The UK'sTrusted Partner for Growth Hub & Grant Delivery

Geoff Baxter founded Smarter Society in 2017 to help government and local authorities deliver more effective grant and business support programmes. With extensive experience in business support and grant scheme design and delivery, Geoff is recognised as one of the UK’s leading experts in the field.

Before founding Smarter Society, Geoff worked as a Management Consultant specialising in procurement and supply chain transformation, advising both public and private sector clients. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (FCIPS) and brings a deep understanding of how well-structured funding programmes can drive local economic growth and social value.

Jen oversees the development and delivery of large-scale grant and business support programmes, ensuring they run efficiently and deliver real impact for businesses and communities. She has extensive experience working with a wide range of Government clients, bringing strong operational expertise and a deep understanding of public-funded programme management. Before joining Smarter Society, Jen built her career in social care, where she developed a passion for supporting people and creating systems that make a difference.

Mike provides strategic guidance and challenge to the Smarter Society leadership team, helping to shape the organisation’s long-term vision and direction. With a strong background in business transformation and innovation, he brings valuable insight into how organisations can adapt, grow, and stay resilient in a rapidly changing environment. His experience across multiple sectors ensures Smarter Society continues to evolve and deliver meaningful impact for the communities and clients it serves.

Before joining Smarter Society, Sarah Winterbone worked as a teacher and successfully ran her own tutoring business. Her experience in education and entrepreneurship gives her a unique perspective on the challenges faced by small business owners and those starting out. Sarah brings strong communication skills, empathy, and a practical understanding of business development to her role, helping founders build confidence and achieve sustainable growth.

Brian joined Smarter Society in 2022 and leads on account management across our key programmes and partnerships. With a background in retail management and extensive experience developing large-scale training and engagement initiatives, he brings strong relationship-building skills and a practical understanding of business operations. Brian plays a central role in ensuring our clients and partners receive exceptional service and lasting value from every project.

Holly manages the marketing we deliver on behalf of our client programmes, ensuring every campaign connects effectively with local business audiences. She is an expert in understanding the needs of small business owners and start-up founders, creating engaging content and communications that inspire action. Holly’s insight and creativity help our programmes build strong visibility and meaningful relationships within the business community.

Chris brings fifteen years of hands-on experience building, operating, and turning around independent businesses across food retail, hospitality, and live events. Having navigated the real challenges of SME ownership, from cash flow and customer acquisition to operational resilience and growth, he understands what it takes to build something sustainable from the ground up.
At Smarter Society, Chris works directly with businesses, supporting owners and leaders to identify barriers, develop practical growth plans, and achieve measurable outcomes. His approach is direct, practical, and grounded in first-hand commercial experience.
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Jenny brings extensive experience in volunteer coordination, administration and customer service. Recognised for her strong organisational skills and clear communication, she takes a practical, solutions-focused approach to supporting businesses, ensuring they receive professional, consistent and supportive guidance.
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With over 40 years of experience as a Bank Manager and Business Advisor, Robert has helped businesses across a wide range of sectors achieve their goals. His expertise in finance, forecasting, funding and grants enables him to provide clear, practical guidance, helping business owners make confident decisions and plan for growth.
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Lauren Maxwell is an experienced Business Support Manager with a background in customer engagement and project delivery across both public and private sectors. She is skilled in building strong relationships with local businesses and helping them access the right advice, funding, and growth opportunities. Lauren brings a practical, solutions-focused approach to every interaction, ensuring that businesses receive clear, actionable support that makes a measurable difference.

Helen is an experienced commercial business leader, change manager and executive coach with more than 25 years’ experience supporting organisations to improve performance, develop leaders and navigate change. She has held senior leadership roles across a range of sectors, bringing expertise in people strategy, organisational development, culture change and business transformation. Helen combines strategic insight with a practical, people-focused approach, helping business owners, boards and leadership teams build positive workplace cultures, strengthen capability and create the conditions for sustainable growth.
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Zephany supports the delivery of Smarter Society’s business support programmes, working closely with entrepreneurs and SMEs to help them access the guidance and resources they need to grow. She brings strong commercial insight from her previous role as a Commercial Banking Manager at NatWest, where she supported businesses with financial planning, relationship management and strategic development. Zephany’s experience enables her to understand the real challenges faced by business owners and provide practical, informed support.

Kim supports the planning and delivery of Smarter Society programmes, bringing strong expertise in coordination, governance, reporting and compliance to ensure projects run smoothly and meet client requirements. With a background in project management within the social housing sector, she has led a range of operational improvement and service transformation initiatives, developing a practical, delivery-focused approach to managing change. Kim holds PRINCE2 and project management qualifications and plays a key role in maintaining structured, reliable delivery across our programmes.