UMicast UMi

Richard Bearman is the Managing Director of British Business Bank and overseer of the Start-Up Loans Programme which aims to help start-up businesses across the UK get access to funding and support. In this conversation he shares details of the funding and support available to new businesses, as well as the value of mentorship from industry experts.

Jim Holland is the CEO and Co-Founder of Carma, a business which partners with veterans and service leavers to plant trees in the UK. After serving in the Royal Navy for 13 years, followed by 16 years in large corporations, Jim was moved to create Carma to support fellow veterans while making a positive impact on the environment. In this conversation, Jim shares key lessons and personal insights from his journey to offering customers social impact from the palm of their hand. 

Steve Pugh is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer and Management Consultant, author, GB basketball player, and Founder of social impact start-up Roadmap MBA. With more than 20 years’ learning and board-level experience leading organisations through stock market floatation, recession and the pandemic, Steve is passionate about making business education more accessible for all. In this conversation, he shares how authentic and transparent leadership can positively impact people’s lives, and the importance of drawing on support to accelerate your learning.    

Kat Sykes has been described by clients as the Mary Poppins of Business Change. As the Founder of GameChanging Outcomes Ltd, Kat has drawn on her varied career as a primary school teacher, construction project manager and digital change manager to create a completely new type of service that encompasses the best of all worlds. In this conversation, she explains why it’s important to understand people’s ‘real KPIs’ in business, how play can encourage creativity and break down barriers to change in organisations, and the work she’s doing with Durham University on supporting entrepreneurs’ self-worth. 

Listen to this episode to learn how you can improve your self-awareness and understanding of yourself and colleagues, and ultimately create a more confident and resilient you/workforce.

Ian Kinnery, a multi-accredited business coach, has made it his mission to help entrepreneurs experience what he calls ‘true entrepreneurial freedom’ through a mixture of industry techniques and personal experience. Listen to this episode to hear how you can achieve your goals, grow you business and become a great leader, all whilst maintaining a healthy work-life balance.