Talks

Daniella (Dani) Wainwright FCA, Founder of Wainwright Consulting Ltd, Fractional Finance Director & ICAEW Subject Matter Expert on Portfolio Careers.
Dani is a senior finance professional with experience leading in all sizes of businesses from SMEs to FTSE 100 PLCs, and sector experience in marketing, retail, utilities, various tech, gaming, and property.
She began her Portfolio career to give ambitious SMEs access to the highest level of commercial and financially savvy support, as well as to gain more control over her own work/life balance. Wainwright Consulting now has a healthy portfolio of clients who are supported by a team of 10 Fractional FDs.
Having gained so much personally from the transition from a Corporate to a Portfolio career, Dani is not only passionate about helping SMEs thrive, but also about helping other senior finance professionals access this lifestyle via her signature programme, ‘PowerUP’ and has been appointed as the subject matter expert on Portfolio Careers by the Institute of Chartered Accountants England & Wales (ICAEW).

Damian is the driving force behind Northern Arc Partners, bringing together the innovation ecosystems of the North of England. With deep roots in the Northern science, tech and innovation community, he's on a mission to connect the region's fragmented strengths into a unified corridor that can compete globally. He is a strategic leader with over twenty years of experience in economic development, inward investment, and venture capital. His career is defined by a commitment to dismantling regional silos and bridging the gap between university research and commercial scalability. Prior to founding Northern Arc Partners, Damian served as Investment Director for GC Angels and led the expansion of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult across the North West. His background includes driving significant international investment from India, China, and the US during a tenure in London, providing him with a global perspective on regional growth. Damian currently holds several key advisory and board positions that ensure Northern Arc Partners remains grounded in genuine regional representation.

Dean Cook is Director for Business Growth and Global at Innovate UK. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, he provides senior oversight of the development of IUK’s new ‘Velocity’ account management support which will operate across new sector-growth programmes in line with the UK Industrial Strategy. Day to day, he leads engagement with local innovation clusters across the English regions and Devolved Nations of the UK and the delivery of business growth and scale-up support, delivered through a national network of over 200 expert advisers. His team also provides global support for innovative businesses to access international funding and partnership opportunities, across Europe, Asia, and North America. This includes hosting National Contact Points for the EU Horizon programme. With over 35 years experience in research commercialisation, Dean joined Innovate UK in 2014 having previously worked with the agri-tech and food industries. Dean is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and an MBA graduate of the University of Warwick.

Emily Cloke, CEO at Creative UK Emily Cloke’s career spans diplomacy, law and film production. A global connector and convenor, she has worked in the US, the Middle East and Europe as a UK diplomat, while her leadership expertise as a senior civil servant blends policy, trade, investment, commercial and international. As British Consul General in Los Angeles from 2020-2024, she was the senior representative of the UK Government in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Hawaii. In this role, she led wide-ranging areas, including driving creative and media collaborations; trade, investment and economic partnerships; deepening science, innovation and tech links; tackling climate change; public diplomacy; and the delivery of essential consular services to a 600,000-strong British resident community, alongside British visitors. Throughout her career, she has held a variety of senior leadership roles including on US-UK trade; as Deputy CEO for the PM’s UK-Africa Investment Summit; and in export and investment promotion across a number of industry sectors. She worked overseas as Trade Director for the British Embassy Tehran, setting up and leading the UK’s trade section.

Gordon Bateman is a career company builder who has worked with the investment community for over three decades. Straight from university, he joined a small business that grew internationally and floated on the London Stock Exchange. During that time, he created and led the firm’s emerging-technology practice, supporting early-stage and high-growth companies around the world and partnering with venture capital and private equity investors at every stage. Those years inside the deal flow made one thing clear: the hardest constraint on growth is people. Gordon founded CRSI to solve that challenge, focusing on leadership, organisation design, hiring, retention and culture. Today, CRSI also works with many of the UK’s leading universities to help spin-outs achieve commercial traction and investment readiness. As investors sought stronger regional connections, Gordon founded Investor Ladder, now one of the UK’s largest informal investor networks, spanning angels, syndicates, venture capital, private equity and investment banks, engaging across the UK and internationally. In 2023, he founded ClimbUK, an international festival for business growth, innovation and investment. Built by operators for operators, Climb attracted nearly 2,000 people in its first year and continues to grow toward 3,000 delegates. To close the loop for founders, Gordon also leads Climb Ventures, providing investment-readiness support and connections to active funds. Gordon is known for building platforms that help others succeed, but his core craft remains unchanged: building businesses.

As Director of the GM Business Growth Hub, I lead one of the UK’s most established and impactful business support ecosystems — working at the heart of Greater Manchester’s economic strategy to unlock growth, productivity and opportunity with accountability to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the 10 GM Local Authorities The Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub was the first Growth Hub in England and provided the blueprint for a government roll out of these nationally, with 40 others now operating across the country. My career spans leadership roles across economic development, enterprise, education/teaching, regeneration and public‑private partnerships, giving me a strong grounding in both policy and delivery. I have consistently worked at the point where strategy meets implementation — translating ambition into practical, high-impact support for businesses and communities. In my role, I oversee a diverse portfolio spanning scale-up support, international trade, innovation, workforce development, enterprise and access to finance, ensuring businesses at every stage can access the right support at the right time.

Jez Willis is co-founder of Utah Saints, one of the UK's most enduring independent electronic music acts. Over 35 years he has built and sustained a creative business spanning recorded music, international touring, sync licensing across film, television and advertising, and live performance - without formal music qualifications, major label backing, or a London base. As Professor of Music Industries and Production at Leeds Conservatoire, he brings active industry networks to the conservatoire and in other roles, he works at the intersection of regional creative sector development, policy and investment. Jez is a voice in UK music education policy, having presented to the APPG for Music Education and contributed to the Curriculum and Assessment Review. His research with James Warrender into the transferable skills developed through creative practice was recognised as a UK Music Project of Excellence, celebrated at the House of Lords. At Climb26, Jez, together with conservatoire colleagues, will make the case that the skills forged through a life in music -entrepreneurship, resilience, risk management, collaborative problem-solving - are what the business world needs more of.

Josh is Chief Policy Officer at the ScaleUp Institute, leading policy development and external affairs engagement to support UK growth, and to enhance the UK scaleup ecosystem. He has advised both business and government on legislation and challenging policy issues for more than 15 years, including on the passage of multiple Energy Acts, the Localism Act and the best way to galvanise growth across the whole of the UK economy. He is passionate about innovation and has worked within the UK, EU and Globally on the nature of disruptive business models in emerging technologies, including AI, finance and clean energy, and across other highly regulated sectors.

Louis Taylor is CEO of the British Business Bank. Louis has a breadth of experience working within public and private sectors in the UK and abroad. He has held a range of senior roles in business and finance, including as Chief Executive of UK Export Finance (UKEF), and a private sector career in Standard Chartered Bank, JP Morgan and several industrial companies. In January 2025 he was awarded a CBE for services to business and trade.

Former investment banker (JP Morgan, Lehman Bros, Morgan Stanley) Ereira founded the award-winning Come Play With Me to support people from marginalised communities seeking sustainable careers within music. CPWM delivers training and support to musicians, promoters, engineers and early stage music businesses. CPWM is also co-delivery partner alongside Leeds Conservatoire of the West Yorkshire Music Network for Mayor Brabin. Tony, a passionate advocate of collaboration, is also the founder of Clue Records and the sole UK representative of European independent cultural network Reset!'s Executive Committee. He is currently exploring developing better access routes to finance for the vibrant incubator that is the Yorkshire music sector.

Dr Carlton Brown is an entrepreneur, academic, author, keynote speaker, and leading voice on race, entrepreneurship, diversity, and supplier inclusion within the UK business landscape. With more than 25 years’ experience across corporate leadership, business development, consultancy, and academia, he has become widely recognised for bridging the gap between commercial growth, social impact, and inclusive leadership. He is the Founder and CEO of Aspire Consultancy and Founder of the UK Black Business Entrepreneurs Conference (BBEC), a national platform that brings together entrepreneurs, policymakers, academics, retailers, and corporate leaders to address disparities within business and supply chains while creating meaningful opportunities for underrepresented founders. Dr Brown is also the author of The Race Paradox: Why Organisations Fail on Race, a thought-provoking exploration of systemic inequality, leadership, and organisational culture. His academic research and publications focus on entrepreneurship, race, diversity, and structural barriers affecting Black African and Caribbean businesses in the UK. An engaging and insightful speaker.

Feng is a medical student studying at the University of Leeds. She is a Zero Gravity scholar and has been a member since for 4 years since she was in year 13. She joined the platform in order to get a University mentor to support with her medical application. Feng qualified for Zero Gravity support and Scholarship due to her postcodes POLAR and ACORN score (both were in the bottom percentile) which assesses students likelihood to progress to HE and financial opportunity based on their postcode. She was one of only 3 students in her school that landed a place to study medicine. Feng is a great example of how Social mobility has to be viewed through a multi-dimensional lens as she would not qualify for most social mobility scholarships due to not fitting one-dimensional social mobility markers. She is also able to bring to life her experience with overcoming the lack of student finance for 5th year studies and juggling paid work alongside studying.

Liam Wright is a Leeds-based technology leader with over a decade of experience across CTO, Technical Director, and Head of Technology roles spanning software, IoT, and managed services. He has built and led engineering teams at companies including Tracsis, Exodus Technologies, and Millgate, and is currently founding Atlas Innovation Labs — an AI driven field service and workforce management SaaS platform built on Microsoft Azure. Liam’s work sits at the intersection of AI strategy, governance, and real-world implementation. He has developed AI governance frameworks for business-critical environments and works closely with the next generation of founders as a mentor on the University of York’s Phase One accelerator programme. He also delivers workshops in universities and prisons, bringing technology thinking into spaces it doesn’t always reach. Recognised in Insider Media’s 42 Under 42, Liam brings a grounded, no-nonsense perspective to conversations about automation and AI — shaped by years of building practical systems, not just theorising about them. He believes the answer lies in strong governance and honest conversations.

Carly Walter is the Founder and CEO of MAGI, an AI-powered wellbeing platform supporting neurodivergent women through ADHD, autism, hormones and mental health. Drawing on over 20 years' experience in the NHS, crisis services and holistic health, alongside her own lived experience of ADHD and PMDD, Carly is passionate about transforming women's health through ethical AI and early intervention. An award-winning entrepreneur and speaker, she works with NHS, academic and industry partners to create technology that adapts to people, not the other way around. Carly speaks on AI for good, neurodiversity, women's health and innovation with honesty, humour and practical insight.

Christina invented and co-founded Moodbeam, a groundbreaking health tech brand whose aim was to turn the world of emotional development upside down, whether that was within families or working families. Her creation allowed a completely new way of showing how we felt in a simple and concise way, capable of being used by those from five to 95. For the very first time the world was able to really see how they feel. She has since gone on to create more tech centered businesses but really embodies the start up story and is a satellite and signposter for all those who want to start their own business and gives particular focus to those who are beginning their journey from a personal place. Also a profilic writer she has written for many other notable people and publications but now spends what little but valuable spare time she has writing her own memoirs, detailing her experiences from journalist to tech inventor, most notably her remarkable Moodbeam journey. Her biggest pride point to date.

Dr Lloyd is an internationally renowned multi award winning social entrepreneur, consultant, trainer, author, speaker, researcher, professional coach & founder of two consultancies https://neurodiversitytraining.uk and https://drtonylloyd.com Dr Lloyd has raised over £40million for Third-Sector enterprises and worked with leading global brands such as AstraZeneca-USA-UK-Sweden; MacQuarrie Merchant Bank, Visa, Barclays, IBM-UK, EY-UK-USA, UNIcare-Dubai, SFI-Switzerland, Takeda-Japan, BBC, QBTech-Sweden and Marks & Spencers. Dr Lloyd is acting COO of ION-Neurodiversity and sits on several advisory boards across all sectors.

I'm Pat Porter, better known as Pat the Inventor, an entrepreneur whose neurodiverse mind sees opportunities where others see everyday frustrations. My brain is wired to spot problems, challenge convention, and create practical solutions that make life easier. Instead of accepting, "That's just how it is," I ask, "Why isn't there a better way?" That mindset has led me to invent products that solve real-world challenges, including Myndtime, a non tech, wearable wellbeing tool that supports anxiety, ADHD, sensory overload, stress, and focus without apps or screens. Many people recognise me from BBC One's 'The Big Idea Works' with Sara Davies, but my greatest passion is creating products with purpose. Every invention begins by listening to people's experiences and designing solutions that genuinely improve everyday life. My career has taken me from farming and dry stone walling to probation, homelessness services, public speaking, and entrepreneurship. Those experiences have given me a unique perspective on resilience, innovation, and wellbeing believe neurodiverse thinking is a business superpower. Different minds create different solutions.

Sara founded NoCodeLab in May 2025 to address a persistent gap in AI adoption among non-technical business leaders and training programmes that consistently fail to deliver lasting capability and impact. While most consultancies deploy tool stacks and conduct workshops before leaving teams behind, still confused, NoCodeLab embeds operational expertise that confidently remains within client organisations. Sara brings two decades of business and operations intelligence experience from WPP, Dentsu, Vistaprint and Oriflame. Since May 2025, she has trained more than 3,000 business leaders and worked directly with C-suite teams at small and medium-sized enterprises and agencies across the UK and Europe. Previously, she led a Web3 start-up backed by Animoca Brands, Brinc and Cointelegraph. She has mentored hundreds of start-ups through international accelerator programmes and has served as a lecturer on digital strategy at Manchester Metropolitan University and blockchain at Medieinstitutet (to present day). Sara Simeone is recognised to be among the Top 100 Women of the Future, Innovate Finance's Top Senior Leaders, and Computer Weekly's Most Influential Women in Tech.

Strategic designer Darren Evans is founder of Mirfield-based The Engine Room – a multi-award-winning brand agency which drives momentum for complex B2B organisations.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, The Engine Room bridges the gap between design and business, constantly exploring new opportunities and ideas that change clients’ existing situations into preferred ones. As a result, the team has an established reputation for solving intricate brand challenges that achieve tangible commercial, behavioural and/or societal change – however complicated the brief.
Away from The Engine Room, Darren is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, alumni of the Design Thinkers Academy in Amsterdam, and one of over 200 Design Experts for the Design Council (the Government’s national strategic advisor for design). Through this work, he has facilitated several UK-wide design programmes, ranging from coastal erosion to suicide prevention.
He is also co-founder of Wilsons Republic, a CIC established to raise the profile, fuel the success, and support the resilience of West Yorkshire’s creative industries. Passionate about the creative heritage, talent and potential of Huddersfield, Wilsons has hosted two design conferences, overseen a decade of wider events and meet-ups, and delivered WYCA-funded support programmes to help creative businesses thrive.

Nicky specialises in the commercial challenges that most often stall deeptech and high-tech businesses: identifying the right markets, crafting messages that resonate with customers and investors, and building a business model that scales. If you're uncertain about your product strategy or routes to market, struggling to tell the story of your technology in a way that lands, or finding it hard to develop a compelling value proposition, Nicky brings the strategic clarity to move you forward. With more than 25 years' experience working with spinouts, startups and established technology companies, she works across the full commercialisation journey, from early market exploration through to go-to-market execution.

Professor Goswami is the Director of Research and Innovation at the University of Huddersfield. Previously, Professor Goswami was the Associate Dean for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge Exchange and Head of the Department at the University of Huddersfield. He is also the Director of the Technical Textiles Research Centre. Before joining the University of Huddersfield, Professor Goswami was the Director of Research and Innovation at the School of Design at the University of Leeds and led the Fibre and Fabric Functionalisation Research group at Leeds. He is committed to multidisciplinary research and is working towards building constructive collaborations with the University of Huddersfield and industries. Professor Goswami's domains of research are product development using flexible materials and the application of chemistry for functionalising textiles. Professor Goswami manages a large profile of research concerned with fibre/polymer science, nonwovens, medical textiles (implantable materials and non-implantable materials), sustainable materials (fundamentally understanding the properties of new material), application and development of nano/submicron fibres for novel applications, and plasma treatment for functionalising textiles and textile chemistry. Professor Goswami is also the first academic to be appointed to the board of the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT). Professor Goswami is a Freeman of the City of London and the Worshipful Company of Woolmen.

Peter Lowes is Managing Director of brand and content studio Present Works. Peter and his team have vast experience working across sectors, helping B2B organisations at a point of change to revitalise their brand to deliver business growth. Peter has supported clients including HSBC, Cisco, TechUK, and believes strongly in the power of increased care within brand and content to drive business uplift.

Amardeep Parmar is the cofounder and CGO of Bae HQ. Bae HQ is the ecosystem for high-growth Asian-heritage founders and investors in the UK. They run three programmes: Bae Accelerator, IncuBaetor, and Youth Startups. 12k+ people have attended their events and talks and they've released 300+ podcasts. Amardeep is also the author of Startups for Outsiders and an angel investor/limited partner.

I'm a builder at heart, drawn to the technologies reshaping how value, ownership, and trust work on the internet — particularly crypto, decentralisation, and AI. I co-founded KnownOrigin, one of the earliest digital art marketplaces on Ethereum, which eBay acquired in 2022. Post-acquisition, I moved into eBay's global Web3 and digital passport strategy. Before KnownOrigin, I cut my teeth building BlockRocket.tech alongside James Morgan — a blockchain consultancy that gave me deep, practical Web3 experience.

David Williams is a serial entrepreneur and business growth strategist who has spent fifteen years building organisations, movements, and communities that actually move the needle. Currently COO at Ideas Forums; home of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, UK StartUp Awards, Ideas Fest, and the Fast Growth Index. David works daily with a network of over 100,000 businesses, tracking growth trends, spotting opportunity, and connecting ambitious founders with the people and platforms that accelerate them. Before Ideas Forums, David founded the Youth Development Agency. A Global Start-Up of the Year, scaling it from zero to operations across 25 countries. He has consulted on four continents, spoken at government invitation, and led programmes from the boardrooms of international schools to community projects in Sierra Leone and India. David brings unfiltered insight on what separates businesses that scale from those that stall; grounded in data, shaped by experience, and delivered without the theory.

Simone Roche MBE is an award-winning founder, innovator and community builder, leading We Are Power – a movement accelerating belonging and social mobility in the world of work. She started her career in the Royal Navy at 18 before building a diverse portfolio across organisations including Aintree Racecourse, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and the London 2012 Olympics, gaining experience in operations, events and leadership under pressure. Passionate about creating platforms for people and ideas, Simone also founded TEDxWhitehallWomen, driven by a mission to make role models more visible, accessible and seen. As Founder and CEO of We Are Power, Simone has built a cross-sector community of over 120,000 people spanning all genders and socio-economic backgrounds, creating more than £12.3 million in social value through events, programmes and storytelling. Alongside founding the Northern PoWEr Women Awards, the largest celebration of gender equality in Europe, she has also developed initiatives including PoWEr Pack, connecting future talent with industry, opportunity and confidence-building experiences. Simone was awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to gender equality and is an Honorary Captain in the Royal Navy. Outside of work, she is a Castellera, wannabe DJ and boat dweller.

Emma is a Chartered Management Accountant and Finance Director with over 15 years’ experience working with owner-managed businesses, start-ups and listed companies, including within highly acquisitive environments. Alongside her current role in private equity, she has led financial due diligence, business integration and strategic decision-making across multiple sectors, with a strong focus on growth, governance and commercial performance. Her experience gives her a practical understanding of what investors look for in a business, particularly around financial credibility, operational readiness and long-term value creation.

Farah is a commercial/technology lawyer with circa 15 years of experience working with businesses in the fintech and broader financial services sectors. She is now focused on online safeguarding and data intelligence, and on how tech can help protect reputation and engender trust and safety in the sport, legal, brand protection, and defence sectors.

Jonathan is the Corporate Finance Partner for Yorkshire. With more than 15 years’ corporate finance experience, as both adviser and investor, has completed transactions with an aggregate value of over £5bn. He joined Armstrong Watson in 2024 from Olympia Capital Partners and had previously worked in the M&A teams at PwC and Deloitte in London, before spending six years in Singapore as the Managing Director of a multi-billion dollar private investment group. He holds an MA and MBA from Manchester Business School and is an FCA Chartered Accountant.

Justine is a tax partner and head of the Leeds office as well as the Corporate and International team for Claritas Tax. She has over 25 years of tax experience working predominantly for Big 4 and mid-tier firms, mainly within corporate tax and advisory teams. Justine joined Claritas in June 2025, where, prior to this, she was a tax partner, heading up the corporate tax team in Leeds, as well as National Head of R&D and Patent Box at Saffery LLP. Justine has a keen interest in innovative and entrepreneurial companies, and on a day-to-day basis, provides tax advice to companies and owner-managed businesses across various sectors at all stages of their business lifecycle.

Giles is a serial entrepreneur, having founded and scaled a handful of tech companies, raising both angel and VC money. In 2023, Giles took up his current role as Regional Development Manager leading Par Equity's expansion into Yorkshire and the North of England. Since then Par Equity merged with Preatrura Ventures to create PXN Group. is a leading venture capital firm, with a focus on startups and scaleups in the North of UK. PXN’s investment thesis is to combine the professionalism and rigour of a venture capital manager with the skills and expertise of a broad base of individual investors who can add value throughout the investment life cycle.

Louise has spent the last 30 years assisting clients in their commercial / IP transactions. She drafts and negotiates complex IP, IT and commercial agreements including licensing and assigning IP, collaboration agreements, R&D agreements, SaaS agreements, agile agreements, terms and conditions, supply, distribution and agency agreements. She is used to acting for a variety of clients from start-ups, small and large SME's, plc's and Universities. Louise is listed in Legal 500 and in Chambers UK as a leader in her field for both IP and IT and has been described as: 'An experienced and very capable lawyer on commercial transactions' and 'Superb client service, accessible and flexible, work with demanding timescales'.

Patrick Trotter, PhD, MBA (TechMgmt), is Head of Innovation & Commercialisation at Medilink North of England, with over 25 years' experience across academia, SMEs and multinational industry. He specialises in translating health innovation into investable, market-ready propositions across medical devices, in vitro diagnostics, digital health and pharmaceuticals. His work focuses on identifying and mitigating the technical, clinical, regulatory and commercial risks that often prevent promising innovations from securing investment and achieving adoption. Patrick has particular expertise in innovation strategy, market and competitor analysis, and investment due diligence. He supports companies, investors and stakeholders to evaluate opportunities, define credible development pathways, and test value propositions against real market, regulatory and NHS requirements. He brings extensive hands-on experience in product development and regulatory affairs, including UKCA and CE marking, technical documentation and clinical evaluation, and has authored several hundred clinical evaluation reports across all device classes, including Class IIb and III. Through his published work in peer reviewed innovation journals and a contributor to the the MediPath Innovation RoadmapTM, he offers a practical, system-level perspective on de-risking innovation and maximising commercial success, making him well placed to chair this session.

Sarah Frankland leads our validation service and is a professional in this, she brings a calm and client-centric approach to her work. Her unique blend of technical expertise, leadership, and regulatory acumen positions her as a trusted partner for clients seeking validation solutions of the highest Caliber. Sarah’s expertise extends beyond project execution to consulting for audits, where her insights contribute to clients' compliance with rigorous industry regulations. She exhibits exceptional organizational skills, effectively managing her workload and seamlessly adapting to simultaneous involvement in multiple projects. Sarah holds certifications as a BSI-certified internal auditor for ISO 45001 and ISO 9001, reflecting her dedication to upholding the highest standards of safety and quality in her work. Sarah’s career is marked by a steadfast commitment to excellence, client satisfaction, and a deep-seated passion for contributing to the success of validation endeavours within the pharmaceutical industry.

Tamanna Keir is a Legal Director at Hill Dickinson, with over a decade’s experience in advising start-up and high-growth companies, investors and institutions on corporate transactions, governance and investment readiness. Her work focuses on supporting businesses, including in the healthcare and life sciences sectors, to navigate legal and transactional risks and prepare for successful investment and scaling.

Barrie McDermott is a former professional rugby league player, broadcaster, businessman and speaker. Having spent more than 15 years competing at the highest level with Leeds Rhinos and representing both Great Britain and Ireland, Barrie understands what it takes to perform under pressure, overcome setbacks and be part of successful teams. Today, Barrie is a familiar face on Sky Sports providing insight and analysis on the game he loves, while also working with businesses across the UK through his roles in finance, partnerships and consultancy. Whether speaking to business leaders, sales teams or aspiring professionals, Barrie shares honest, engaging and practical lessons from elite sport. His talks focus on leadership, culture, teamwork, resilience and accountability, helping people understand how the principles behind sporting success can be applied in business and everyday life. Known for his energy, humour and down-to-earth approach, Barrie leaves audiences entertained, inspired and equipped with ideas they can put into practice straight away. His message is simple: build the right team, create the right environment and never forget your WHY.

2x Olympic Champion | Founder & CEO building sports technology for the next generation of athletes

Dean is the #1 Social Selling Coach. With 14 years in the field, he has trained and coached over 200,000 marketers and sales professionals across 11 countries, equipping them to turn LinkedIn into a consistent engine for leads and clients. Global brands such as Citibank, AWS, Rackspace, and Sage have trusted Dean to help them unlock LinkedIn as not just a top-of-funnel tool, but a full end-to-end revenue channel.

At 13, I started my first online business - driven not by circumstance, but by ambition. Over the next four years, I built a diverse skillset across the digital landscape before finding my edge in paid media: Google and Meta Ads. I've since helped multiple businesses solve real revenue problems and scale predictably - generating record-breaking months for clients, including £184k in closed revenue for a single consulting client, and delivering over $1.2M in client revenue within just the first two weeks of 2026. Now at 17, I'm the fractional CMO of four companies while running my own full stack marketing agency. Find us at https//:burnistonmedia.com

Nicky specialises in the commercial challenges that most often stall deeptech and high-tech businesses: identifying the right markets, crafting messages that resonate with customers and investors, and building a business model that scales. If you're uncertain about your product strategy or routes to market, struggling to tell the story of your technology in a way that lands, or finding it hard to develop a compelling value proposition, Nicky brings the strategic clarity to move you forward. With more than 25 years' experience working with spinouts, startups and established technology companies, she works across the full commercialisation journey, from early market exploration through to go-to-market execution.

Rachel has spent 30 years (ahem!) driving commercial and company growth across sectors, primarily tech and software as a service, and now works with companies to generate and maintain repeatable and scalable revenue. The first 10 years were in manufacturing, and the next 20 in tech and SaaS, and she now only works with people who make her smile, where they can work together and enjoy doing so. B2B needs a focus on the C - if it doesn't work for the end user, then it won't work well for long; having worked this across a wide range of verticals. Rachel has seen that the values of generosity, expertise, curiosity and decency apply everywhere and has used these to grow and scale businesses, both from start up and those already with turnover. With experience with investors in VC, angel and some PE networks, she believes in introductions for mutual benefit and loves meeting new people and making connections. Curiosity, courage and coachability are the 3 main areas of her work; keep asking questions, avoid complacency and ask the questions you may not want to hear the answers to but need to know for successful growth.

Helen Oldham is a Co Founder of Lifted Ventures, whose mission is to increase the flow of early stage capital to regional, female founders, and to promote the significant business benefits of backing women. The Lifted Ventures flywheel has an angel network at its core, alongside investment literacy education for women founders and investors. Lifted Ventures have helped to raise over £19m in two years. Helen is an Investor, a Board member of the UKBAA, a NED, and a consultant. Previously Helen was a Founding Board Director of multi award winning NorthInvest, and in 2020 she launched Fund Her North, a collective of women in VCs who support female founders to get equal access to finance. Prior to this Helen was Managing Director of the Yorkshire Post and The Scotsman.

Jim Shirley is the founder of FundingHero and author of The Startup Fundraising MBA, where he has created the Six Pillars of Fundraising framework to help flip the odds for those who want to be part of the 1% that successfully raise growth funding. As a former CFO with two high-growth exits, Jim now leads the Midlands' leading high-growth fundraising accelerator, providing founders with CFO-level support to become investor-ready for their scale-up journey.

Oliver is an entrepreneur, speaker and the founder of cocreatd - a private investment office that incubates new startups - and co-founder of Potentially, the collective AI company. Previously serving as CEO of Flight Story, the global group he co-founded with Steven Bartlett in 2021. Exiting in 2024. For over a decade, Oliver has been at the forefront of marketing, media and tech, helping guide some of worlds most successful companies: Amazon, Apple, Coca-Cola, TikTok, Google, Disney & Uber to name just a few.

Hugo Brooks is a serial entrepreneur, advisor to global brands and author of Ambition: Redefining Success for a Restless Age — the first in a four-part series exploring the most powerful and least understood force in most founders' lives. Over three decades, Hugo has built and run businesses across multiple sectors and advised some of the world's most recognised brands, including Coca-Cola, Unilever, Virgin and Toyota. He knows firsthand what it feels like to drive hard toward a destination, and to arrive and ask, for the first time, whether it was where he'd wanted to go. That question became the foundation of Magnetic North, his coaching and advisory practice for driven founders, executives and creatives who want to understand and direct the force that's running their business — and their life. Hugo's work sits at the intersection of commercial rigour and personal clarity. He doesn't offer frameworks or productivity systems. He offers something rarer: the thinking space and the challenge to examine what's really driving you, and what becomes possible when you consciously take control of it. Ambition: Redefining Success for a Restless Age is available now on Kindle and paperback.

Richard Price is CTO and co-founder of Pragmatic Semiconductor, a UK-based pioneer in flexible electronics. With over 25 years’ experience in developing and commercialising innovative technologies, Richard holds a BSc and PhD in Chemistry from Durham University and is inventor/co-inventor on more than 30 patent families. As CTO, he has guided Pragmatic from concept to volume production of its FlexIC products, enabling scalable and cost-effective electronic intelligence embedded in everyday objects. In Dec-23 Pragmatic raised the largest ever European semiconductor venture round of >£180Mn. Richard also serves as a non-executive director at the Henry Royce Institute, the UK’s national institute for advanced materials.

Volker is a partner at Brainworks Ventures, a new AI-focused fund based in Silicon Valley and the UK. He is an angel investor (17 investments) and entrepreneur (co-founded 6 companies) and was a partner at “deep” tech VC, Amadeus Capital in its £110m early-stage fund V. Previously, as Chief Strategy Officer at Scoreloop, he helped grow their mobile social gaming platform to 450m users and got acquired by BlackBerry in 2011. Volker is also the co-founder of Blue Beck, an AI and software agency and Tech North Advocates, a non-profit championing the role of technology in the North of England.

Chris Allen is Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Broughton, an analytical testing laboratory and scientific consultancy supporting regulated product development. With over 25 years’ experience in analytical and regulatory science, Chris has worked across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and nicotine products, including roles in global organisations and leading CROs. He co-founded Broughton in 2006 and has extensive experience supporting clients with scientific strategies, quality frameworks and engagement with regulatory agencies including the FDA and MHRA. Chris oversees Broughton’s strategic direction, with a focus on accelerating life-enhancing products to market through science-led innovation.

Helen Philippou is a Professor of Translational Medicine at the University of Leeds, UK. As an academic she has researched mechanisms of blood clotting over 34 years with a leading international reputation in clot formation and its breakdown. Helen’s passion lies in yielding impact to benefit patients from unmet clinical needs. Consequently, Helen created and led multidisciplinary teams which led to the creation of the first therapeutic University of Leeds spin-out Company (LUNAC Therapeutics). ClotProtect is her second therapeutic spin-out company she has co-founded to benefit patients from acute bleeding.

Karen has built her career around developing senior relationships across industry, academia and government in the UK and internationally. She has worked with large organisations, run her own SME for 20 years, and operated extensively at the interface between the public and private sectors. She has worked closely with C-suite leaders, universities and government, often helping to open doors, connect people and turn intent into practical collaboration. Relationship-building rather than selling has remained central to her work. Karen is in a strategic role at Equans Sci-Tech, focused on complex, regulated and technology-led sectors including Life Sciences and advanced manufacturing. Her work centres on building strategic relationships, identifying opportunities and providing insight to shape market activity.

Matthew is a specialist in innovative tax reliefs and is the founder of LimestoneGrey, a chartered tax consultancy dedicated to R&D tax credit relief. A dual-qualified Chartered Tax Adviser and Chartered Accountant; Matthew has spent his career helping companies secure capital through R&D tax credits and has particular expertise in supporting companies in the areas of med-tech and life sciences. Matthew is known for developing strong client relationships thanks to his personal and thorough approach.

Paul Thorning has over 25 years’ experience in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries in manufacturing, research, marketing, consultancy, and senior executive roles. Paul was a former licensing director for AstraZeneca (member of the Crestor acquisition team). He spent three years in Tanzania, Africa, leading a team of 1,500 staff running hospitals, health programmes, and community services for 140,000 Congolese refugees. The team achieved a 30% reduction in mortality across the refugee health programme in under two years. Following his return to the UK, Paul was appointed as Director of the Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation at the University of Bradford, subsequently being appointed an Honorary Professor of Innovation before taking on a part-time academic Professor role leading entrepreneurship programmes. Paul was also appointed as the UK’s national Focal Point for Health and Innovation with China. Paul is Chief Executive and a Co-founder of CrystecPharma, a pharmaceutical technology company focused on improving the performance of medicines. He is also a board member of Inhalis, a Swiss company developing a novel therapeutic for lung fibrosis. Paul holds an MBA, is a Fe

Damian is the driving force behind Northern Arc Partners, bringing together the innovation ecosystems of the North of England. With deep roots in the Northern science, tech and innovation community, he's on a mission to connect the region's fragmented strengths into a unified corridor that can compete globally. He is a strategic leader with over twenty years of experience in economic development, inward investment, and venture capital. His career is defined by a commitment to dismantling regional silos and bridging the gap between university research and commercial scalability. Prior to founding Northern Arc Partners, Damian served as Investment Director for GC Angels and led the expansion of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult across the North West. His background includes driving significant international investment from India, China, and the US during a tenure in London, providing him with a global perspective on regional growth. Damian currently holds several key advisory and board positions that ensure Northern Arc Partners remains grounded in genuine regional representation.

Wendy began her public sector career at Barnsley Council; managing the delivery of front line services in local offices and the contact centre. She moved to Wakefield District Housing as a Business Analyst and then spent 11 years at the Department for Work and Pensions where she headed up large change & transformation teams; designing and delivering a brand-new service for jobseekers looking as well as playing a leading role in the development and implementation of the government’s Kickstart Scheme. She served as Deputy Principal Private Secretary to 3 Secretaries of State over a 3-year period and worked on preparing for a no deal Brexit and the COVID19 pandemic amongst other things. Wendy left DWP for the NHS as Head of Delivery for Dental System Reform, delivering the first changes to the NHS dental contract since 2006. Wendy began her role as Executive Director for Core Services at Barnsley Council in April 2023. Her area of responsibility takes in Finance and Commercial, Legal and Governance, Digital Transformation, HR, Organisational Design, Business Intelligence and Communications.

Gautam heads Growth Solutions at Navigator Global, where he plays a central role in shaping the platform’s vision to support SMEs in their international growth journeys. He brings over 2 decades of experience working with growth minded SMEs and large multinationals across global trade corridors with expertise spanning market entry, cross border partnerships, strategic alliances and business development. Gautam has over 20 years' work experience working with both large multinationals and SMEs on their international growth journeys. His expertise includes International business development, business strategy, FDI, Trade and exports promotion, market entry, product management and non-linear growth models. Having worked and lived in India before moving to the UK in 2018, he also brings in deep knowledge of the India – UK corridor and wider international market dynamics.

James Kinsella is Co-CEO of Bluetree Group, the UK’s largest online printer and home to leading print brands instantprint and Route 1 Print. James co-founded the business as instantprint in 2009 after spotting demand for quick turnaround print services while at university. Since then, the business has grown into a market leader, focused on making print buying easy and helping small businesses look exceptional. He is passionate about entrepreneurship, customer experience, and helping small businesses stand out through great design and print. When he’s not leading Bluetree Group, James can often be found out in the countryside with his mountain bike.

Mark Roberts is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor and board adviser, with a long-standing connection to Leeds and the wider city region. He is Chair of Leeds Angels — an active angel investment network that brings together many exited founders turned investors, who now invest both capital and time into early-stage, high-growth businesses. While the network is rooted in the Leeds City Region, its angels back the best companies across the UK — and occasionally beyond. The focus is on being supportive, long-term partners to founders, rather than passive investors. Mark previously served as Chair of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), overseeing the integration of LEP functions into the Mayoral Combined Authority. He is currently Chair of the West Yorkshire Investor Forum and Co-Chair of the West Yorkshire Innovation Board. As an entrepreneur, Mark co-founded Beer Hawk, an online craft beer retailer, in 2012, growing it from “two mates in a shed” into a profitable business with over £80m in revenue. Following its sale to AB InBev, he became an intrapreneur within the group, helping to launch and scale PerfectDraft as a global direct-to-consumer business. To

Neil has spent two decades building technology consultancies from the inside. As a senior leader at Infinity Works, he was part of the team that took the business from 50 to 650 people, navigating Private Equity investment and a nine-figure exit to a leading global consultancy, where he spent a further year as a Managing Director, helping run Infinity Works through integration. Subsequent MD roles at two further consultancies followed, plus an advisory engagement. That journey through growth, investment, acquisition and integration has given him a rare perspective on what it takes to scale a technology-driven business, what investors and acquirers actually look for, and what gets in the way. He has seen businesses seize up under their own process, and others stay so deliberately lean they couldn't hold the ground they'd won. His time now splits between established businesses sharpening what already works, leadership teams wrestling with how to adapt and scale sensibly in the AI era, and AI-native organisations navigating their fastest growth phases. He works equally with founders shaping the next stage of growth and investors assessing or accelerating a portfolio company.

Hana is an Investment Director at Big Issue Invest, where she co-leads the Growth Impact Fund in partnership with Unltd. Alongside her investment role, she advises the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on Strategy and Innovation in the region and mentors diverse emerging fund managers through the Pathway Programme. A former banking executive with over 15 years across Financial Services, Hana specialises in corporate strategy, data, and technology transformation. Her investment experience spans venture philanthropy and early-stage VC, including launching a global venture philanthropy firm in collaboration with Qatar Foundation and investing in Silicon Valley across Foundational AI, HealthTech, FinTech and Consumer Tech. Hana combines institutional discipline with venture agility, supporting founders through fundraising, go-to-market strategy, commercial readiness, governance and scale.

I'm a Partner at Haatch, one of the UK's most exciting early-stage investors. £100+m raised, 150+ portfolio companies and 2,000+ investors. My role is to drive the fund to £250m AUM within the next 3 years. 2025 Seed VC of the Year, Fund of the Year, Exit of the Year & Best EIS Manager (UKBAA, Seed Legals & GIA) Alongside my day-to-day role at Haatch, I founded edge, a growth consultancy that works with clients to deliver world-class crowdfunding rounds. I started edge to channel my passion for working with amazing founders and helping them create category-defining brands. I'm also a NED at WineFi - recently named Startup of The Year. Before Haatch, I was CGO at Crowdcube, where I spent nearly a decade supporting some of Europe's best founders and executing the biggest equity crowdfunding rounds of all time, raising £1bn+ for 1000+ companies. I have been a TEDx speaker twice, a featured guest on various podcasts, and a regular panelist and speaker at global events on topics such as growth, innovation, and crowdfunding.

Providing capital for fast growth, innovative SMEs across the North of the UK. With over 25 years working within the Financial Services sector, I enjoy building strong relationships with quality management teams to deliver tailored growth capital funding. Qualified ACA in 2003 and a founder Partner of Palatine Growth Credit, 2024.

Steve is Regional Director for NatWest in the North West & also lead for regional growth. Over his career, Steve has worked with businesses of all sizes – from high growth & scaling through to large multi-national corporates and the great privilege of working with some of our best known entrepreneurs and brands. Away from work, Steve is learning BSL & immersed in training a new puppy in between taxiing his 2 teenage sons around.

A true innovation leader with over 15 years’ cloud and AI sales, pre-sales, and GTM experience, Ed is former EMEA Cloud Director (£109m revenue) at the world’s largest consultancy. From supercomputing platforms and Formula One data systems to large-scale energy and public sector cloud overhauls, he has led more than 50 extremely complex migrations and digital projects. Trusted by Fortune 100s to drive growth, customer success, and sector-wide transformation, he gave it all up to create his own start-up – CloudWize. Now CloudWize CEO, AI innovation lead and co-founder, Ed helps businesses solve real problems with intelligent cloud and AI solutions – not buzzwords, not vague roadmaps, but tangible results from day one. He is refreshingly straight-talking and an increasingly well-known speaker on the event circuit. But his background does not mean he's constantly talking tech. Instead he is just as passionate about exploring people and process related topics, and the criticality they play in a successful transformation project.

Guy sold his first internet business at 18, a year after starting it, right in the middle of the dotcom boom. That early exit gave him a rule he still applies today: if the technology does not drive revenue, it does not matter.
He now runs Return, a growth consultancy helping owner managed businesses combine marketing and AI to win work their competitors miss.
He works with leadership teams to rewire how their businesses operate, using AI to unlock capacity, speed and margin that was not there before.
Guy has won Big Chip and Entrepreneur of the Year awards, and speaks regularly at global conferences, Vistage and other CEO peer groups.
Outside work, Guy can be found with his wife and two daughters, flying helicopters, riding bicycles and generally getting into mischief.

I've built a workforce of AI agents that complete intelligence work. They continuously watch industries and deliver real-time trading conditions to Investors and CEOs making important investment decisions. Previously, I was founding CMO of the tech startup that became Confused.com. I built a tech business that forecast cashflow from TV campaigns before they ran. Used by Diageo, Mars and Toyota for investment allocation and marketing ROI. Sold to Publicis Groupe.

Liam Wright is a Leeds-based technology leader with over a decade of experience across CTO, Technical Director, and Head of Technology roles spanning software, IoT, and managed services. He has built and led engineering teams at companies including Tracsis, Exodus Technologies, and Millgate, and is currently founding Atlas Innovation Labs — an AI driven field service and workforce management SaaS platform built on Microsoft Azure. Liam’s work sits at the intersection of AI strategy, governance, and real-world implementation. He has developed AI governance frameworks for business-critical environments and works closely with the next generation of founders as a mentor on the University of York’s Phase One accelerator programme. He also delivers workshops in universities and prisons, bringing technology thinking into spaces it doesn’t always reach. Recognised in Insider Media’s 42 Under 42, Liam brings a grounded, no-nonsense perspective to conversations about automation and AI — shaped by years of building practical systems, not just theorising about them. He believes the answer lies in strong governance and honest conversations.

Andrew, a finalist on the BBC reality sensation "The Traitors" and a living embodiment of resilience! At just 21, he faced a life-altering car accident that left him in a coma for four weeks, with doctors declaring he may never walk, talk or recognise his loved ones again. But Andrew refused to be defined by his circumstances. He defied the odds, not only regaining his ability to walk but also reigniting his passion for life after losing his dream of playing rugby for Wales. For nearly 24 years, Andrew battled his mental health in silence, but he eventually found the courage to share his struggles with family. Through deep reflection and self-discovery, he emerged stronger than ever. In a powerful reunion with the doctor who saved his life in 2022, Andrew was dubbed a "miracle patient," inspiring him to turn his story into a beacon of hope for others. Now, as the founder of "Strength In You Ltd," Andrew is on a mission to shatter the stigma surrounding mental health. He delivers electrifying motivational talks and dynamic workshops, empowering individuals to rise above their challenges. Andrew is determined to leave an indelible mark on the world

Deborah Okenla is the Founder and CEO of YSYS (Your Startup, Your Story). YSYS is a community-led startup incubator for diverse founders, talent, and investors. Their programmes — FoundersDoor and TalentDoor — have connected over 17,000 people to opportunities across the UK tech ecosystem. Her work has been recognised across the industry. She was named Computer Weekly's Rising Women in Tech and listed as one of the UK's Top 100 Black and Minority Ethnic Leaders in Technology by the Financial Times. She sits on the Advisory Board of Coders of Colour and dedicates time to mentoring the next generation of community builders.

Dr. Milette Gillow is Co-founder & CEO at The Tech Bros: the world's first all-female, all technical accelerator. She is a former VC, most recently a Talent Investor at Entrepreneur First, and university lecturer in pure mathematics, after completing her PhD at the University of Leeds. She is also a professional opera singer, trained at the Royal Academy of Music, an EWOR Venture Scout, and a Governor of Oxford High School GDST.

Damian is the driving force behind Northern Arc Partners, bringing together the innovation ecosystems of the North of England. With deep roots in the Northern science, tech and innovation community, he's on a mission to connect the region's fragmented strengths into a unified corridor that can compete globally. He is a strategic leader with over twenty years of experience in economic development, inward investment, and venture capital. His career is defined by a commitment to dismantling regional silos and bridging the gap between university research and commercial scalability. Prior to founding Northern Arc Partners, Damian served as Investment Director for GC Angels and led the expansion of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult across the North West. His background includes driving significant international investment from India, China, and the US during a tenure in London, providing him with a global perspective on regional growth. Damian currently holds several key advisory and board positions that ensure Northern Arc Partners remains grounded in genuine regional representation.

Rena works with SME leaders and their teams who are brilliant at what they do... and quietly exhausted by the people stuff that keeps getting in the way. As founder of Elevated Ltd, she helps business owners and leaders communicate with clarity, lead with confidence and build teams that actually perform. Her work combines years of international experience with research-backed tools like Everything DiSC and The Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team and a refreshingly curiosity-driven approach to the messier side of running a business that has a habit of unlocking what more conventional methods sometimes miss. And then there's the LEGO®. Rena might just ask you to build something with your hands before she asks you to think with your head. Because sometimes when you build, you think differently. The inner critic goes quiet. The real answers start to surface. No prior LEGO® experience required.

Bianca is a leadership coach, former tech leader, & founder of Sprout Coaching. With over 20 years in the tech industry, she works with founders, managers, & growing teams to build the leadership capability that underpins scalable, investable businesses. She specialises in helping early-stage & scaling companies strengthen what sits behind the tech: team effectiveness, role clarity, decision-making, & leadership confidence. At the heart of her work is the knowledge that high performance comes from inclusive, human-centred leadership where people feel valued, supported & able to do their best work. This creates the alignment, ownership, and momentum that stand up to the scrutiny of investors, senior hires & rapid growth. Her approach is shaped by her experience, from navigating unclear expectations to leading teams without the tools she needed. After training as a Transformational Coach, she applied coaching within her teams & saw measurable shifts in accountability, development, retention, and engagement. Today, she supports founders & managers to lead with clarity, embed coaching & feedback into everyday practice & build high-performing, happy teams that scale.

Dr Eve Hanks is the CEO & Founder of MI:RNA. She has over 14 years of experience as a veterinary surgeon and is a thought leader in microRNAs having studied, researched and published in this area for 9 years, with a particular interest in host interactions in response to immune system challenges. She is an innovator and entrepreneur and she used her clinical background for conception, development and implementation of MI:RNA’s pioneering technology. As a solo female founder, she grew the business from the ground up after spinning out from Scotland's Rural College, SRUC, and now leads a gender balanced team of experts, retaining overall responsibility for strategy, investment and fundraising, commercial roll out, networking and science education. In 2024, in recognition of her achievements, Eve received the ‘Impact’ award from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, then in 2025 she was honoured with a fellowship.

Lou Matthews is the founder and director of Culture Craft, a people and culture agency built for scaling UK startups. After years watching HR support fail to reflect the reality of how startups operate, Lou built something different: an embedded, transparent alternative that puts founders first.
Culture Craft has seen huge demand in its first year, and has been shortlisted for a number of awards including the UK Startup Awards and ClimbUK, validating the appetite for a more commercial, fast-moving approach to HR.
Lou is a Certified Scrum Product Owner, which shapes how Culture Craft delivers work: building culture as a product, in focused sprints, with clear scope and visible progress, so scaling teams always know what they're getting and when.
Culture Craft's view is simple: when culture works, everyone wins.

Richard is Associate Professor of Enterprise for the Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Studies where he leads interactive undergraduate discovery and postgraduate courses. He is Academic Director of Enterprise at Leeds through which he supports student enterprise activities across the University of Leeds in the curriculum. He is Cohort Facilitator for the UK Government Help to Grow small business high growth programme. He is a member of Leeds University Business School and leads courses for MSc Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. Before joining the University of Leeds he was Lecturer in Enterprise at the Welsh Enterprise Institute, University of Glamorgan, where the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for Wales was conducted. In industry, Richard was project implementation and user engagement manager at a small fast-growth digital HR-solutions startup based in London, during its flotation on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

Jason Perry is Director of Seller Success for Walmart Marketplace, where he partners with and supports Walmart’s existing marketplace seller base across Europe to drive sustainable growth. He serves as a strong internal advocate for sellers, representing their needs with product, operations, and policy teams, while designing scalable success programs that work in the real world. Jason is known for balancing growth with trust—pushing for performance, being firm on standards, fair on enforcement, and always clear on the “why.” With more than 15 years of experience across multiple sectors, Jason has held ecommerce roles spanning operations, strategy, development, marketing, and product. His career highlights include being named to a Top 100 Tech list, scaling a rapid-growth Q-Commerce business at Co-op, and leading a digital pharmacy transformation back to growth and to profitability.

Based in Manchester, George leads deal origination with a particular focus on UK tech ecosystems outside London, Oxford, and Cambridge. With over a decade of experience across venture capital, private equity, and public markets, he brings institutional investment expertise to early-stage opportunities. George's passion for supporting early-stage growth companies extends to his Advisory Board role at Tech Nation and consulting work on notable mentorship programs, including Digital Catapult's Black Founders Programme with Sony Music.

As Co-Founder of EHE Venture Studio, Guy plays a pivotal role in shaping the studio’s mission to empower founders with the capital, technical infrastructure, and hands-on support they need to scale sustainably. EHE’s model, combining an in-house AI engineering team, dedicated investment fund, and a collaborative founder community, reflects Guy’s conviction that building successful ventures requires more than funding it demands deep technical capability, disciplined execution, and strong founder alignment. Beyond his commercial work, Guy is equally dedicated to philanthropy and community impact. For over a decade, he has been actively involved with Variety The Children’s Charity, serving in multiple voluntary capacities and currently acting as Chairman of the North West region. His commitment to supporting others from early-career entrepreneurs to charitable organisations mirrors his broader philosophy of leadership through empathy,purpose, and long-term value creation.

Martin has over 20 years’ experience scaling tech businesses, from high-growth startups to global enterprises, with a focus on AI and data-driven innovation. He’s been involved in multiple successful exits, including Peak AI, XtremIO, and ScaleIO, and has helped raise more than £100m in venture funding. He is the founder of TenX Ventures, where he supports early-stage founders from Seed to Series C on go-to-market strategy and fundraising. Martin is also Chair at Hyperfinity and a Venture Partner at River Capital, where he played a key role in launching the UK’s first dedicated AI fund for the North.

A high performing, motivated individual with multiple years of experience in sales, account management, HNW client management and business acumen dealing with foreign currency markets.

Rashmi joined the Medilink North of England after completing her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from University College London (UCL), where her research focused on maximising the durability of new-generation cardiovascular implants, including transcatheter aortic valves and stent-grafts, through advanced joining and surface engineering methods. Rashmi also have experience working on the orthopaedic biomaterials, having worked on calcium phosphate, tri-calcium phosphate, as well as strontium-substituted hydroxyapatite coatings to enhance osseointegration and mechanical compatibility in orthopaedic implants. As an International Manager, Rashmi leads the International Consultancy Unit applying her deep understanding of medical device regulations, materials science, and translational research to guide companies in medical technology, diagnostics, and digital health. She works closely with Medilink members and clients to help them navigate through complex regulatory framework, reimbursement systems, and market access strategies to identify and develop global commercial opportunities.

Experienced CEO and Chairman, scientific entrepreneur with a proven track record of leading high-growth companies in the pharmaceutical, life sciences and medtech sectors. With a background in chemistry and biological sciences, I bring a unique blend of technical insight and commercial acumen to scaling deep tech ventures from concept to market. I thrive at the intersection of science, strategy, and investment—building teams, securing funding, and forging partnerships that accelerate innovation and deliver real-world impact. Passionate about translating breakthrough technologies into transformative healthcare solutions. I am also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Key strengths include: Fundraising and investor relations (Seed to Series B) Strategic planning and board leadership IP strategy and technology commercialization Building high-performance teams and culture Navigating regulatory and clinical pathways Let’s connect if you're working on something bold in science, healthcare, or innovation.

Yogan has 30+ years experience as a Chartered Accountant, successfully starting my own London-based partnership in 1991, which became part of a top 20 firm before merging with Top 13 firm MHA, the UK member firm of Baker Tilly International ranked 9th globally. Yogan heads up the Pharma/Life Sciences/MedTech sector and is a member of BIA (BioIndustry Association) FTAC committee. He is a key member of MHA tech sector, managing a portfolio of clients in the pharma, life sciences, technology, real estate, consumer, leisure and hospitality, charities etc Yogan specialises in advising owner-managed businesses on strategic matters and tax planning and has a wealth of experience with clients that include personal tax individuals, unincorporated businesses and limited companies. He acts for a range of UK based and international clients, particularly from India, the Far East and USA, regularly travelling to India and the Far East to head up the firm's Asia Pacific desk. As part of this, he works very closely with the Department of Business and Trade.

Katherine is a dynamic leader in the Northern tech ecosystem, driving strategic growth for digital startups, scale-ups, and established businesses. Operating within a thriving network of over 1,500 businesses across six UK cities, she brings practical, front-line insights to regional innovation and commercial development. A passionate champion for equality, diversity, and inclusion, Katherine created and delivers Bruntwood SciTech’s Female Founder Incubators. Since launching in Leeds in 2022, she has successfully expanded the programme to Manchester and Alderley Park, supporting over 60 women-led businesses with vital resources, networks, and strategic guidance. This exceptional impact earned her 'Facilitator of the Year' at the 2023 Leeds Digital Awards. With a robust background in Financial Services, Katherine excels at facilitating high-value partnerships that accelerate growth. She seamlessly combines strategic thinking with creative flair to connect entrepreneurs with the exact expertise they need. Katherine's influence extends across the sector through her numerous advisory roles and acts as a Leeds Digital Ambassador. She serves on the boards for The Whole Point, LegalTech i

Rory Southworth runs Fhunded Angels, connecting Lancashire founders with investors and building early-stage investment opportunities. Fhunded is a Lancashire County Council Programme.

Stuart Clarke MBE is the founder and chair of Leeds Digital, Yorkshire’s largest tech community. Leeds Digital runs the annual Leeds Digital Festival, the largest open-platform tech event in the UK. Stuart is also the founder of the annual UK Tech Week which brings together regional tech ecosystems, alongside national advocacy organisations, to celebrate tech across the whole of the UK. The 2026 UK Tech Week saw over 50 regional ecosystems take part, from Ipswich to Glasgow, Cardiff to Sunderland, Belfast to Exeter and all points between. Running his own marketing and PR consultancy, working with startup and scaleup firms in the tech sector, he is also a non-executive director and adviser to a number of startups. Stuart devised and runs the PARSE peer roundtable programme for startup founders and is the creator of the Leeds Tech Map.

Founder of Heard Storytelling Heard Storytelling is a true spoken storytelling company that exists to create positive change throug the power of sharing lived experience. What started as an open mic night is now a creative storytelling agency delivering workshops, coaching, live events and immersive storytelling projects. From boardrooms to public spaces, we help people tell their stories with confidence and make sure they’re heard.

As the founder of Coliberate, Christopher Owen (he/they) offers inclusivity and liberation coaching, consulting, speaking and training to help individuals and organisations take their inclusion efforts to the next level so that they can make meaningful social change. A 2024 Northern Gamechanger, Christopher has a PhD in intersectional systemic oppression, with a decade of experience in LGBTQ+ inclusivity. They have presented to thousands internationally and published on intersectionality, identity, social change, queer resistance, and inclusive practice, with his second book forthcoming from Routledge Education. For more, please visit: coliberate.co.uk

Daniella (Dani) Wainwright FCA, Founder of Wainwright Consulting Ltd, Fractional Finance Director & ICAEW Subject Matter Expert on Portfolio Careers.
Dani is a senior finance professional with experience leading in all sizes of businesses from SMEs to FTSE 100 PLCs, and sector experience in marketing, retail, utilities, various tech, gaming, and property.
She began her Portfolio career to give ambitious SMEs access to the highest level of commercial and financially savvy support, as well as to gain more control over her own work/life balance. Wainwright Consulting now has a healthy portfolio of clients who are supported by a team of 10 Fractional FDs.
Having gained so much personally from the transition from a Corporate to a Portfolio career, Dani is not only passionate about helping SMEs thrive, but also about helping other senior finance professionals access this lifestyle via her signature programme, ‘PowerUP’ and has been appointed as the subject matter expert on Portfolio Careers by the Institute of Chartered Accountants England & Wales (ICAEW).