Connect Yorkshire enters new era to support business growth
During the grim days following the financial crash, job seekers often had to take an old fashioned approach to secure their dream role.
Just ask Sophie Conboy, who discovered knocking on doors can lead to a life-changing opportunity. Fifteen years ago Mrs Conboy walked into the Leeds Innovation Centre and introduced herself to local businesses as a potential employee.
“I literally knocked on every door in the building,” said Mrs Conboy, who spent her childhood in Stamford, Lincolnshire. “That’s when I met Nick Butler, who founded Connect Yorkshire back in 2001. He invited me in for a coffee and asked me to come along to a board meeting the following day.”
That meeting led to an account management role at what was then known as Connect Gazelles, and Mrs Conboy went on to play a central role through the organisation’s rebranding to Connect Yorkshire, a not-for-profit business support community built around mentoring.
Connect Yorkshire was founded by a group of professional service providers in Leeds and Sheffield with the mission of helping Yorkshire companies to grow. For nine years, Connect Yorkshire was supported by more than 40 of the county’s top professional service providers and by regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.
When Yorkshire Forward closed in 2010/11, Connect Yorkshire changed its model so it could continue to help Yorkshire companies grow by learning from successful entrepreneurs.
Connect Yorkshire is a company limited by guarantee so any profits are retained in the company and not distributed.
After more than 13 years leading Connect Yorkshire as CEO, Mrs Conboy has transitioned into the role of co-founder and director while the organisation is being guided into its next phase by a newly appointed board of executive and non-executive directors.
Today, Connect Yorkshire has 150 members and 106 Entrepreneurs in Residence. Members of Connect Yorkshire can expect a stronger, more connected network, enhanced guidance and increased opportunities for collaboration, learning and peer support, according to Mrs Conboy.
The new board consists of Rana Harvey (Monster Group), Thomas Kendall (Partners&), Phil Harris (Coppice), Caroline Broad (Alt Legal), David Smalley (Ex Litmus), Gez Walsh (Innergy Group), Paul Kenny (Aquatrust) and William Conboy. “Connect Yorkshire has always been about enabling founders and business leaders to thrive,” said Mrs Conboy. “This next chapter builds on that legacy, bringing renewed focus and momentum as we respond to the evolving needs of Yorkshire’s business community.”
“Our aim is to support as many ambitious businesses as possible, across as many sectors as we can.
"By strengthening the board, bringing in new entrepreneurs in residence and expanding and diversifying our events programme, we can offer even more practical support — from major speakers to workshops and masterclasses that give members advice they can actually use.”
She added that growing membership remains a key priority.
“Every new member strengthens the network. The more people are involved, the more support and experience there is to share.”
“The reason I’ve stayed involved for so long is the people,” she said. “When I first arrived in Yorkshire, I was struck by how friendly and open everyone was. My network grew very naturally, and many of those connections are now close friends.”
As the organisation looked to scale, Mrs Conboy said the not-for-profit model required a different approach.
“We couldn’t just hire lots of new staff,” she explained. “Instead, I went back to long-standing members, partners and entrepreneurs — people who really believed in Connect Yorkshire and had different skills — and asked if they’d help shape the future with me.”
She admitted she expected most to decline. “Everyone’s so busy, but many said ‘yes’ immediately because they’d gained so much value from the network and wanted to see it continue to grow and support me.” She said the cornerstone of this growth is the Entrepreneurs in Residence mentoring programme.
“Our mentoring offer is one of the main reasons people join, it’s unique,” Mrs Conboy said.
“You simply can’t buy access to the experience these mentors bring.
"They’ve all faced the same challenges our members are dealing with — scaling businesses, making tough decisions — and they want to give something back.” Mrs Conboy decided to step down as CEO and move into a director role, while continuing to own the members shares for the organisation alongside Rana Harvey. “This change allows Connect Yorkshire to benefit from a broader leadership team while keeping its values and culture at the heart of everything we do,” she said. “I’ll still be closely involved, working alongside the directors.”
Alongside this, Mrs Conboy will also take on a role as regional director at The CFO Centre, which places finance directors and CFOs into fast-growing businesses. “It’s a natural fit,” she said. “We’ve seen the impact they’ve had on businesses in our region, and it complements the work we do at Connect Yorkshire.”
The organisation continues to attract major partners including recent Partners HSBC and Rathbones, with a deliberate focus on sector diversity. Her career has always centred on helping Yorkshire businesses succeed – bringing the right people together, creating supportive networks, and making sure leaders don’t have to navigate growth alone. “What motivates me most is walking into a room full of friendly Yorkshire business people who genuinely want to help each other,” Ms Conboy added. “It doesn’t feel like work — it feels like a community. That’s something I’m passionate about protecting and growing.”