Ashley is an experienced leader with a strong focus on entrepreneurship, investment, and supporting business growth. He is the Co-founder and Director of York Angels, an angel investment network that has secured over £1 million in funding for local businesses within its first year. Through this initiative, Ashley connects high-net-worth individuals and funding partners with promising startups, playing a key role in fostering innovation and supporting the local economy.
Ashley’s entrepreneurial journey began with the founding of YorMed, a healthcare business he built from the ground up. Over ten years, he scaled the company to operate a fleet of nine ambulances, employing a multidisciplinary team of clinical and administrative staff. This experience provided him with deep insights into managing growth, operations, and the challenges faced by early-stage businesses.
In addition to YorMed, Ashley founded Noble Happenings, an events company recognized for delivering high-profile, exclusive events in York. With over a decade of experience in event management, he has curated some of the region’s most notable occasions, contributing to York’s cultural and economic landscape. The company also operates a historic venue in York, offering space for private and community use.
Ashley’s leadership extends beyond entrepreneurship. He currently manages business operations at Park Street Surgery and leads commercial development at St Peter’s School, York, where he focuses on generating sustainable income. As an Elected City Councillor since 2015, Ashley has worked on economic development, entrepreneurship, and regulation, reflecting his commitment to public service and civic leadership.
‘Picture a world where your small businesses can transform communities through wealth and job creation. This is the mission at the Business Enterprise Fund (BEF).
BEF has operated across the North of England for 20 years and we’re proud to be an engine of growth for the economy. In the last 11 years, we haven't just given out loans; we've ignited potential. We've injected over £108 million into small businesses, boosted the economy by £392.4 million, and helped create or safeguard 13,140 jobs. But it's not all about the money – it’s about making real dreams come true, creating jobs, and changing communities for the better.
We do this because we know that small businesses are not just part of the economy; they are the heart of innovation, the backbone of their communities, and the future of the economy. Sadly, small business owners and entrepreneurs are often shackled by the constraints of traditional finance; held back by geographical limitations, industry biases, and systemic inequalities. We help break those shackles.
Our story began in Bradford in 2004, not out of ambition to be just another financial institution, but from a vision to make a difference, to challenge the status quo of economic inclusion, growth, and impact. Over 20 years, this vision has not faded; it has only intensified, driving us to support an ever-growing number of small businesses across the North.
We offer more than loans; we offer a partnership that grows as businesses grow, a belief in someone’s dream. Understanding and aligning with each business's unique journey towards success is central to our mission. We offer Start Up Loans and small business loans, along with a commitment that every entrepreneur receives personal service from a dedicated investment manager.
Our roots remain deep in Bradford, where our City Hub headquarters provide a Grade A office space to local SME businesses. We’re here to make a big impact, to help small businesses make their mark, not just locally but all over Yorkshire, Humberside, the North East, the North West, and North Lincolnshire.’
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David is a seasoned professional with extensive expertise in family business strategy, governance, and succession planning. Over his career, he has supported numerous family businesses as a trusted adviser and shareholder, helping them develop robust governance structures and meaningful constitutions that align with their long-term objectives. He regularly presents on the principles of family business governance, the importance of succession, and the broader role family businesses play in supporting their communities and stakeholders.
David’s leadership experience includes serving as Chair of the Family Business Committee at Shepherd Group, one of the largest family businesses in the UK. He is also a non-executive director for three family companies and an active member of the Institute of Family Business (IFB), where he contributes to the Tax Working Group. His expertise in family business strategy is underpinned by a dedicated fellowship in the field.
Beyond family businesses, David has a strong track record in corporate governance and financial oversight. As the former Treasurer of the University of York, he chaired the Finance and Policy Committee and Audit Committee, contributing to the university’s financial stewardship. Additionally, he served as Deputy Chair of the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and chaired its Infrastructure and Joint Asset Board, playing a pivotal role in regional development initiatives. He also brings global governance experience from his tenure on the International Governing Council for Praxity, the world’s largest alliance of independent accountancy firms.
David is deeply committed to supporting the third sector, currently serving as Chair and Trustee for several regional charities, including St Leonard’s Hospice. He also chairs the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Chairs Group and is a member of the Hospice UK Forum of Chairs. His dedication to community engagement extends to roles with the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund Regional Advisory Board and other regional economic and cultural organisations, such as the York and North Yorkshire Chamber Leadership Group.
A Chartered Accountant by profession, David was the Senior Partner of a regional accountancy firm after spending 25 years as a partner, including time as Managing Partner and Chair. His professional specialties include family business strategy, corporate finance, succession planning, and charity governance.
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Eugene is an accomplished business leader with deep expertise in P&L management, strategy, and developing successful commercial partnerships. With a career spanning leadership roles in digital, media, and sports industries, he has a proven track record in driving growth, executing acquisitions, and fostering innovation.
Eugene is currently a Director at PA Betting Services, where he oversees operations and strategic initiatives in the highly competitive sports data and betting industry. Alongside this, he serves as a Non-Executive Director at Make Agency, a London-based creative digital agency specialising in website development and digital marketing. His advisory and board roles demonstrate his ability to add value through strategic insights and business acumen.
Previously, Eugene was Director of B2B at Spotlight Sports Group, where he managed a significant P&L across retail and digital divisions. His role involved leading acquisitions, such as the purchase of ICS, and developing joint ventures like AllSported. Earlier in his career, as Head of B2B at Racing Post, Eugene built and led teams focused on creating innovative products and fostering relationships with key industry partners. His experience at Paddy Power further honed his skills in negotiating strategic commercial agreements and identifying growth opportunities.
Eugene’s career also includes substantial experience in sports partnerships. As Commercial Partnerships Manager at European Rugby Cup Ltd, he managed relationships with prominent sponsors like Heineken, FedEx, and Adidas, ensuring value delivery and strengthening brand connections across Europe.
The Griff Investment Fund is the first student-run investment fund in the North of England and one of the first in the UK. Based at the University of York, they are proud to be entirely student led. The fund grew out of the York Investment Fund, a virtual fund created in Autumn 2011 by York alumni and Griff Investment Fund founders. The fund was formed in the summer of 2013 with funds provided by University of York alumni and Global head of Institutional Business at HSBC Asset Management, Mr Paul Griffiths.
The Griff portfolio is a long-only equity investment vehicle, investing in stocks which offer a unique value proposition, with research and sourcing of investment opportunities coming from the analyst body. The fund's target is to generate a rate of return beating the FTSE 350, whilst ensuring analysts have the space to learn and develop their investment knowledge, techniques and individual theses.
The aim of the fund is to promote a general understanding of financial markets, by gaining an appreciation of the opportunities and problems involved in managing an investment portfolio. All investment decisions are made by analysts - students at the University of York.
We’re a group of like-minded students with a passion for investing, finance and markets. We have a diverse group of talent across multiple degree disciplines with every analyst contributing towards investment decisions. Each and every analyst is pivotal to every investment decision we make. We strive to make every voice heard within the Fund.
As a member of York Angels this provides us an exciting step to expand our knowledge, interests and network, into the startup space. We look to not only to learn about companies at an earlier stage in their development but also to give back to the York community through collaborations with individual startups.
With experience primarily in the sports modelling and proprietary betting space, Matt is an ex quant now focussed on product. He has worked for several startups over the years, with recent experience of taking Sharplink from early stages through to NASDAQ listing as Head of Product over a two year period.
Matt has founded and built several businesses of his own, from personalised children's books, through to an online cycle racing platform, and advised other startups in a wide variety of industries. Early stage PMF and growth strategy is where he gets most excited.
Matt is most enthusiastic about ML and FitTech opportunities.
Nick has been a senior Corporate Barrister Partner at the 350+ partner law firm GunnerCooke LLP since 2016, and also works on investment matters and sits as a director/NED on various boards. He has well over 35 years’ experience of advising companies and organisations, both as an external lawyer, and at board level as in-house Legal Director or equivalent.
Nick was also a Conservative Member of Parliament for 13 years to 2005, serving on the Front Bench in John Major’s Government, in MoD and DNH (now DCMS), and then as a Shadow Minister in 3 successive Conservative Opposition teams. Nick has lived in the North for much of his career and has lived between Harrogate and York since 2007. Nick has been a successful Angel investor for several years.
Since 2008 he’s been an active Yorkshire Committee member helping to run the Lords Taverners Charity for the area, and he’s also very involved in playing cricket for Romany CC of which he is Club Secretary and Vice-Captain.
Portland Investment York Ltd is a York-based specialist investor backed by the Portland Fuel Group of Companies.
The Portland Group was set up in 2009 and initially focussed on niche fuel and energy markets. Spearheaded by Joe Tuohy – the MD of Portland Investments – the company diversified and extended its breadth of activities throughout the following decade with the addition of three more companies (Portland Analytics, Portland CSO and Portland Fuel), plus the acquisition and integration of a manufacturing business in the form of AdBlue® producer Noxdown Ltd.
Portland Investments (York) Ltd will serve as a vehicle to invest in and support local, entrepreneurial businesses. Our specific expertise continues to be in the energy and logistics sector, but we will invest in any scalable, dynamic and innovative enterprise.
Richard has spent the past two decades working with some of the most successful entrepreneurs and families, as well as with private equity, fast growth businesses and private enterprises. Richard is currently the CEO of Tsugu, a private investment and strategic advisory office, which he co-founded in 2020.
Prior to Tsugu, Richard was a Big4 Partner focused on Private Capital, with tenures at Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers. His experience spans accounting, tax, legal, fiduciary and investments, and he has developed a niche for designing and delivering family and investment offices. Tsugu is testament to this.
Richard is a born and bred Yorkshireman, but is now based in Switzerland.
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Richard is a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader with extensive experience in building, scaling, and leading software and solutions companies. As a co-founder of Agility Multichannel, Richard played a pivotal role in developing the Agility® PIM solution, a market-leading platform for product content management and syndication. Under his leadership, Agility grew into a global business with operations in Europe, the US, and Sweden, ultimately culminating in its acquisition by Magnitude Software in 2017.
Following the acquisition, Richard continued as General Manager of Agility and Kalido at Magnitude Software, where he leveraged his expertise to integrate Agility's offerings into a larger portfolio of digital transformation solutions. His focus on enabling enterprises to optimise their commerce presence through efficient product content management positioned the company as a key player in the digital transformation space.
Prior to founding Agility Multichannel, Richard served as President and CEO of Pindar North America, where he led the company’s growth and operational success for over a decade. His career at Pindar spanned 24 years, during which he held multiple leadership roles and gained deep experience in managing complex businesses across geographies.
Richard’s entrepreneurial acumen is exemplified by his leadership during the management buyout of Agility Multichannel from the Pindar Group in 2011. This strategic move laid the foundation for the company's rapid growth and its eventual acquisition, which marked a significant milestone in the enterprise software market.
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Ross is an accomplished digital strategist and entrepreneur with over three decades of experience in founding and scaling innovative businesses. A pioneer in the digital and mobile industries, Ross has co-founded six companies and has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Digital Media Digerati and the Top 50 Most Influential People in Mobile by The Drum. His expertise spans digital transformation, customer strategy, financial planning, and capital raising, with a focus on leveraging digital opportunities for both consumer engagement and enterprise productivity.
Currently part of the Global Strategic Growth team at CI&T, Ross helps position the company’s services in a rapidly evolving digital landscape shaped by generative AI. Previously, as Chief Strategy Officer for CI&T EMEA, he guided large enterprises and fast-growth clients in unlocking business impact through scalable digital solutions, strategy, and operational efficiency.
Ross is an active advisor and investor in startups, including inploi, One Question, Yodomo, and Molzi (successfully exited to Brainlabs in 2021). His deep understanding of business dynamics, paired with hands-on experience in digital ventures, enables him to provide practical guidance on strategy, operations, and scaling businesses.
Throughout his career, Ross has driven innovation at the intersection of technology, marketing, and business strategy. He was a founding team member of Somo, a leading digital product agency, and previously led digital strategy for brands such as Virgin Games, British Airways, and Early Learning Centre. His work at agencies like BMP interAction and Agency Republic further cemented his reputation as a forward-thinking strategist capable of navigating complex digital ecosystems.
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Russell is an accomplished business development leader and innovator with over two decades of experience spanning engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain optimization. With a hands-on approach and a passion for helping businesses overcome challenges, Russell has built a reputation for driving operational efficiency, enhancing customer-supplier relationships, and fostering innovation across diverse industries.
Currently serving as Innovation Lead at Alt Labs, Russell focuses on applying advanced technology to improve supply chain transparency, material flow, and carbon reporting across sectors such as aerospace, automotive, and construction. During his tenure at Valuechain Technology, he played a pivotal role in adapting aerospace supply chain solutions to other industries, enhancing two-way communication between Tier 1 organisations and their suppliers, and streamlining processes for real-time measurement of quality and cost.
Russell’s career includes significant contributions to the engineering and manufacturing sectors, holding leadership roles at organisations like SAMWON-TECH, E-Max Systems, and Aker Solutions. His expertise in project management, supply chain strategy, and technology integration has enabled him to deliver innovative solutions that enhance productivity and sustainability. Additionally, his diverse career path—from managing rotating equipment maintenance to helping SMEs tackle environmental challenges—demonstrates his adaptability and problem-solving skills.
Driven by a belief that technology is only part of the solution, Russell emphasises the importance of building strong partnerships and nurturing collaborative ecosystems. His experience working with global Tier 1 organisations, combined with his ability to address the unique needs of smaller "underdog" businesses, positions him as a trusted advisor for companies seeking growth and transformation.
Sam is a seasoned venture capital investor and co-founder of York Angels alongside his long-time friend, Ashley Mason. Sam has a strong track record of scaling startups and driving operational excellence across diverse industries. Currently a Partner at OpenOcean, an early-stage VC firm specialising in data-driven solutions, Sam works closely with founders across Europe to help build and scale global businesses. With OpenOcean’s history of founding category-defining companies like MySQL and MariaDB, Sam brings a deep understanding of what it takes to achieve global success in the new data economy.
Before joining OpenOcean, Sam held leadership roles that showcased his entrepreneurial and operational expertise. As Director of Customer Experience at Community Fibre, he joined during its seed round and helped scale the company into the most highly rated ISP in the UK. By building and leading the Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and Customer Engineering teams, he played a pivotal role in connecting over 100,000 premises to full fibre broadband, culminating in a £400 million acquisition by DTCP and Warburg Pincus in 2020.
Sam’s operational acumen extends to his tenure at Uber, where he launched and expanded the service in English cities as Regional Manager for Southern England. Earlier, as Operations Manager for UK Expansion, he contributed to Uber’s rapid growth in one of its most competitive markets.
With technical roots as a Software Engineer and Business Analyst at JPMorgan Chase, Sam was part of the team that developed the world’s first real-time liquidity monitoring system, automating cash flows exceeding $6 trillion daily. He also supported cybersecurity initiatives, helping to secure software vulnerabilities across the bank’s extensive application portfolio.
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Sam is a growth-focused leader with extensive experience in driving revenue and operational excellence across marketing, sales, and customer success teams. With a passion for product-led growth and delivering customer-centric solutions, Sam specialises in helping businesses achieve scalable, sustainable growth.
As Co-Founder and CEO of MPWR-365, Sam leads a business transformation consultancy focused on leveraging Microsoft Power Platform to solve operational challenges and unlock business potential. By identifying inefficiencies and fostering collaboration, MPWR-365 enables businesses to achieve streamlined operations and improved productivity using tools they already have.
In addition to his role at MPWR-365, Sam is a Venture Partner at Vertex Value Partners, where he works with B2B technology companies to optimise go-to-market strategies and accelerate growth. He also founded Grow To Market, an advisory firm that supports early-stage startups in building disciplined, scalable revenue models. As a mentor with Startup Lisboa, Sam shares his expertise with founders to help them navigate the challenges of scaling their ventures.
Sam previously served as Chief Growth Officer at CyberSmart, where he led marketing, sales, and customer experience teams. During his tenure, he implemented strategies that drove rapid revenue growth and positioned the company as an innovator in cybersecurity for SMEs. Earlier in his career, he held growth-focused roles at Community Fibre, where he helped scale the business and establish its reputation as a leading ISP.
Sergiy is a Ukrainian entrepreneur who co-founded 2 tech services businesses, 2 product startups (AI-powered software, and hardware), and 1 Software & Computer Museum over the past 12 years.
He is passionate about the startup ecosystem, and driven by helping founders with growth.
As a York Angels member Sergiy will make sure to take advantage of experience in helping over 700 founders in various industries to scale up and down their teams, and create and shape their brands. Sergiy is also the founder of Tech York, a local meet up for techies!
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Non-Executive Chair, angel investor, trusted advisor & mentor. Retirement Housing expert and development consultant.
Advise growing organisations across the property & construction sector through Non-Executive Director , trusted advisor and consultancy roles. Bring clarity and insight to strategic thinking turning complexity into action. Able to see ahead and anticipate opportunities and issues to deliver successful implementation. Track record of building and coaching high-performing teams.
Portfolio of non-Executive Director at Karbon Homes, 54 North Homes, Ashfield Homes, Gather Insights Limited, C-Link Ltd and Tang Hall Smart CIC.
Investor Director in Gather Insights and C-Link two Contech SAAS businesses. Advise young management teams of fast growing software businesses.
Completed multiple successful fundraisings.
Experience supported by Chartered Accountancy and MBA qualifications
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Tom is an experienced leader with a proven track record in scaling global businesses, driving customer-centric innovation, and fostering healthier, more productive workplaces. With over two decades of leadership across corporate wellness, consumer goods, and sustainability-focused organisations, Tom combines strategic vision with hands-on operational expertise to deliver meaningful impact.
Tom is perhaps best known for his tenure as CEO of the Global Corporate Challenge (GCC), where he led the organisation to improve the health and performance of over 2 million employees across 5,500 companies in 185 countries. Under his leadership, GCC became a global leader in employee wellness, motivating individuals to take their first steps toward healthier lifestyles while enabling organisations to enhance productivity and engagement. Following GCC's merger with Virgin Pulse, Tom served as Chief Revenue Officer and President of International, expanding the company’s reach and impact across global markets.
Tom’s commitment to health and sustainability continued as an Advisor to the Board at Pawprint, a platform dedicated to helping individuals and organisations reduce their carbon footprints. Through his guidance, Pawprint has worked to build a global movement centred on personal and corporate responsibility in tackling climate change.
Earlier in his career, Tom held senior leadership roles at Nestlé UK and founded Live Active Ltd, further demonstrating his expertise in leading teams and delivering customer-focused solutions. He has also contributed to research and policy development as a board member for the Foundation for Chronic Disease Prevention in the Workplace, collaborating with businesses, governments, and academic institutions to address the growing global burden of chronic diseases.
