The ‘Built to Rise’ accelerator, delivered by The Whole Point and sponsored by Lloyds, Mills & Reeve, and Bruntwood Sci-Tech, announces its second cohort of high-growth female leaders, plus a fantastic programme of mentors, workshops, and facilitators.
Built to Rise
Built to Rise is a growth accelerator for women-led businesses in West Yorkshire. Applications are encouraged from organisations employing 10 or more people, with £1+ million turnover in the last 12 months.
There are over 8,000 women-led businesses in Leeds, but fewer than 100 exceed £2 million in annual revenue. (August 2026 data from The Whole Point’s data partner, The Data City).
The Built to Rise programme is designed by female leaders who have ‘been there, done that’ and aims to give female leaders the tools, connections, and confidence required to grow their business, secure funding, and increase revenue.
Built to Rise returns in 2026 after a successful inaugural programme in 2025. 2025’s cohort praised the accelerator for its relevance, resonance, and delivery; workshops on AI and Future Technologies and Legacy and Long-Term Vision scored particularly highly, both receiving 4.9/5 from accelerator participants.
Juliet Ralph, CEO & Co-Founder of Robinson Ralph, of the Built to Rise 2025 cohort, says: “Since the accelerator finished, we’ve smashed through the £1 million revenue barrier — there’s lots going on in the business, but I’d certainly attribute some of that success to the programme.”
Unveiling Built to Rise 2026
This year’s cohort includes nine brilliant female leaders from West Yorkshire:
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Viviana Baker – Managing Director, James Wilby Group
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Emma Harvey – Founder and Managing Director, Candid HR
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Jo Hollows – Head of Finance and Operations, Intuitive Business Intelligence Ltd
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Abigail Holt – Director, Holtex Limited
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Shannon Martin – CEO, Dotty Bridal
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Elly Nettleton – Co-Founder, Boost Talent
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Georgina Parkin – Managing Director and co-owner, Truth Legal
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Hazel Plummer – General Manager, 3D Productions Ltd
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Yvonne Stocks – Founder and CEO, Palm Cove Society
The Whole Point is proud to share that the following experts have signed up as programme mentors:
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Ciara Allen – Global Chief Financial Officer, Principle
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Lesley Beach – Group Managing Director, Splash About International Ltd
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Jacqui Hall – Non-Executive Board Member and Trustee at Horticap
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Vikki Jackon-Smith – Managing Director at J&B Recycling Ltd
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Dirk Mischendahl – Founder, Northern Bloc and Playful Ltd
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Sara Parker – Fractional COO and Founder, Teal Compass
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Josie Richardson – Non-Executive Director/Board Member and Founder of Accomplish Ltd
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Christine Smith – Non-Executive Director and Business Advisor
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Rachel Swann – Growth Specialist and Founder of Rachel Swann Advisory Ltd
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Karen Tyrrell – Director, That.There.T-Shirt Consulting
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Liz Whitefield – Co-Founder and Executive Director, Hippo
The cohort will meet at Bruntwood Sci-Tech’s Platform venue and the Lloyds Corporate Hub for six in-person, deep-dive workshops and ‘lunch and learns’ across twelve weeks.
Sessions will focus on leveraging personal leadership strengths (using the Strengthscope® exercise), teams and board building, mission and vision, agility and strategy, exit plans, and harnessing AI. Facilitators include Wendy Ramshaw, Mark Roberts, Vanessa Walton, Zandra Moore MBE, and Lisa Lister. Liz Whitefield, Aman Chahal, Sarah Pittendrigh, and Anna Sutton will join as ‘lunch and learn’ guests.
The accelerator concludes on November 30th with a graduation event.
“There’s no shortage of ambitious women building serious companies in the Leeds City Region. What has been missing is the right support at the point that they’re ready to scale,” explains Zandra Moore MBE, co-founder of The Whole Point and facilitator on the Built to Rise programme.
“Year one told us everything we need to know: that talent was never the gap and that this accelerator model works. This year, nine women leading high-growth businesses across Leeds City Region join our second cohort and I can’t wait to see what they build.”
Built to Rise 2026 is made possible with the generous support of Lloyds, Mills & Reeve, and Bruntwood Sci-Tech.
About The Whole Point:
The Whole Point is a UK-wide, government-aligned initiative aimed at increasing the flow of capital to high-growth, women-led businesses. Backed by Lloyds, and working alongside data partner, The Data City, The Whole Point moves beyond performative allyship and well-intentioned gestures, prioritising data, ecosystems, and collective action to drive meaningful economic change.
The Whole Point operates five regional boards in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, and Newcastle. Find out more at www.thewholepoint.co.uk
