Founders left this week’s FUEL Manchester event feeling energised by a series of refreshingly honest masterclass sessions full of practical advice.
The fourth edition of the annual event combines two events in one and took place on Wednesday, the day of John Healey’s first Budget, at No.1 and No.2 Circle Square in the city centre.
Following a morning breakfast panel discussion featuring 12 speakers – including rugby league legend Shaun Wane – FUEL put together 40 founders, leaders and experts across a series of masterclasses covering funding, growth planning, people & performance, and AI & technology.
Held under the Chatham House Rule, the masterclasses gave founders the opportunity to ask questions, share challenges and receive practical advice from experienced business leaders.
Natalia Szychulska is the founder of Regvo, based in Oldham, a new business which provides medical device regulatory training, documentation support and guidance on product classification and compliance pathways.
“I thought FUEL Manchester was brilliant! I honestly didn’t realise opportunities like this existed for people building and growing their businesses,” she said afterwards. “I gained the most practical insights from the growth planning session. I really appreciated how open and approachable the experts were.
“One of my biggest takeaways was actually how much you can learn simply by listening to other founders. It wasn’t just about asking questions specific to my own business, but hearing the challenges others were facing, recognising how similar some of them were to my own, and learning different ways to approach them.
“That was genuinely eye-opening and something I’ll take forward as I continue growing Regvo.”
The growth planning sessions were chaired by Stephen Dootson, a business advisor and growth specialist at GM Business Growth Hub who praised the “fast-moving and informative” event and cited Ram Gupta, founder of Nybble.co.uk, as an “excellent expert panellist” .
Dootson added: “It was like chairing Dragons’ Den!”
Hannah Smith, 26, recently appointed MD at Red Rock, spoke on the breakfast panel and was among the masterclass cohort. “The masterclasses afterwards were brilliant. They provided a great opportunity to get into detail, ask specific questions and discuss challenges across four areas.
“It was really valuable to be able to ask questions relevant to your own business and take away ideas to think about. The highlight for me was meeting so many inspiring people, sharing experiences and making new connections.
“It was definitely a reminder of how much value comes from getting people in a room, having open conversations and learning from each other.”
Terry Simmons is CEO of eLearning Plus, a Manchester business founded in 2011 which is behind the ZANDA360 learning management platform, compliance and CPD tracking, staff development tools and bespoke digital training courses.
“I came away with some fantastic connections, ideas I could act on straight away and others that have given me plenty to think about. In all honesty, I sometimes find these events cover familiar ground without offering much practical value. This felt like a breath of fresh air, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone running a business.
“The masterclasses were the most useful part for me. They gave us the opportunity to ask questions about issues directly affecting our own businesses. It wasn’t just the panellists who contributed, either. There were some great insights and suggestions from other cohort members, people who are at the sharp end of running a business themselves.
“[The biggest takeaway for me] was the discussion around ‘volume versus margin’. As we’re launching a new SaaS learning portal, it was helpful to explore different approaches to generating sales.”
Laura Harrison, who founded online tuition platform Education Lifeguards in Rochdale in 2020, reflected: “I absolutely loved it – it was a chance to meet like-minded individuals who have a range of strengths and expertise that you wouldn’t come across on a day-to-day basis.
“The workshops really got me to reflect on the best strategy for my business… traction first – funding after.”
Sid Sethi (pictured below, right), founder & MD at Bury eyewear startup Specscart – which has surpassed £5 million in turnover eight years in – described FUEL Manchester as “a refreshing reminder that the most useful founder conversations are often the most honest ones”.
“The roundtable masterclasses created a space where people could speak openly about what is working, what is difficult and what they would do differently. I left with a simple thought for Specscart: businesses grow faster when founders stop trying to solve every problem alone and build the right people and relationships around them.”
Samantha Fay is CEO of SiSU Health, founded in Manchester in 2014 and which provides self-service health screening kiosks and digital tools that help employers, public bodies and healthcare partners measure health risks and support preventative care.
“FUEL Manchester created space for the conversations you rarely get time for when you’re running a growing business,” she said after joining the cohort. “My favourite part was the honesty about what growth actually demands of you as a leader. It’s something I think about a lot at SiSU Health: how you deliver today while building the business for tomorrow.”
Fergal O’Connor, founder and CEO of AI‑powered advertising platform Buymedia, was among the AI & technology masterclass experts and also spoke on the breakfast panel.
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O’Connor (pictured above, left), a star of our Northern Leaders and Founder 250 lists, chose to expand the Irish firm into the UK from Manchester rather than London. It has been ranked as the fourth-fastest-growing tech company in Ireland, and 73rd in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“FUEL Manchester was a really vibrant event, with great energy in the room from start to finish,” he said. “What stood out most was the openness and honesty of the founders and how engaged the audience was.
“The conversations were real. Rather than founders showcasing their success stories, it was about sharing ideas, challenges and lessons learned, and offering practical suggestions and solutions to each other’s problems.”
“Coming just ahead of the Budget, there was a lot of discussion about what it might bring and how it could affect businesses, and it’s encouraging to see measures like Founders’ Relief now on the table to support those looking to scale. That spirit of collaboration is so important, and it’s what helps businesses across all sectors not just survive, but thrive.
“It was a privilege to join the panel and share the Buymedia story, but the masterclasses were the real highlight for me. Sitting down with founders, hearing the problems they’re facing first-hand and working through real, practical solutions together was hugely rewarding.
“So many of the conversations came back to the same challenges which pointed to reaching the right audiences, improving engagement and turning that into sales. Helping with those challenges directly made the day especially valuable, with new connections made and conversations already set to continue.”
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Marc Balduin is the co-founder and CEO of Mancunian Brands, which develops, sources, manufactures and distributes consumer wellness brands.
“It was a great experience, from the networking in the morning and the panels through to the masterclasses. It was very well organised and well worth attending,” he reflected.
“The advice that stuck with me most came from Gabriel [Erinle, founder of Game FM] and the various discussion parts during the masterclass cohorts, and it resonates with me personally too: you have to get yourself out there and represent and present your business, no matter how uncomfortable it feels at the beginning.
“In the end, nobody will come and find you if you’re hiding.”
Sheena Adam, director of Bury-based Children First Family Mediation, founded in 2010, said: “It was great to hear from so many successful businesses about how to grow and develop. My takeaway was to be bold, confident and not be afraid to make mistakes.”
The event was sponsored by GM Business Growth Hub, S&W and IT firm Nybble.co.uk, and supported by Bruntwood SciTech.
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