Special guests for Preston’s new programme of masterclasses

A new series of masterclasses called 'Been There, Built that' led by people who've learn lessons while building thriving businesses are taking place in Preston.

The programme of events is launching 11 June at Cotton Court Business Centre, with special guests and proud Prestonians, Luke Massie and Kirsty Henshaw.

Hosted at various locations around the city by Preston Partnership, these sessions are designed to provide business owners, entrepreneurs and aspiring founders with behind the scenes insights, practical tips and the opportunity to hear from some inspiring guests who have been in their shoes.

 Originally sold out within 24 hours, the event has been moved to a larger space within Cotton Court, and capacity doubled, to accommodate the level of interest that has been shown.

 The first event has been described as an informal panel discussion, hosted by Preston Partnership board member and chief executive of Cotton Court Business Centre, Robert Binns.

They’ll be discussing Luke and Kirsty’s success stories, as well as some of the challenges they have faced along the way. 

Luke Massie sold his first business when he was 19 years old.

In 2017, he was listed as one of the UK’s top 100 young entrepreneurs as he gained national fame and support from high profile businessman, Richard Branson, for Vibe Tickets.

 Luke faced some serious challenges along the way, including Vibe Tickets going into administration.

Lancashire Business View reported last month that consumer payments app VibePay has been acquired by global ‘Pay by Bank’ platform Banked.

The deal aimed to accelerate global ‘Pay by Bank’ adoption through innovative consumer and merchant incentives.

VibePay, which is based in Lancaster, connects people, brands, sellers and banks with real time messaging and instant payments.

VibePay was born as he pivoted from tickets to payments during the dramatically-changing landscape of the pandemic.

Luke Massie said: "I am extremely proud of the recent announcement that Banked : acquired VibePay - working together, we have a real chance at becoming a dominant market leader in the pay by bank space.

"But it hasn't been a straight path to get here. I have had to navigate the challenges of building a regulated business, a changing landscape, and made plenty of sacrifices along the way.

"I am thrilled to be part of the Been There, Built That programme to have an honest conversation, let others learn from my experience and avoid some of the traps I came up to along the way.”

Kirsty Henshaw hit the headlines in 2010 when she found success on Dragon’s Den with her dairy-free alternative to ice cream.

Fifteen years later, Kirsty’s has its own state-of-the-art food factory in Yorkshire, a new MyProtein Licensed partnership, and continues to be a leading brand in the “free from” space, with new investment backing.

 Single mum Kirsty has navigated major complications, such as receiving the keys to her new factory four weeks before the first lockdown alongside delays and shortages caused by Brexit.

However, with 85 employees, Kirsty’s is still growing, innovating and identifying new opportunities

Kirsty said: "As a food manufacturing company we have faced challenges of all sizes - including receiving the keys to our new factory four weeks before the first lockdown of the pandemic.

"We’ve had to deal with delays and shortages in ingredients caused by Brexit, at times forcing us to change our offer.

"Whether you’re in food manufacturing, tech or another sector, as business owners, we face a lot of the same challenges. As a proud Prestonian, I’m looking forward to talking about my journey, the lessons I’ve learned and share some of the stories from along the way.”

Preston Partnership is a private sector led membership organisation. It brings together businesses and the public sector to help make Preston a prosperous city to live, work, visit and invest in.

Tickets can be booked via: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/been-there-built-that-tickets-1358676159969?aff=oddtdtcreator and they are free but going quickly due to the event's popularity.