The founder of a Greater Manchester talent agency is aiming to sign up more big stars after winning a “Dragons' Den-style” business competition judged by an Apprentice winner.
Christina (Tina) Taylor, founder of Aim Sky High Talent, a talent agency based in Trafford, was named winner of the Havas Boost contest that aimed to boost the Northern economy by aiding businesses in Manchester. The Havas Media Network project aimed to honour a meaningful business that gave back to underprivileged communities – and picked Tina as its winner after two months and 50 applications.
Tina – whose clients include England goalkeeper Mary Earps – is set to receive a “Boost package” of £150K and mentorship from the media group as she continues her ambitious plans to grow the company.
The winner was chosen from six finalists by a board of judges including 2018 Apprentice winner, Sian Gabbidon. Sian said: “Being a judge was amazing,” adding that “the energy was incredible” and “meeting so many talented and passionate business owners highlighted the incredible potential across the entrepreneurial community in the North.”
Recognising many entrepreneurs for “building their businesses from nothing,” the Sian Marie Fashion owner said: “Choosing a winner was no easy task, but knowing this funding will transform not just their business but also the lives of those their business impacts make it all worthwhile. It’s incredibly rewarding to know this opportunity will be life-changing for them and their future.”
Christina – known as Tina – attended the Havas Boost event in November during Manchester’s Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrations after seeing a colourful billboard advertising the scheme.
She says she had entered business competitions before but has “genuinely not seen anything like” Havas Boost and “really tried so hard”.
She added: “Our business and agency can be very difficult to understand. I feel that Havas understood the business model and opportunity well.
“I think that my business is, for some, three or four years too early in women's sport, but I think Havas understands the opportunity within women's sport because of the nature of the work Havas do.
“The process was not complicated. The pitch process was fun and it was nice to have 15 minutes to explain what you do because often people say pitches should be 3-5 minutes and I don't feel you get to explain the depth of what you do in that time.”
Tina’s clients include footballer Gabby George from Manchester, who returned to the Lionesses squad last year following a major ACL injury. Aim Sky High Talent’s representation spans across TV, social media, modelling, and sports.
Tina has a keen ambition to represent more female sports stars and says she admires athletes such as Ilona Maher, Olympic Team USA-Rugby star and American Tiktok sensation, who she is set to join England’s Bristol Bears for three months.
With her Bangladeshi and Caribbean heritage, Tina especially focuses on providing representation and opportunity to those of underprivileged and diverse backgrounds who may struggle to enter media or sports industries. She is now looking to sign athletes in track and field.
Tina first became passionate about enterprise at 13 when she began her own dance school. At 16, already working with 23 girls her own age, she began to teach younger children and by 19 the group received £70,000 worth of community funding. She won a social enterprise competition of £1000 whilst at university studying business and politics, and later securing a full masters scholarship.
She said she was affected by her youth centre facing defunding during the time David Cameron was in office. Her research on “The barriers and enablers to transitioning voluntary and community organisations into successful social enterprises, looking at black founders from disadvantaged backgrounds”, even featured in a government report commissioned by Mr Cameron himself which looked at how to boost enterprise in disadvantaged areas. Tina has always nurtured a passion for meaningful enterprise.
Nick Wright, CEO of the Havas Play Network, said the Boost winners needed to show scalability, impact and uniqueness. He said Tina’s business ticked all those boxes and that there was an “immediate correlation between what [Havas] do… but also the way that [they] behave”.
Mr Wright explained Havas Boost was held in Manchester to help grow opportunity and investment in the North West. He said: “ I'm northern myself and I know that north-south divide, mentally. I see people in the South who can be from the same sort of social background have a sort of confidence, like they're just a bit more optimistic that everything's going to be great.
“When you're 200 miles away [from opportunity,e.g. London], you're more skeptical. We saw that in the data, which is why we did Boost.”
Tina added that the North-South divide particularly affects those in the media and talent industries, saying: “I have to be in London every week, meeting clients, and the train fare alone can be a barrier, not to mention the hotel stay.”
She said that expense could be a real barrier to northern businesses growing as many clients are down south, as are many networking opportunities. She added: “It's so difficult, especially at the beginning, if you don't have the finances to keep being in London with a £100 plus train fare every week.”
Nick Wright from Havas said his company would aim to provide the contacts, tools and resources to help TIna’s business to grow: “The partnership is committed to promoting social mobility, diversity, and creating opportunities for underrepresented groups.”
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Tina last year graduated from the Football Industries MBA (FIMBA) at the University of Liverpool’s Management School. Her MBA business plan formed the basis of her Havas Boost application.
She received a full scholarship for her MBA thanks to a partnership between the university, Sky and anti-racism organization Kick It Out that has delivered four full scholarships each year to FIMBA home students from under-represented ethnic groups.
Dr David Cockayne, Senior Lecturer at the University of Liverpool’s Management School said: “Tina was a pleasure to work with. It was great to see her final thesis come together as the outcome of a great deal of persistence, hard work, and thinking beyond traditional business boundaries. She fused her experience from our FIMBA programme with her own business experience to great effect, and I wish her all the best for the future.”