Supporting community business leaders to develop and grow their leadership skills and their organisations.

Christabell is a business and third-sector consultant with 15 years of experience. She has helped over 800 individuals and 148 organisations develop entrepreneurial aspirations, leadership qualities, strategic thinking, operational capacity, and financial resilience. Her expertise ranges from chief executive roles to project management, business and enterprise consultant. She has led a thriving charity that has operated for twelve years with a proven track record of creating impact in deprived and minoritised communities. Christabell is currently undertaking PhD Research at Coventry University investigating Black-led community businesses and their significance to economic regeneration.

Steve is a community practitioner who has supported social enterprises and charities through asset transfer, business planning, and income generation, as well as provided training and senior consultancy on asset management governance, policy and process. As a person of dual heritage, Steve holds a passion and professional interest in equity and equality and has extensive experience supporting refugees & people seeking asylum and Black and minoritised communities achieve their goals, ambitions and find a home in the local community.

Thomas Beale is a freelance social enterprise advisor with over 12 years’ experience supporting businesses and community projects to match their values and aspirations for social change with a strategy that supports rather than compromises their aspirations. He has worked for many years at the heart of community businesses, including cofounding Bristol Energy Coop, acting as Finance Director for Coexist CIC and the National Centre for Integrative Medicine, and led fundraising for Bristol’s successful partnership bid to the Climate Action Fund. Thomas is also a member of Ecomotive where he is supporting PEC Homes to develop 40 net-zero EnergieSprong homes in Plymouth. Thomas lives on the edge of Dartmoor where his family are rewilding 18 acres of land and developing a nature connection retreat centre.

Al Kennedy works as an independent innovation consultant, qualified leadership coach and business mentor – supporting social and environmentally focussed entrepreneurs. As a founder of design agencies and tech education companies in both London and Bristol, he offers a unique combination of strategic creative insight, commercial focus and rigour – bringing over 25 years of hands-on experience to support businesses. He also believes that whatever the question, nature has an answer.

Nigel has worked in the environment sector for over 20 years in a variety of roles focussing on environmental strategies, plans and performance data. He is experienced in environmental auditing and is a chartered environmentalist and fellow member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. Nigel has been involved in the co-operative and community enterprise sector for nearly 10 years as a director and treasurer of the Fox and Goose co-operative pub in Hebden Bridge and Director of 241 Co-operators Ltd, a co-operative and community business development body. He is a trustee of two charities: a local community association and WYCAS.