Durham Business Growth Summit: Meet the Summit Speakers Driving Growth, Sustainability and Innovation
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The Durham Business Growth Summit brings together influential business leaders, investors and innovators from across County Durham and the wider North East for a day focused on practical growth, collaboration and long-term impact.
Designed specifically for established, growth-focused businesses, the Summit offers real-world insight, meaningful connections and access to expertise that can help organisations confidently take their next step.
Raising Finance to Grow: Summit Speaker Insights from Maven Capital Partners
Accessing the right finance at the right time can be the difference between steady progress and transformational growth. At the Durham Business Growth Summit, attendees will hear directly from Louis Ainley, Investment Manager at Maven Capital Partners and Summit Speaker, during a dedicated session on raising finance.
Meet the Speaker: Louis Ainley, Maven Capital Partners
Born and raised in the North East, Louis Ainley is passionate about supporting the region’s businesses. A graduate of Newcastle University, he began his career at RSM, qualifying as an ACA accountant before joining Maven Capital Partners in June 2025.
Louis now works closely with ambitious businesses across County Durham and the wider North East, helping management teams secure the right mix of funding and expertise to unlock growth. During his Summit session, he will share practical insights into raising finance, what investors look for, and how the right funding partner can support long-term success.
About Maven Capital Partners
Maven Capital Partners is one of the UK’s most active SME finance providers, backing growing businesses with both capital and hands-on expertise. Funds managed by Maven include the Finance Durham Fund, offering flexible equity, debt and mezzanine finance from £150,000 to £2 million for businesses across County Durham.
Building a More Sustainable Future: Sustainability Leadership from a Summit Speaker
Sustainability is becoming a critical driver of resilience, growth and long-term success. At the Summit, business leaders will hear from Steven Doran, Carbon, Sustainability & Data Manager at Esh Group and Summit Speaker, in a session focused on sustainability leadership.
Meet the Speaker: Steven Doran, Esh Group
Steven leads Esh Group’s approach to carbon reduction, sustainability strategy and environmental performance. He has played a key role in shaping the organisation’s journey towards net zero, working across teams to embed sustainable thinking into everyday decision-making.
At the Summit, Steven will share practical insight into how businesses can develop effective sustainability strategies, engage their workforce and use sustainability leadership to support resilience, growth and long-term impact.
About Esh Group
Esh Group is one of the region’s largest privately owned businesses, delivering infrastructure, commercial build, housing, refurbishment and retrofit projects across the North East and Yorkshire.
Through initiatives such as its Even Greener strategy, Esh Group has reduced carbon emissions year-on-year, demonstrating how sustainability can create lasting environmental, social and economic value.
Driving Smarter Growth Through Innovation: Keynote Summit Speaker from Northumbrian Water
Innovation, efficiency and collaboration are central themes of this year’s Summit. Emily Thornton, Business Demand Reduction Manager at Northumbrian Water, joins the event as a Keynote Speaker, offering a practical perspective on smarter resource use.
In her role, Emily works with businesses across the region to reduce water use through scalable, real-world approaches. Her keynote will explore how demand reduction can be embedded into everyday operations, the value of collaboration, and the role of innovation and behaviour change in shaping future business practices.
Why You Can’t Afford to Miss the Durham Business Growth Summit
Closely aligned with the county’s economic ambitions, the Durham Business Growth Summit is designed to deliver real, practical value.
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with funding providers, explore finance options, gain actionable insights to improve productivity and efficiency, and identify new contract opportunities through buyer engagement and the County Durham Pound initiative.
Extensive networking opportunities throughout the day make the Summit a powerful platform for collaboration and growth.
Who Should Attend?
The Summit is designed for established, growth-focused businesses in County Durham looking to scale, diversify or accelerate their ambitions. It is particularly relevant to business owners, directors and senior leaders seeking funding, new contracts and strategic partnerships.
The event will appeal to businesses across priority and high-growth sectors, including advanced manufacturing, life sciences, engineering, fintech, net zero, logistics, the visitor economy and rural businesses. Sector influencers and professional service providers from across the region are also encouraged to attend.
Backed by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) through Durham Business Growth, the Summit is a must-attend event for ambitious businesses ready to innovate, collaborate and grow.
