The Who’s Who

Explore The Who’s Who of Greater Manchester’s most ambitious founders and business leaders.

Where we share the journeys, achievements, and insights of our outstanding members who are shaping their industries.

Bradley Tooth

From working with some of the UK’s biggest brands, such as O2 and Sage, Brad is the founder of You Know Who Digital.

Learn more about Brad

Danyal Khan

After a decade in top-tier banking and corporate advisory roles, Danyal now owns a boutique debt advisory firm dedicated to helping founder-led businesses access the funding they need to scale.

Learn more about Danyal

Vivian Ho

Vivian seamlessly blends high-tech beauty treatments, frontline healthcare training, and a serial entrepreneur’s drive.

Learn more about Vivian

Hayley Grainger

Hayley’s business sits at the intersection of high-level business support and personal concierge. It’s a rare blend of precision, practicality and people skills — and it’s growing fast.

Learn more about Hayley

John Duckworth

With a decade in high-level leadership, John is a hands-on developer – bug fixing, refactoring code, and supporting a global dev team and aspirations for creating his own social skills company.

Learn more about John

Riaz Kala

Riaz Kala, a Chartered Accountant and co-lead of the fast-growing accountancy firm Kala Atkinson, a tech-led practice with offices in London, Manchester and Wigan.

Learn more about Riaz

Gary Oxborough

Gary has built Barlow Irvin, a mortgage brokerage, from the ground up to a team of seven – and is now focusing on how we can transition from business operator to business owner.

Learn more about Gary

Stephen Jeffares

Stephen is an Associate Professor in Public Policy and published author, with a passion for exploring the impacts of AI, particularly in the public sector.

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Josh Keegan

Josh is a chartered accountant turned founder, Amazon best-selling author and speaker, who is quietly revolutionising how seven-figure entrepreneurs think about their finances.

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Ben Hepworth

Ben Hepworth, owner of GoFounder, provides a unique accountability and productivity service for solo founders, especially those with ADHD.

Learn more about Ben

Tony Clayson

Having spent 30 years as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Tony has transitioned into the world of medico-legal helping legal teams and courts navigate complex injury claims.

Learn more about Tony

Richard Caddock

A creative at heart, Richard is navigating the tricky balance between artistry and entrepreneurship as he looks to scale his operations.

Learn more about Richard

Cat Tomlinson

Cat Tomlinson, is the founder of two businesses, where she’s helping young people experience life-changing travel opportunities while carving out a unique space in a competitive industry.

Learn more about Cat

Charley Brennand

A true powerhouse in the world of paid media, Charley is proving that bold ideas, persistence, and a little bit of chaos can lead to extraordinary things.

Learn more about Charley

Adam Calderwood

From starting out fixing diggers to running a successful recruitment firm, Adam’s journey is a testament to hard work and adaptability.

Learn more about Adam

Emma Trimble

Emma brings years of experience in PR and media relations, helping brands craft compelling narratives and secure high-impact press coverage for household names like wilko, Printworks, Magnet Kitchens and more.

Learn more about Emma

Nele van Hout

Nele started a personal blog back in 2017 which since has grown into a thriving business, with over 3 million readers last year alone she now runs a dedicated travel platform for all things Japan travel related.

Learn more about Nele

Donna Dean

Change is inevitable, but managing it effectively is a different challenge – an area Donna specialises in, helping organisations navigate legislative shifts, service redesign, and operational improvements.

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Mike Richard

From a casual meetup in a Wetherspoons to a fully-fledged community interest company, Mike’s organisation, Talk About It Mate, has grown into one of vital importance.

Learn more about Mike

Ric Effio

Ric’s built a solid business from the ground up, focusing not just on numbers, but on building genuine, lasting relationships with clients.

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Josh Foulkes

Josh is a founder in the energy and infrastructure space, helping business secure top leadership talent – all whilst creating his own team of talented high performers.

Learn more about Josh

Olly Silver

With over a decade in SaaS, Olly is building a scalable outbound marketing business – focusing on strategy, automation, execution and, more importantly, results.

Learn more about Olly

Sam Hope

Sam completed a management buyout and is now steering a team of over 60 people, navigating international expansion, and redefining leadership on her own terms.

Learn more about Sam

Dave Callan

With 20 years experience in marketing, holding senior roles in some of the biggest brands in the world like Manchester United and Team Sky, Dave has set out to help other business leaders achieve their potential.

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Lewis Kemp

From starting a business with no safety net to scaling brands into the millions, Lewis is one of Greater Manchester’s top marketing experts.

Learn more about Lewis

Kate Burt

Kate’s journey from solicitor to entrepreneur is one of ambition, resilience, and strategic growth – as she targets growth from £1m to £10m.

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Rob Balderstone

Working closely with founders, Rob has rare and invaluable experience as a Product Manager, bridging the gap between technology, business, and user experience.

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Diane Pagan

Having sold of 200,000 units in over 100 countries, Di combines her passion with a purpose of empowering children worldwide.

Learn more about Diane

Matt Mawdesley

With a prior career in banking, venture capital, and fintech, Matt is leading the charge in digitising the specialist lending market – a space long overdue for innovation.

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Adam Marsh

Adam is a prime example of a high-performing entrepreneur balancing two ventures – one a well-established data analytics business and the other a high potential startup in its early stages.

Learn more about Adam

Colin Gray

With clients nationwide, Colin and his team of structural engineers are focused on helping clients deliver amazing outcomes.

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Rachael Walsh

Recruiter turned SaaS founder, Rachael, is on a mission to the change game on employability through her vision, hard work and resilience.

Learn more about Rachael

David Newman

Following the exit of his first FinTech business, David has set an ambitious target of £7 billion loan book within seven years for his latest venture.

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Kate Lo

Kate Lo stands out as someone whose career is built on nuance, language, and connection.

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Chris Townsend

Chris and his company, What Media, are at the forefront of redefining video production alongside a revolutionary marketing SaaS business.

Learn more about Chris

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