About Upstart Enterprise

Upstart Enterprise CIC is a social enterprise, established February 2019, as a Community Interest Company (Company Number 11824355).

Our Vision is access to good enterprise thinking and start-up programmes for all, regardless of background.

Our Social Mission is to set up young people with the best entrepreneurial skills they can take forwards throughout their lives. To increase the number of successful adult business start-ups from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Vicki Stone

Founder & Director

Since we were established, Upstart Enterprise has supported 1140 individuals

676 Adults
464 Children & young people
16 Young people with Special Educational Needs

Our Team

Vicki Stone

Founder & Director

Upstart Enterprise was founded by Vicki Stone, award-winning Marketer and a bit of an Upstart she has always had a passion for business and enterprise. Vicki comes from a background in marketing, business development and fundraising. In 2019 she founded the organisation with an aim of making a difference for children and adults who live in deprived areas of the North East. Anyone should be able to have a go at enterprise and some of the most successful business people Vicki knows have come from very humble beginnings.

The Board Directors

We have a supportive board of Directors who have independent control over and legal responsibility for the management and administration of the organisation.

Lee Longstaff

Director

Jenny Brady

Director

Lee Longstaff

Lee has provided enterprise support in the North East for 20 years, mentoring several award-winning businesses. He has worked at local enterprise agencies PNE and TEDCO, and currently delivers business advice and guidance to student and graduates at Northumbria University.

In 2019, Lee was named one of the Top Ten Business Advisors in the UK by Enterprise Nation.

Jenny Brady

Jenny Brady has been supporting start-up businesses for over 20 years, specialising in helping founders to explore and achieve personal, societal and commercial impact.

She has established several of her own award-winning businesses and currently runs her enterprise coaching practice and training/facilitation organisation working with growing businesses and academic institutions.

Jenny works with people from all over the world and uses this global perspective to understand the person behind the idea, allowing her to be a true champion and ally when starting and developing a new venture.