shift around.
• Reusable ones? I soaked through them in minutes.
• Breast shells? Better environmentally, but you can’t sleep in them and they’re not exactly subtle in public.

I was constantly changing sheets, clothes, soaking myself in public—it just wasn’t sustainable. I loved breastfeeding but hated how awkward and messy it was. I wanted to socialise, go out, but I felt like I was walking around with sanitary products stuffed in my bra.

Then it hit me—period pants exist. Why doesn’t that exist for boobs? So I set out to create it.

GS: That’s genius. But two and a half years is a long time—how did development go?
KS:
It took that long! Two and a half years of R&D. It’s a lot harder than period pants because you’re dealing with fluctuating breast sizes, milk flow, curves… and it all has to be absorbent, breathable and actually look nice.

But we got there. We launched in August and the response has been amazing.

GS: Have you had to pitch yet or raise funds?
KS:
I’ve just finished my pitch deck, but I haven’t pitched properly yet. I did an accelerator really early on, which wasn’t the right fit, but I did have to present the idea to a room full of people. And before I spoke, no one cared. Afterwards, people were queuing up to get involved.

It’s one of those ideas that sounds niche or unsexy on paper—but once people hear the story, they get it.

GS: Has being a female founder added any layers of challenge?
KS:
I mean, I haven’t gone out raising yet, but I’ve had glimpses. During the accelerator, I could tell I was part tick-box—female, Canadian. Great for optics.

But when you’re speaking to male VCs, it’s hard. They don’t relate. They ask things like, “Can you add a tech angle?” And I’m like, why? Women have breastfed for millennia. They don’t want an app telling them what to do—they want something that works. That’s the point of Lesh. To make their experience easier, not more complicated.

GS: There’s a powerful stat you mentioned—about UK breastfeeding rates?
KS:
Yeah, it’s shocking. The UK has the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. Which makes no sense when we have one of the most generous maternity leave systems.

But women are stopping early, and one of the reasons—something I saw over and over again on forums—is leaking. They’re tired of it. They’re done with waking up soaked or having to navigate awkward products in public.

If Lesh can make breastfeeding more comfortable, even a little, maybe more women will stick with it.

GS: What kind of founder are you—are you driven by growth or impact?
KS:
Impact, 100%. I didn’t start this to build a unicorn. I wanted to solve a real problem and have the freedom to do things my way.

If I can make the equivalent of my old salary and change lives along the way, I’m happy. That said, the brand has legs. It really could be massive. But I want to grow in a way that stays true to our purpose.

GS: What advice would you give to someone launching in a space that’s a bit taboo or under-discussed?
KS:
Speak up. So much of this stuff—leaking, postpartum bodies, breastfeeding pain—it’s not spoken about. But women are desperate for solutions.

If you can speak their language and show that you get it, they’ll come. And trust the mum community—they talk. It’s word-of-mouth on steroids.

GS: And finally, what’s next for Lesh?
KS:
Right now we’re focusing on building brand awareness and speaking directly to our community. Mums are our biggest advocates. We’ve got some exciting product developments in the pipeline, and eventually, I’d love to take Lesh international.

But the mission remains the same—make breastfeeding better. Less mess. Less shame. More freedom.

We’re incredibly excited to see where Kat takes Lesh next. Her courage to challenge norms, deep care for community, and unapologetic honesty around motherhood make her one of the most powerful voices in the female founder space.

If you’d like to follow Lesh’s journey, keep an eye out for their fundraising launch and upcoming innovations designed to make breastfeeding beautifully simple.

Author: Gideon Stott, Digital Marketing Executive at FounderCatalyst