Yorkshire women encouraged to start businesses with free academy training programme

An academy designed to help women run businesses and build work-related bonds is inviting entrepreneurs and executives across the region to sign up for its programme.

The programme is free and runs for 10 weeks. Yorkshire-born Debbie Wosskow OBE and Anna Jones are leading the lineup of female leaders delivering the academy’s free online course content.

Debbie, who was born and grew up in Sheffield, set up her first company when she was 25 and in 2017 sold her company, Love Home Swap, for $53m.

Anna, who was born in Harrogate and grew up in rural Yorkshire, became the first female CEO at publisher Hearst UK in a century.

So far, over 3,000 women have signed up for the digital UK academy.

AllBright Academy partner, Harvey Nichols, will be providing the venue for Leeds meet-ups in its city centre store, as well as playing host to work sisterhood networking in its Manchester, Bristol, London and Edinburgh stores.

Deb Bee, group marketing and creative director of Harvey Nichols, said: ‘We’re thrilled to be working with The AllBright Academy to help women succeed in business and smash glass ceilings.

“The alignment between Harvey Nichols and AllBright could not be a better fit as both businesses are committed to celebrating and empowering women.

“The free Academy program is a fabulous idea and we’re excited to be hosting in our stores across the country.”

In a recent survey of UK women commissioned by AllBright, 13 per cent of those questioned in Yorkshire and the Humber area said they wanted to start their own business or be self-employed within a year.

A further 15 per cent were undecided about taking an entrepreneurial leap.

Debbie Wosskow OBE, AllBright’s co-founder, added: “We know that lack of confidence, especially in the 25-35 age group, is one of the reasons that women who want to start a business don’t.

“AllBright is on a mission to change this. The AllBright Academy will be a lifeline for many budding entrepreneurs and business women and in particular, the ‘Doing It For Yourself’ section is something that would have helped me enormously if it was available when I set up my first business.”