Start-up Stars is a series of quarterly events where scale-up graduates from the Get Ready for Business Growth programme and our previous scale-up programme share their expertise with aspiring entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative sector.

Join us online and learn how our alumni founded successful businesses in the media industry, and how you can too! From podcasts for the BBC, to film production, to finding the next generation of talent, our speakers will share their journeys in this competitive industry and give plenty of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs like you.

Meet the panel:

Jake Applebee, co-founder and director of Crack Magazine, a globally recognised platform at the forefront of music and contemporary culture. What started as a humble bedroom project has now flourished into a thriving enterprise, collaborating with acclaimed artists such as Thom Yorke, Bjork, Skepta, and Aphex Twin. Under Jake's leadership, Crack Magazine has expanded its offerings to encompass a creative studio, film production company, and an acclaimed music festival. Jake has been instrumental in driving the company's growth and shaping its innovative direction as a strategic and creative thinker.

Adam Chandler, founder of Reel Film, has worked in the TV and the film industry with over 30 credits from the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 before setting up Reel Film at the age of 20. With a passion for film, Adam also runs the highly prestigious Harrogate Film Festival. As a successful entrepreneur, he was named in “Yorkshire’s 40 Under 40” in 2019 with Business Insider and won Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2020 Business in Excellence Awards.

Reel Film has also won and been commended in awards with NatWest, Amazon and the Growing Business Awards over the last three years for team and business recognition.

Laura Sheeter, co-Founder and Head of Factual, Chalk + Blade Ltd, is a former BBC foreign correspondent and co-founded Chalk + Blade in 2016. They make critically acclaimed hit shows for networks including the BBC, Audible and Global - including Hunting Ghislaine, The Messenger, and the TV drama companion series Obsessed With. Chalk + Blade also create popular branded content for clients including the UN, Rockefeller Foundation, TUI, Net-a-Porter, Adidas and the Wellcome Trust.

Recognised for their excellence and leadership in a rapidly growing medium, they have developed working partnerships and client networks on both sides of the Atlantic.

Tom Readdy, co-founder and creative director of Yes Please Productions, a full-service creative agency for the music industry that he runs with his wife, Lucy Dawkins. With backgrounds in graphic design, motion design and animation, the pair worked as freelancers for companies such as The BBC, Aardman Animations and Blink Inc before striking out on their own in 2017. Since forming, they have had the pleasure of working for artists such as The Rolling Stones, ABBA, George Harrison and Sam Cooke, and their videos have generated over 300 million views on YouTube. Their most recent campaign - creating lyric videos for all 20 tracks on ABBA Gold - has been nominated for a Music Week award this year.

This event will be moderated by Rasheed Ogunlaru, coach, speaker and author.

The event will take place on Zoom and you will be sent the access link 24 hours before the start of the event. The panel will also be on hand to answer any questions you have. If you would like to submit a question, please email it ahead of time to start-ups@bl.uk