StoryTime @ Climb26; Four Stories of Failure

Crispin Read is CEO of The Coders Guild, a Leeds-based training provider helping businesses build real digital capability through apprenticeships. He's been building things in tech for over 20 years - software, teams, companies - and has spent the last decade trying to make technical training actually work for people and businesses that traditional education tends to overlook. He co-designed the UK's first Level 4 AI & Automation apprenticeship standard with Skills England, sits on the FSB technical committee, and co-organises Leeds Digital Drinks. He's also failed at quite a lot of things, which makes him well-suited to host this one.

Jason Crispin — Founder & CEO, AUDITSU Jason Crispin is a serial founder with two startup exits before the age of 24 and over 20 years in sales, having built a recruitment business to £12.3M in annual revenue and worked with names including Cazoo and Sky Bet. He is now Founder and CEO of AUDITSU, the platform that helps companies measure, manage, and declare their digital accessibility compliance in-house. With the European Accessibility Act now in force, thousands of businesses are legally liable for the accessibility of their apps and websites. Traditional audits cost £15,000 to £50,000 and depend on outside consultants. AUDITSU replaces that with a self-serve platform any team can run without code access or specialist expertise. Backed by the UK Government, the Royal Academy of Engineering, and PXN Group.

Lisa Shepherd was born and raised in Germany. She has a degree in Transcultural Communication from the University of Vienna, Austria. Volunteering in the Galapagos Islands she met her British husband. They travelled the world together before settling in Leeds, UK. She has two wonderful children who are not only her pride and joy, but also her greatest teachers. Together with her friend Saskia Roskam, she founded The Biskery, an online business that specialises in personalised and branded biscuits. The real product however is kindness. Not only do they help spread kindness in biscuit form, they capitalise on kindness in all aspects of the business - from the way they interact with customers and staff to the impact they have on our planet. They are on a mission to make 10 million people feel appreciated through their handmade biscuits. Their vision is to introduce more female qualities to the business world, remove the stigma associated with working mothers, and run a purposeful business that enables women to combine a career with motherhood - without the guilt.

Rachel has owned Roche Legal® for over 12 years, leading a multi-award-winning private client law firm focused on estate planning, wills, probate, and powers of attorney. Her team is dedicated to delivering accessible, innovative legal solutions that help clients secure their legacies and protect their loved ones. With a strong interest in cross-border estate matters, she collaborates with international lawyers and heir hunters to provide tailored advice for non-UK domiciled individuals. She recently founded PetPact®, a groundbreaking digital legal product that empowers pet owners to create legally-informed care agreements tailored to their needs, combining legal clarity with user-friendly technology and a commitment to social good. Her work reflects a passion for modernising legal care, integrating technology, and fostering community well-being through strategic leadership and impactful solutions.