Connect Over A Cuppa

Organised by North Yorkshire Council, and supported by their Growth Managers, these free monthly sessions spark new ideas, opportunities for collaboration with other like minded companies, and highlight opportunities for funding support and new business opportunities.

With a key theme every month and guest experts, ranging from Marketing and Sales, through to Managing Team Performance, Strategy, Improving IT, AI, Legal and Finance, we cover the business issues that matter most.

At every session, delegates also have the chance to meet our Harrogate based Growth Manager, Michael Reynolds, to discuss any funding or learning support.

What's more, after every Connect Session, we also offer a free Peer to Peer session, where business owners/leaders can share their opportunities and challenges together, and develop fast & effective solutions. The free Peer sessions run from 11.30am to 1.00pm - just let us know when you sign up.

When are they?

2025 - Next Events: monthly - every third Thursday;

21st August - Building a Business with Purpose: The Carymor Journey with Misha Jetha

What does it take to build a business rooted in nature, resilience, and radical hope for the planet?

At this special Connect Over A Cuppa session, meet Misha Jetha from Carymor, a pioneering Welsh enterprise transforming the way we think about food, farming, and sustainability.

From launching a community-backed crowdfunding campaign to bringing seaweed and shellfish farming back to life in the Ramsey Sound, St David's, Carymors' story is one of deep purpose and bold experimentation. Carymor isn’t just about sustainable aquaculture — it’s about restoring balance between people and planet.

Now, they’re breaking ground again — exploring the use of bio-fertilisers as a natural alternative to industrial farming inputs. It's not easy. But that’s what makes this story worth sharing.

Come and hear how one small business is daring to do things differently — by working with nature, not against it. Misha will take us behind the scenes: the risks, the learning curves, and the vision that keeps them going.

If you're a small business owner with big dreams and even bigger challenges, this story will remind you that meaningful change starts small — and grows from there.

☕ Bring your cup. Bring your questions. Leave with inspiration.

18th September - Performance Lighting: 12 Months On – Real Business Growth, Real Lessons

After an inspiring presentation last year, Matt Walker, Joint Managing Director of Performance Lighting, returns to share what’s happened since.

In the past 12 months, the business has changed significantly. Matt will talk candidly about the challenges they faced, the results they achieved, and what the future holds.

Join us for a fresh, honest look at how one business turned strategy into success—and what they learned along the way.

16th October - TBC

20th November - TBC

18th December - TBC

Past Events

14th November - Welcomes Chris Black, MD of Leeds based Sound Leisure. Chris, who is also President of Leeds Chamber of Commerce, is going to take us on a fascinating journey into the world of music, or more importantly jukeboxes... manufactured in Yorkshire since 1978. Not just a story about UK manufacturing, it's a journey of innovation, resilience, leadership, exporting, expanding into new markets and more.

19th December - Will introduce Paul Cogan, Collaborative CEO, from Bettys & Taylors Group. It's hard to live in Yorkshire... and not be aware of Bettys! Whether it's a Fat Rascal or afternoon tea, it's an institution. But there's a lot more to this company than meets the eye. Hear about their approach to growing and maintaining their brand, how they manage quality, recruiting/training and retaining amazing teams, and their approach to sustainable supply chains. Oh... and why they have 4 CEO's!

On the theme of supply chain & sustainability, we've also got an optional 30 minute session afterwards (11.30am to 12) , welcoming Harvey Radcliffe from Carbonmark, who's going to tell us 'why carbon matters,' and highlight the raft of opportunities available if we manage carbon more effectively!

16th January - SPECIALLY EXTENDED SESSSION. 9.00 for 9.30am start, with a 12.00 finish. our first Connect event in 2025 brings us a special session on Curiosity, Connection, Inspiration, then Growth. Award winner, Valentina Hynes, will be talking us through the power of thinking differently... and the impact it can have on our business, how we see opportunities, and ourselves. Expect a good bit of left-field thinking.

20th February - Although we’ve had a wide range of companies sharing their business journeys at Connect, this will be a first in terms of machinery and transport manufacturing.

Damian Walsh, Chief Commercial officer at WRAITH Defence, will be giving us an overview of the challenges involved with the design, manufacture and assembly of advanced tactical and armoured vehicles for the defence and law enforcement industries.

This kind of manufacturing brings a whole set of challenges, from supply chain management, through to quality systems, exporting, skills recruitment, and the ever changing world of defence, and adapting products to suit different threats.

Damian will talk us through these challenges and more, shedding a light on what it takes to be a quality UK manufacturer on the global stage.

25th February - EXTRA SPECIAL EVENT - LEEDS SITE VISIT - Sound & Leisure. On the back of an excellent session from Chris Black, MD of Leeds based Sound & Leisure in 2024, we've organised an open morning 10am to 12.30 at their amazing Leeds based factory (nr Crossgates). This is a great opportunity to see how their fabulous jukeboxes are made, and hear more about the challenges of being a local manufacturer, with international sales reach. Spaces are limited. You need to provide your own transport.

20th March -Just how do ideas turn into action? Whether it's that amazing innovative product/service idea, a new business start up, or solving a problem... and creating your own charity or social enterprise.

This month, we've got 3 amazing speakers, all with a different story to tell about how they turned their ideas in action, and the lessons they learned along the way. Welcome to Oz Harbottle from Svalinn Protection Technologies, Dawn Simmons from Cathedral Safety and Cat from Seagulls Reuse Ltd.

It's a great opportunity to hear first hand about how people have tapped into their skills, supporters and turned ideas into reality. Expect technology, insights into funding, leadership, innovation and creativity.

17th April - “Leading Beyond Sustainability – six aspirations for a brighter future.”

Join us for a fascinating session and book launch on the subject of Purposeful Leadership, with Clive Wilson, a former Coach with Primeast in Harrogate.

We have reached a point where people are largely numb to the ever-present news of threat after threat, challenge after challenge. But many people are ready to welcome some good news and inspiration. It’s time for leaders to tell a different story, beyond sustainability.

The key question: Are you and your organisation playing your most significant part in an exciting journey to a radically brighter future? And are you and other leaders telling that story with enthusiasm?

Expect some great questions, insights, and ideas to energise your business and leadership.

15th May - "Peer to Peer: Solving problems and maximising opportunities"

Many of us will agree a problem shared is a problem halved, but how about an opportunity?

Whatever your business challenge, bring it to Connect Over A Cuppa in Harrogate on May 15th, and join up to 40 other business owners in solving them.

Peer to Peer support, where business colleagues work in groups to help you solve your business problems, and maximise opportunities are high impact, engaging and proven to work.

19th June - Ideas into action. Two great speakers: Aimee from Graze Maids and Rosalind from Atlantic Escapade.

Turning ideas into action, then into a business takes a lot of skill, determination and vision. This month we will be hearing from Aimee, as she sets her new business up, The Graze Maids. Hear about her first steps, initial customer wins, and how belief in her skills and passion led her to this business and change in career direction.

Rosalind has a very different journey to share, one that involving with her partner across the Atlantic, and has since taken her to Oxford, where she is an environmental manager and business-engagement strategist at Oxford Net Zero.

Combining her experience, she’ll talk us through how 46 days in the open ocean gave her the clarity and skills to refocus her professional efforts to drive meaningful environmental action.

Perfect for SMEs ready to lead with intention, tenacity, and impact.

Towards the end of the session, we will also be welcoming Phil Whild, Emergency Planning Manager for North Yorkshire Council. Phil will give us a brief insight into robust business continuity practices for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) throughout North Yorkshire and the City of York.

17th July - Connect in July welcomes Angela Ellis, Chief Executive of Advonet

Advonet is a Leeds-based charity that champions people’s rights through independent advocacy, ensuring individuals are heard in decisions about their health, care, and wellbeing.

Like many in the sector, Advonet is navigating rising demand amid static funding. In this talk, Angela Ellis will share how her organisation is meeting this challenge—through a strong vision, a people-centred mission, and smart strategies that make use of partnerships and systems thinking.

Whether you work in the private, public or third sector, you’ll gain fresh ideas on building resilience, leading with purpose, and creating impact through innovation. Expect an inspiring and practical session with valuable takeaways for your own organisation.

‘Connect Over a Cuppa’ are free to attend.

Simply register your place using Eventbrite. Confirmation details of the session will then be sent via email.

After every session, you can contact any of our support specialists for more in-depth advice and help.

Previous topics have included:

• Strategic Business Growth
• New Business? Sourcing new clients. Growing existing & Bid writing. How to find it and win it.
• Chat GPT and your business
• The Innovation Challenge - Part 1 & Part 2
• Grow your business locally
• Skills gaps: mapping your skills needs, recruitment, training and how to address it.

Further information

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact edward@biskit.co.uk