On Thursday 2nd October 2025, Downtown in Business hosted the third annual Change Makers Live conference at the magnificent new home of Everton Football Club, the Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Bringing together over 100 business leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and government representatives, the conference offered a day of thought-provoking discussions, insights, and collaboration during the week of the Labour Party Conference.
The day began with Chris Lee, Managing Director of Start-Yard, leading the Culture Vultures panel. With over 40 years of experience shaping some of the world’s most influential fashion and sports brands, Chris shared how creativity, culture, and collaboration can drive innovation, growth, and lasting impact. Drawing on his work with Wade Smith, Microzine, Reebok, and city regeneration projects like Camp and Furnace, Chris demonstrated how culture is a catalyst for change, setting an inspiring tone for the day.
Next, the State of the Nation panel featured Ryan Wain, Executive Director, Politics at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, who provided sharp insights into the UK’s political and economic landscape. He explored how businesses can navigate policy challenges, anticipate changes, and collaborate effectively with government to drive meaningful innovation and growth.
The Changing Cities panel brought together Vaughan Allen, Chief Executive of CityCo; James North; and Bill Addy, Chief Executive of Liverpool BID Company. They discussed how cities can be transformed through collaboration between business and civic leaders, highlighting strategic urban planning and investment as tools to foster economic growth, cultural vibrancy, and inclusive opportunities for communities.
Our fourth panel featured Tom Webb, Senior Policy Leader and Strategic Adviser and former Special Adviser to the Prime Minister. Tom Webb discussed the challenges of government and how to overcome them.
The fifth panel, Novel: Business Support for the 21st Century, featured Jon Corner, Director, Chair, and Novel Co-Founder, and Andrew Borland, Novel Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at VEC, with Andrew Colwell, Strategic Partnership Director at Downtown in Business, chairing the discussion. Jon and Andrew shared insights into how business support, innovation frameworks, and cross-sector collaboration can empower startups and established enterprises alike. They highlighted VEC’s impact supporting over 120 startups and 750 businesses, unlocking more than £320M in growth, and discussed how Novel is reshaping the UK innovation landscape by connecting business, government, and education.
The day closed with Innovation Pact, a panel exploring how innovation can be inclusive, impactful, and transformative. Rachel Newman, Inclusive Innovation Officer at Knowledge Quarter Liverpool; Denise Harris, Co-Founder of Sum Vivas Ltd; Jason Waldron ,Director of Education at City of Liverpool College shared their perspectives on harnessing creativity and collaboration to benefit communities, businesses, and institutions alike.
Overall, Change Makers Live 2025 brought together leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to share ideas, spark collaboration, and celebrate the transformative power of creativity, culture, and business. It was a day full of inspiration, insight, and actionable strategies for shaping the future of business and our cities.
