Screen Launchpad: Business Support Programme for Underrepresented Founders

A Forbes 30 Under 30 awarded video games creator with 14 years experience of building and selling game studios from the ground up. Dan’s first game, a student project called Q.U.B.E., hit #3 on the Steam top sellers list upon release and was able to pay back its investment within 4 days.

Dan has learned a lot from running studios of sizes from 3 people all the way to 50 people, self-publishing games on 14+ platforms, working with external investors and publishers, and everything in-between.

Natasha is a passionate LGBT+ filmmaker and Co-Founder of Northern Heart Films, supported by the BBC Small Indie Fund. Natasha supports working-class filmmakers and has recently set up an initiative providing funding, mentoring, and support for them.

With over a decade of experience working on branded content and original documentaries for organisations like the BBC,BFI, and Doc Society, Natasha has a proven track record of success. Recognised for her leadership and innovation, she’s a Future Leader at the Northern Power Women Awards and a guest speaker at the BFI Film Festival.

Natasha’s expertise goes beyond filmmaking, with a grasp on business management, marketing, PR, story development, and fundraising. She’s committed to breaking down barriers for new entrants and helping make the industry more supportive and welcoming for new talent. Her friendly and approachable nature makes her a valuable asset to the film industry.

Co-Founder and Director of Novamundi studios, Marc is an international award winning theatre, film & television director, writer and producer, who has worked professionally within the creative arts and digital sectors for nearly three decades. Marc is Executive Producer and a co-owner of the leading and largest specialist 2D Animation Studio in the North East, Arcus Animation Studios. He also loves comics, and with his colleague John Farman at Vital Publishing, they have become one of Scotland’s most prolific indie comic publishers.

Marc also acted as a freelance creative industries consultant, notably as Lead Creative Industries Mentor for Teesside University Graduate Enterprise, having previously been Creative Director of the Queens Anniversary Award winning project Digital City Innovation at Teesside University.

Rebecca coaches founders through the messy, brilliant work of building something from nothing. She's contributed to Creative UK's Scaling Up, Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Create Growth, Baltic Ventures' Accelerator, and the UK Space Agency's Fusion investment programme, working with digital, tech, creative and screen-based founders to launch, scale, and raise. Her founders have secured over £25m in SEIS funding to date.
She's particularly good at the early bit. The bit where you've got a half-formed idea, no clear path, and not nearly enough resources. Rebecca helps founders spot the real opportunity, build foundations that actually hold weight, and figure out which customers to chase first - without burning out or losing the spark that made you want to do this in the first place.

Her expertise spans business models, offer design, scaling strategy, and customer acquisition. She uses user research to sharpen value propositions until they land, and craft marketing messages people actually stop to read. She's also a big believer in founder confidence as a business asset - because the strongest business plan in the world doesn't matter if you don't back yourself to deliver it.

Life's too short to build a business you don't love.