Our first regional finalists lunch took place in Leeds, at the subterranean Gaucho restaurant, whose black-and-silver decor contributed to a TV-studio ambience that made our North East finalists a bit nervous at first. But the mood relaxed thanks to the geniality of our guest judges — distinguished Yorkshire businessman Gordon Black and (representing the ‘true North East’) Caroline Theobald who chairs the advisory board of Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University.
Caroline was quick to observe that all four of this year’s finalists happened to be from Yorkshire, having been picked ahead of several very interesting (but in some cases, too early-stage) entries from her own part of the country. She also noted that all four representatives happened to be men — but I made the point that a particular objective of this year’s Awards is to celebrate female entrepreneurs, so I’m sure we’ll be meeting plenty as our tour continues.
We heard four exemplary presentations, sparking wide conversation and even a promise to explore possible collaboration — the kind of chemistry we hope our Disruptor Awards might generate.
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