The Leap Forward Show

Today on Leap Forward, we welcome Elspeth Briscoe, CEO of Learning with Experts, leading an award-winning global platform that combines experts with small online classrooms. Elspeth shares her journey from leadership roles at eBay and Skype to the EdTech space, now intensely focused on changing human behaviours, not just providing content. She also shares her views on using AI for efficiency alongside human empathy, and key advice for leaders and female founders. Hear how she is smashing the glass ceiling with her secret sauce.

Today on Leap Forward, we welcome Stephen Whitton, founder of [M]enable, who is transforming the conversation around men's mental health and workplace wellbeing. Stephen discusses the vital importance of creating psychologically safe and inclusive workplaces, sharing the personal journey that inspired his advocacy. He offers deep insights into dismantling traditional male stereotypes and fostering vulnerable, empathetic leadership. This is a powerful conversation about owning your story and driving real change. Let's hear how Stephen is leading the charge.

Today on Leap Forward, we're joined by Dr. Alex Connock, an Oxford lecturer, serial entrepreneur, and media expert, to discuss how AI is reshaping the creative economy. Dr. Connock shares his journey, from the behemoth magazine industry to the rise of streaming and the creator economy, defining the major shifts as the move from top-down decision-making to the democratization of content distribution.

Today we welcome Sara Sloman, Chief Strategy Officer of Paythru. Paythru solves the "existential problem" of payments being an afterthought in the ecosystem. Sara shares her 22 years in sustainable transport, arguing that EV adoption is underpinned by effective policy. She highlights the "grim" customer experience of public charging and discusses new technology like ISO 15118 for seamless "car-as-wallet" payments. Let's connect the dots to make EV charging invisible and efficient.

For this episode of Leap Forward, we sit down with Charlie Cook, CEO and founder of RightCharge, the B2B FinTech that is simplifying complex EV charging payments for company fleets. Charlie details his journey from his roots in clean energy to pivoting his business model, explaining how their technology saves fleets around £1,000 per vehicle per year by optimizing home reimbursement. He also reveals the one trait every entrepreneur needs to survive the chaos of a startup: tenacity.

On this episode of Leap Forward, we welcome Mark Sowerby of Drive, an expert in automotive PR and communications. Mark explores the specialized, high-growth sector of automotive tech suppliers who are revolutionizing dealer efficiency and profitability. He discusses his journey building a niche agency and emphasizes that effective communication is the engine driving these emerging businesses. Let's start the conversation and find out what accelerates success.

I'm Justin Cooke, and for the first time, I'm the one in the hot seat. In this episode, I'll be sharing my personal experience as the host and chairman of Bridge. This journey has been an incredible learning experience - I've even joked that it's been my personal "mini MBA." I'll discuss how the show originated, what I’ve learned from my amazing guests, and the unexpected insights I've gained along the way.

Gareth Thomas of Track Back, a former telemarketer turned tech entrepreneur, created a platform to fix huge gaps in automotive lead-management and customer experience.