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Claire Robinson

With a background in research, education and innovation, Claire’s career has seen her work across a wide range of industries and sectors including law, architecture and business development. Her natural curiosity and passion for supporting founders and entrepreneurs has seen her excel in building connections across the business community in the North East.

As well as working on FemTech North, the Women's Health Innovation Network she founded in 2021, Claire can also be found camping with her dog Bruce, reading, writing and exploring her creative side. She also takes every opportunity to get on a plane, train or automobile to explore new countries and cultures. Her trusty backpack and passport are never far from her side.

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Introductions

Because I have lived experience as a female founder, I’m able to connect the dots across the business support landscape in the North East. Along with my fellow Business Growth Advisers we make sure businesses contacting the North East Growth Hub benefit from our deep knowledge of the region’s business support and finance and funding providers. We’re all about making meaningful connections for growing businesses and going beyond just a checklist of providers. 

Businesses can be so focused on what they need to do to start and scale that they become blind to what’s around them. That’s when people can miss valuable opportunities. Our job is to collate those prospects so businesses know what’s happening now and what’s available down the line. One small nugget of information from the North East Growth Hub can be transformational for a business.

Why is the North East Growth Hub such a valuable resource for the region’s businesses?

Our sole job is to help businesses grow. We want people to succeed and we want more people to start a business in the North East. Having started and grown businesses ourselves, we’ve seen and experienced many of the barriers entrepreneurs face. I think what’s really special about the North East Growth Hub is that people can trust us with their fears and vulnerabilities. They can be open and honest and we’ll do the same. We’re a friendly and approachable team that genuinely care about making sure business owners have access to the wealth of support that’s available to them.

How is the North East Growth Hub supporting rural businesses and the region’s wider tourism economy?

We operate right across the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority area, so that includes many rural parts of the region. We have lots of experience working with rural businesses, particularly those in the tourism and leisure sectors.

Growing domestic and international visitors to our region provides a huge opportunity to expand the tourism industry. The North East Growth Hub is well placed to help businesses make the most of the opportunity by helping them understand the regional tourism picture. We can provide guidance for attractions and other tourism-related ventures and signpost them to specialist support. Whether that's food and drink businesses, cultural attractions, or experiential days out, we can help tourism businesses access funding and grants, connect with the right networks, and get the tailored business advice they need to grow with confidence.