Where £1M+ founders connect, share, and scale together.

Laura Weldon is the Founder and Creative Director of Studio.LWD, an award-winning branding agency that helps businesses create powerful, strategic, and commercially driven brands. With a career spanning over two decades, Laura has worked with some of the world’s most iconic names, including Virgin, Nike, and the British Red Cross.

Passionate about the power of design, Laura and her team champion a no-nonsense, results-driven approach to branding—one that fuses creativity with strategy to drive business growth. She and her team at Studio.LWD specialise in brand strategy, brand identity, and design, helping ambitious brands make a lasting impact.

As a thought leader in the industry, Laura frequently speaks on branding, creativity, and business growth, inspiring companies to build brands with purpose, clarity, and commercial success. Find out more at: www.studiolwd.co.uk

Tom Smith is the CEO and Founder of Complete, an award-winning digital agency supporting brands at local, national and global levels. He has also launched sister companies Complete Dubai, Complete Leads, and Sales Spark AI, expanding the group’s reach and impact across multiple markets.

With over 20 years of experience, Tom is a strategic digital marketing specialist with expertise in website design, lead generation, SEO and eCommerce. He combines commercial insight with technical knowledge to deliver measurable growth for ambitious brands.

High-converting websites and results-driven digital strategies are what Complete does best. Trust, clear communication, and transparency underpin every partnership and every project.

A passionate leader, Tom places strong emphasis on team well-being and has built a culture based on collaboration, creativity and accountability.

As Head of Corporate for Lancashire at Brabners, Nikki Whittle is a strategic leader dedicated to the full lifecycle of business growth across the North of England. Specialising in natural expansion, acquisitions, and private equity, Nikki provides founders and investors with pragmatic, commercial legal counsel. Her approach prioritises collaborative deal-making over “point-scoring,” a philosophy reflected in her founding of the Brabners Business Circle and her advisory role on the Lancashire County Council, where she helps shape regional investment policy and ecosystem development.

Nikki’s expertise is backed by the extensive reach of Brabners LLP, a purpose-led, independent firm with over 200 years of history. As a certified B Corp, Brabners is recognised for its commitment to sustainability and innovation, recently being named the “Best Law Firm to Work For” in the UK. In Lancashire, the firm acts as a pivotal hub for the business community, offering full-service legal support to everyone from ambitious SMEs to large corporates, all while maintaining a deep focus on regional social impact.

Central to the firm’s vision is True North, a flagship initiative launched in 2023 to unite over 500 purpose-driven organisations across Northern England. By focusing on pillars such as innovation, skills, and sustainable growth, the movement seeks to move beyond traditional narratives and unlock the region’s full potential. Through these collaborative efforts and high-level partnerships, both Nikki and Brabners aim to “make the difference” by fostering a thriving, interconnected northern economy.

Chetan Bharucha is a seasoned Relationship Director at NatWest, managing a diverse portfolio of over 60 clients with turnovers ranging from £5 million to £60 million. Based in the North West and Greater Manchester region, Chetan specialises in structuring and facilitating lending solutions exceeding £1 million, while driving new business growth across key sectors.

With deep expertise in TMT, healthcare, automotive, leisure, international trade, manufacturing, waste, and real estate, Chetan brings a strategic and sector-savvy approach to commercial banking. His working knowledge spans IP funding, FX, asset and invoice financing, trade finance, green debt, legal documentation, and payments infrastructure.

Chetan’s strength lies in business development, underpinned by a robust network of introducers including brokers, accountants, solicitors, and business transfer agents. He is also a passionate advocate for digital innovation, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, and entrepreneurial growth—championing initiatives that support high-growth clients and future-focused businesses.

Chris Calvert is a Director and business owner at Rushtons Chartered Accountants, with over 15 years’ experience working with businesses across the Fylde Coast and Preston areas. He supports a broad range of owner-managed businesses with their accountancy, tax, and strategic needs, helping them to grow and achieve their goals.

Chris has a particular interest in start-ups and family-owned enterprises, where he combines his technical expertise with a practical, hands-on approach. He is passionate about building long-term relationships with clients and providing clear, commercially focused advice that adds real value to their business.