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East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs’ Awards finalists announced

Finalists from Nottingham, Derby, Leicester and Lincoln.

The finalists of the East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs' Awards have been selected by judges and announced in the run up to the ceremony on Thursday, April 10, 2025. East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs Awards 2025 headline sponsored by The Zinthiya TrustHeadline sponsored The Zinthiya Trust, this exciting event marks the fourth occasion of its kind and promises to showcase the incredible entrepreneurial talent emerging from the region. With 27 finalists chosen across nine categories, the anticipation is building for an inspiring evening dedicated to celebrating innovation and entrepreneurship in the East Midlands. The ceremony will feature the much-anticipated Pitching Platform, sponsored by Nelsons, which has become a highlight of the awards. This Dragon's Den-style format allows the audience to actively participate by voting for the winner of a coveted business board, along with £10,000 worth of marketing and legal support.
Finalists will benefit from tailored interview timings with independent judges specific to their category, alongside guidance from Cross Productions. This support aims to help the finalists maximise their opportunities and navigate the next steps in their entrepreneurial ventures. The resources provided seek to empower these innovators with the knowledge and tools necessary to thrive in a competitive landscape. The East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs' Club has a notable track record of success stories, with past finalists making significant strides in their respective fields. For instance, Katie Michaels, the founder of Moti Me, was celebrated as the 2024 Pitching Platform winner, receiving invaluable support that has catalysed the development of her product aimed at motivating children with disabilities to engage in physiotherapy exercises.
All winners of the East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs' Awards 2024
Winners of the East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs' Awards 2024
Pitching Platform winner Katie Michaels said: "The Pitching Platform was the biggest pitch I'd ever done. To have the majority of people voting for Moti Me was was a big surprise and confidence boost for me. If you'd have gone back 10 years and told younger Katie that she was going to pitch in front of more than 200 people, I probably would have run away! Having that many people choosing me as the as the Pitching Platform winner was really special to me. And I felt proud of that. It was probably one of the biggest days of running Moti Me because it was a big personal achievement."
Pitching Platform 2024 winner Katie Michaels on stage with representatives from sponsor Nelsons
Katie Michaels
The East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs' Club aims to encourage and support entrepreneurship within the region, fostering innovation and collaboration among local businesses. People can still apply for the Pitching Platform. Applications close on January 31. Anyone can attend the ceremony on Thursday April 10, 2025. Buy tickets to the East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs' Awards.  

Finalists of the East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs' Awards 2025:

Entrepreneur For Good Tania Gerard - Tania Gerard Digital Learie Gonsalves - One Building Solution Ltd Simon Sansome/Clive Cooper - Snowball
The Entrepreneur's Entrepreneur - Sponsored by AGR Law Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan - Zinthiya Trust/She Inspires Nick Megson - Abacus Flooring Solutions Limited Elaine Penhaul - Lemon and Lime Interiors Scale-up Entrepreneur of the Year - Sponsored by End2End James Bowers - Enicor Sam Cooper - The TSD Group Thomas Cropper - Tuk In Foods Entrepreneurial Collaborator Inzar Haq - Insight Consultancy and Landmark Property Solutions Jane Hearst - The National Centre for Creative Health Claire Zwozny-Bestwick - CRZyBest International Entrepreneur of the Year Mark Copley - Copley Scientific Jonathan Jones - SDE Group Karen Mosley - Kran Lee Logistics Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year - Sponsored by Reason8 Rebecca Holders - Holders Estate Agents Asit Jansari - AJ Legal Consultancy Limited Sallyanne Kirk - Leicester Fashion District CIC Innovation in Entrepreneurship Mathew Halford - Kaoba Nisha Ravat - Green Tomato (Midlands) Ltd Rahul Sabbarwal - The Luxe 360 Booths Young Entrepreneur of the Year Anuj Ashar - Launchpad AI Henry Brogan - BidScript Rhys Everquill - The Leicester Gazette Entrepreneurial Educator Tania Gerard - Tania Gerard Digital Anam Hassan - Handprints Day Nursery & Preschool Amanda Riddle - Outlook Partnerships

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