Conversations at the Summit

In this episode of Conversations at the Summit, we explore what it really means to lead, on the field, in business, and everywhere in between.

If you’ve ever wondered how lessons from elite sport translate into building thriving teams in the workplace, this conversation is for you.

Tanya Arnold welcomes Tony Smith, legendary rugby league coach turned business mentor, who shares what it takes to unlock potential, nurture culture, and build teams that go the distance.

Tony opens up about his journey from rugby league to the banking world and beyond, showing ho...

What does it take to grow a business at speed - without compromising your values?

Richard Flint has lived the answer. As former CEO of Sky Betting & Gaming, he helped transform the business from a lean, ambitious team, into one of the UK’s leading tech-driven betting brands - all while staying grounded in culture and conscience.

In this candid conversation with Tanya Arnold and Gordon Bateman, Richard reflects on what he learned during Sky Bet’s rapid rise, and how he’s now using that experience to invest in the next generation of Northern entrep...

What does it really mean to lead with purpose in your career, your company, and your community?

Annabel Tonge has been answering that question for years. As a Director at Q5, she’s helped businesses across the globe sharpen their purpose and boost their organisational health. But her own journey has been just as intentional.

Annabel joins Tanya Arnold and Gordon Bateman to unpack:

· Why purpose isn’t a destination, it’s a lifelong evolution

· How Q5 pivoted fast during COVID-19, and why some of those changes stuck

· The cultural...

Being a founder often isn’t a choice, it’s a drive. Just ask Rishi Kapoor, whose journey from the film industry to the startup world is anything but ordinary.

In this episode Rishi shares the story behind his leap into entrepreneurship, the challenges of securing funding, and the emotional rollercoaster of building, and selling, a business. Now leading North AI, Rishi is at the cutting edge, blending artificial intelligence with neuroscience to revolutionise content creation.

With insights into the founder mindset and a growing passion for the North’s startup ecosystem, Rishi brings experience, energy...

This is a very special edition of Conversations at the Summit – Live from the Summit stage at Climb25 with Tanya and Gordon!

This episode has an exclusive and HUGE announcement from two of the biggest funds in the north, Par Equity and Praetura Ventures. This is massive news for anyone looking for investment, hit play now to find out how it’s going to benefit you! Giles Moore from Par Equity and Ben Davies from Praetura Ventures tell us all about it.

Professional Sport Watcher Peter Hutton talks about the evolving landscape of sports broadcasting.

Climb25 is only six days away, and we’re so excited for everyone to experience this years’ event.

It’s set to be a year to remember and in this episode Tanya catches up with Climb25’s organisers Gordon Bateman and Pilar Rubio.

We get a real insight into how the festival is put together, how much it means to the team behind it and glimpses of what’s in store.

Do not miss this episode if you want to find out:

Finding the right investor for your company, or indeed finding the right company to invest in, is full of pitfalls and can be full of frustrations.

This is where Mark Bernstein and his company Diligentsia comes in, think of it like speed dating for investors and start-ups. After a bad experience as an angel investor, he and his co-founder decided there must be a better way.

Diligentsia is a low-cost AI-powered SaaS platform designed to give SMEs easy to use growth tools, making it more straightforward to find funding, grow or to make a successful...

What does data have to do with diversity, entrepreneurship, and changing the game for underrepresented founders? A lot, if you’re Cecil Adjalo.

Cecil is the Co-Founder and COO of Foundervine, an organisation reshaping how large corporates engage with diverse, early-stage entrepreneurs. His unconventional journey, from aspiring med student to data-driven leader, is fuelled by purpose and determination.

In this candid conversation with Tanya and Gordon, Cecil shares:

Startups are fast, messy, and thrilling, and Jodie Miller dove in headfirst. Now, at just 29, she’s an Investment Manager at Beringea, supporting the deployment of c.$900m in venture and growth capital across 60+ companies in the UK and US.

But how do you go from curious intern to decision-maker in the boardroom, before hitting 30?

In this episode, Jodie joins Tanya Arnold and Gordon Bateman to talk about:

· Climbing to the top as the youngest in the room

· Why youth is a strength in investment

· How binge-watching business shows kicks...

Is social impact just a nice-to-have or the real foundation of sustainable growth?

In this episode, Tanya Arnold and Gordon Bateman sit down with Paula Chamberlain, Head of Social Impact at ClimbUK, to explore how purpose, people, and pink microphones are reshaping how we define success.

Paula shares why investing in your community isn’t just good ethics - it’s smart strategy. From boosting local talent to embedding impact in every business model, this conversation unpacks how ClimbUK is putting social value front and centre - and why your business should too.

List...

Leadership isn’t just about titles, corner offices, or climbing the corporate ladder - it’s about impact. And according to Chris Roebuck, too many leaders make it to the top… without ever learning how to truly lead.

In this episode of Conversations at the Summit, host Tanya Arnold and side-kick Gordon Bateman sit down with Chris Roebuck, former military officer and founder of Simply Success, who’s spent over 35 years transforming founders, CEOs, and senior leaders into high-impact decision-makers.

Chris doesn’t teach theory. He delivers battle-tested leadership strategies forged in military operations and refined in...

From the lab to the marketplace, science and innovation shape our everyday lives. This episode explores how deeptech founders can navigate the complex path of turning bold ideas into thriving businesses.

Meet Victoria Garcia – molecular designer, entrepreneur, and relentless innovator – who’s created a game-changing biodegradable glue that can transform everything from your kitchen table to your takeout packaging.

But this isn’t just a story about science. It’s about resilience, risk, and reinvention. Victoria takes us on her journey across Europe, through academic obstacles, crushing setbacks, and a comeback story powered by purpose.

Along...

Sometimes, one person’s decision to care can change everything.

Andy Howarth isn’t in it for recognition or profit. After careers in the police and the legal world, he chose a different path, one rooted in compassion. Through setting up the Howarth Foundation, Andy helps people facing homelessness find stable work, rebuild their confidence, and reconnect with society.

There are no shortcuts, no easy answers. But what the Foundation does offer is something powerful: a real chance.

In this episode, we also meet Carl Hedley, who knows exactly what that chance means. Once...

Getting investment into your idea and making it a success is hard. So how do you actually get investors on board, scale smart, and make noise in a crowded market?

This week, Tanya and Gordon sit down with James Sutherland, the visionary founder & CEO of Autonomo Technologies, the AI-powered game-changer shaking up retail. Autonomo’s cutting-edge system allows stores to run without staff, unlocking high-tech convenience in places traditional retail just couldn’t go.

From his early days at Mars Inc. to building multimillion-dollar food factories, and now leading a great retail tech startup, James brin...

In this episode, Tanya and Gordon sit down with Andrew Jenkins, coach, speaker, and former contestant on BBC’s The Traitors, to talk about the long and often difficult path to self-understanding.

Buckle up for an unforgettable conversation with Andrew Jenkins, coach, mentor, speaker, and star of BBC’s The Traitors, whose journey from rock bottom to radical self-love will leave you inspired and energised.

As a young man, Andrew survived a devastating car crash that set off a life-altering chain reaction: a career in insurance, a decades-long battle with mental health, national TV fame, and...

Breaking into the NHS, the world’s largest publicly funded healthcare system, can feel like scaling a mountain, especially for healthtech companies from outside the UK. But what if you had a guide who not only knew the terrain but helped shape the path?

Enter Dace Dimza-Jones, a powerhouse at the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, where she serves as a National Life Sciences Inward Investment Specialist. Her mission? To help global businesses navigate the complex NHS landscape, bring groundbreaking innovations to the UK, and connect with the right partners to make it all...

Turning a great idea into a successful product is not an easy or straightforward task, but Michael Crinnion is one entrepreneur who has been there and done that.

Michael is the founder of Mind Body Goals, and their ethos is based on 'Wellness by Design' - creating beautifully designed products that integrate proven wellness techniques into daily life to help foster healthy habits.

His latest product, Luma³ Go, helps people combat anxiety through guided breathing. Using light and haptics, his mission with this design is to bring the power of your own breath to help c...

Your business is only as strong as the relationships you build. So how can you truly understand your clients' needs and deliver what they want?

In this episode, Tanya Arnold sits down with Alex Fogal, Partner at EY, who leads their Private Business across the North of England as well as leading the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year UK programme. With over 20 years of experience helping founders and CEOs scale their businesses, Alex shares her approach to fostering long-term client relationships, navigating the shift from a PLC to a partnership, and how her background on stage still...

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has been in the headlines a lot in recent weeks. But have you ever stopped to consider the socio-economic diversity of your organisation, or the benefits a diverse workforce could bring?

Kathryn Eastwood is Director of Income and Employer Partnerships at EY Foundation. They're a charity who are committed to driving social mobility through programme delivery for young people, working with businesses to drive long term change, and harnessing emerging technology to ensure the future of work is inclusive.

She specifically works with business leaders to help embed social mobility...

Getting and keeping the right people into your business is hard, but that's exactly what Kim Wedral is an expert in.

Kim is a Partner and Head of Employment Innovate at Mishcon de Reya. She helps innovation focused organisations, from start-up and as they scale, with their global talent strategy and employment law needs. In short, she helps you to get the best from the people who work for you and to strategically manage people related risks.

Kim is also a member of the International Bar Association and is recognised as a Leading Partner within...

What Nicky Dibben doesn't know about deeptech commercialisation and marketing isn't worth knowing.

If there’s one person who knows how to take cutting-edge deeptech innovations from the lab to the market, it’s Nicky. She started her business, Invention Marketing, 25 years ago and her mission is to help deeptech start-ups get their heads around market strategy and successfully getting products to market in the real world. As well as her consultancy practice, Nicky is a mentor on several accelerator programmes.

In this episode, host Tanya Arnold chats to Nicky about:

Hazel Savage is the Ex-CEO & CO-FOUNDER of Musiio, an AI driven tool to help the music industry catalogue music. She sold that company to Soundcloud in 2022.

She is now an Angel Investor but has her roots in punk rock and music shops, which led to a 15-year career in the music tech industry.

Hazel travels globally speaking at conferences and talking to catalogue owners about the value of artificial intelligence.

Host, Tanya Arnold speaks to her about:

You may have heard about ClimbUK, but who are they and why does ClimbUK exist?

In this episode, host Tanya Arnold speaks to Gordon Bateman, he is the founder and CEO of ClimbUK. His passion is all about enhancing the UK’s innovation and investment landscape, He also founded Investor Ladder, which is now one of the country’s largest networks of equity investors.

She also talks to Pilar Rubio. She is deeply immersed in the worlds of Healthtech, Business Development and Consultancy. She is also Sales Growth & Intelligence Manager at Investor Ladder and ClimbUK.

Conversations at the Summit is a brand new podcast by ClimbUK. Each week Tanya Arnold and her trusty sidekick, Gordon Bateman, Founder and CEO of ClimbUK, will be talking to some of the biggest minds from the world of business.

Whether you're a CEO, investor, business leader, or founder seeking investment, honing your skills, or staying ahead of industry trends, this podcast has something for you.

Don't expect industry jargon, this is a straight talking, no-nonsense look at four main areas of business:

Weekly episodes will be available from 6th March 2025...