Yorkshire entrepreneurs unveil new partnership in Leeds as Business Ascension launches nationwide expansion

Two entrepreneurs with strong Yorkshire connections have joined forces to take Business Ascension nationwide, officially unveiling their partnership at the first event of their national tour in Leeds.

East Yorkshire-based businesswoman Vicki Chisholm and the Yorkshire-born Business Survivalist and serial entrepreneur Katie Birkett announced their new part

nership on Wednesday 28 October at The Lost & Found in Leeds, during the launch of The Business Activation Tour.

The announcement marks the beginning of an ambitious expansion for Business Ascension, transforming the organisation from its origins as an awards ceremony into a national platform supporting entrepreneurs through recognition, practical business development, community and meaningful connections.

The partnership brings together two experienced businesswomen with complementary expertise and a shared determination to challenge conventional definitions of business success.

A Leeds launch with a twist

The Leeds event provided a fittingly unconventional setting for the announcement.

With a Wicked-inspired theme, Katie’s identity as Vicki’s new business partner had been kept secret ahead of the event, with the partnership teased through the characters of Glinda and Elphaba.

The reveal formed part of the launch of The Business Activation Tour, an initiative designed to move beyond traditional networking and business conferences.

Rather than focusing solely on keynote speeches and conventional networking, the tour brings together interactive business activations, expert insights, collaboration and practical opportunities for development.

The Leeds event explored nine areas of business and personal development, including leadership, sales, visibility, identity, connection and execution.

A shared vision born from different experiences

Business Ascension founder Vicki Chisholm, who lives in Bainton, East Yorkshire, established the Business Ascension Awards in 2025 after recognising a gap in the traditional business awards landscape.

Through her work supporting entrepreneurs, business leaders and high-net-worth clients, she had seen how personal transformation and spiritual development could contribute to business success.

Yet she struggled to find a platform that recognised entrepreneurs building successful businesses around those principles.

Rather than trying to fit into an existing category, she created something different.

A mother of three who rebuilt her life following domestic abuse, Vicki has spent more than 14 years in business, building a six-figure enterprise, becoming a bestselling author and supporting more than 30,000 students globally.

Vicki Chisholm, founder of Business Ascension, said:

“When I founded Business Ascension, it was because I could see extraordinary entrepreneurs doing incredible work who simply weren’t being recognised by the traditional business world.

“These are people transforming lives, creating successful businesses and making a genuine difference, yet many have felt overlooked or misunderstood.

“I wanted to change that.

“But the awards were only ever the beginning. My vision has always been to create something much bigger, a community where entrepreneurs can be seen, celebrated, supported and given opportunities to grow.

“Launching this next chapter in Leeds is incredibly exciting, particularly because Yorkshire has such a strong entrepreneurial community.

“With Katie alongside me, we can combine the heart and vision of Business Ascension with the commercial expertise needed to take it nationwide.”

From a corridor conversation to business partners

The relationship between Vicki and Katie began with a brief conversation in the corridor of a business event.

When Vicki mentioned her plans for the awards, Katie immediately responded: “I’m in.”

Katie subsequently became Head Judge of the Business Ascension Awards and developed a close working relationship with Vicki.

Following the second awards event, the pair recognised an opportunity to build something that went far beyond celebrating business success.

Katie, originally from Yorkshire and now living in North Wales, brings 27 years of entrepreneurial experience to the partnership.

Having sold her first business in her early twenties, she has built multiple six- and seven-figure businesses across events, fitness, property and engineering.

Today, through Wilderness of Business, she helps entrepreneurs navigate the realities of building commercially sustainable businesses.

Known as The Business Survivalist, her approach focuses on four stages: start, survive, stabilise and thrive.

Katie Birkett said:

“When Vicki first told me about Business Ascension, I didn’t need convincing. I’d seen too many brilliant, heart-led business owners doing extraordinary work without the recognition, commercial support or community they deserved.

“What excited me was never just the idea of another awards ceremony. It was the opportunity to build something that could genuinely change what’s possible for the people involved.

“Recognition is powerful, but what happens after the applause matters just as much.

“Entrepreneurs need more than inspiration. They need meaningful connections, practical support, commercial opportunities and a community that helps them build businesses that last.

“As someone originally from Yorkshire, it feels particularly special to have unveiled our partnership in Leeds before taking Business Ascension around the country.”

Business Ascension goes nationwide

The next chapter is already underway, with The Business Activation Tour bringing Business Ascension to eight UK locations including Leeds, Newcastle, London, Stratford, Bristol, Brighton, Manchester and Glastonbury.

The tour represents a major step towards the founders’ ambition to build a connected national community of entrepreneurs who value both personal evolution and commercial achievement.

Beyond the awards, the wider Business Ascension vision is to develop an ecosystem where entrepreneurs can access greater visibility, build valuable relationships, share expertise and discover opportunities to strengthen and grow their businesses.

By combining Vicki’s expertise in spiritual and personal transformation with Katie’s extensive commercial experience, the partnership aims to bridge a gap that has traditionally separated these two approaches to business development.

The founders believe that spiritual awareness and commercial success are not opposing forces, and that entrepreneurs should not have to choose between building profitable businesses and remaining true to their values.

For Vicki and Katie, the national expansion is about more than growing an organisation.

It is about creating a business community where people who have previously felt overlooked can find recognition, belonging and the practical opportunities to thrive.

For more information about Business Ascension and The Business Activation Tour, visit the website.