Change Makers: Leadership, Good Business, Ideas and Innovation

<div>Michael Hayman sits down with Robert White, CEO of Brabners and co-chair of True North, to explore how purpose-led, independent businesses are driving a new era of northern ambition. Robert reflects on the power of collaboration, devolution and long-term thinking to unlock the North’s full potential, and shares why the region's entrepreneurial energy continues to inspire him.</div>

<div>In this special series of Change Makers, host Michael Hayman meets the business owners delivering positive impact for their people, their communities and the northern economy: leaders driving growth in unexpected places and sectors, nurturing skills for the future, leveraging innovation strategies, investing in nature, and fostering inclusive social change.<br> <br> A&amp;E doctor-turned-entrepreneur Ed Lynch explains how years on the NHS frontline pushed him to create a longevity platform to prevent chronic disease. He discusses navigating family scepticism, an accidental breakthrough with CBRE, and his ambition to take Northern-led preventative healthcare global.</div>

<div>In this special series of Change Makers, host Michael Hayman meets the business owners delivering positive impact for their people, their communities and the northern economy: leaders driving growth in unexpected places and sectors, nurturing skills for the future, leveraging innovation strategies, investing in nature, and fostering inclusive social change.<br> <br> Michelle Laithwaite built FuelHub with her husband James to solve a problem in their own home: clean, high-protein meals without the prep. She talks about launching while eight months pregnant, the huge COVID-driven surge, earning trust from elite athletes and fans nationwide, and why authenticity, provenance and Northern identity are central to the brand’s success.</div>

<div>In this special series of Change Makers, host Michael Hayman meets the business owners delivering positive impact for their people, their communities and the northern economy: leaders driving growth in unexpected places and sectors, nurturing skills for the future, leveraging innovation strategies, investing in nature, and fostering inclusive social change.<br> <br> In this episode, Entrepreneur and early-years specialist Anita Frost shares how her under-fives character Green Bean is helping children learn, play and switch off from screens. She reflects on building an IP brand from Manchester during the pandemic, the power of dyslexia in her entrepreneurial journey, and winning KPMG’s Black Entrepreneurs Award.</div>

<div>In this special series of Change Makers, host Michael Hayman meets the business owners delivering positive impact for their people, their communities and the northern economy: leaders driving growth in unexpected places and sectors, nurturing skills for the future, leveraging innovation strategies, investing in nature, and fostering inclusive social change.<br> <br> In this episode, Oonagh Simms, Founder of the Marshmallowist, shares how her story began training as a chocolatier in Paris. From a Portobello market stall to Harvey Nichols, Vogue and a move back to Leeds, she explains the craft and chemistry behind luxury marshmallows, working with her sister, and why flavour layering is redefining modern confectionery.</div>