Picture of Rachael Hesno

Rachael Hesno

Journalist at Prolific North Email for stories/tips: [email protected] Tel: 07763741043

Latest News

News

ITV launches new interactive ad format for ‘precision targeting’ in Manchester – and more revealed on the ‘active’ Sky sale talks

Graft

‘Investors don’t care if you’re in Sheffield or London’: What’s changed for Northern tech scale-ups?

Graft

‘Having a global name is really important’: Liverpool’s tech sector is growing in confidence, but industry leaders say now is the time to think bigger

Agency

Independent Agencies to Watch list returns for 2026 – here’s how to submit your company info

Agency

Prolific North and former Search Laboratory CEO launch growth programme for agency leaders

Creative

Think you’re better than Van Gogh? Sheffield design studio launches immersive social experiment to examine the rise of AI generated art

News

BBC commissions Stacey Dooley documentary examining ‘growing impact of ketamine use’ from Manchester indie

Brand

Roll over Bayeux Tapestry as Greggs celebrates sausage roll history with rival ‘Ta-Pastry’

Agency

Beauty tech brand selects Manchester agency Down at the Social to support launch plans

Chris Niebel, The Genius Group TGG
Agency

“I always believed we could build something significant”: North West marketing firm listed as one of UK’s fastest-growing private companies

News

Lancashire tech festival to bring investors and founders to Burnley’s Turf Moor

Nikki Scrivener, director and co-founder of Fourth Day and Chris Clarke, co-founder and managing partner of Fire on the Hill, newly merged agencies form Fire on the Hill.
Agency

Manchester PR agency Fourth Day unveils merger to accelerate international growth

Latest Features

Hazel Savage, co-founder of Musiio who sold to SoundCloud, now principal at Leeds Angels
Features

‘I don’t invest in generative music AI – I’m not a big fan’: Musiio co-founder on AI in music, selling to SoundCloud and angel investing

Features

‘It didn’t feel like coming home – it felt like somewhere new’: inside Liverpool’s ‘maturing’ tech sector

Paul Corcoran - Agent agency 20 year anniversary
Creative Powerhouse

‘I’ve enjoyed being a disruptor’: How marketing agency boss Paul Corcoran built Agent through 20 years of industry change

Hannah Evison-Frost, Managing Director, Trunk
Features

How I Became: Hannah Evison-Frost, Managing Director, Trunk

Features

Leeds tech CEO on Dragons’ Den pitch, navigating redundancies and bouncing back into growth

David Taylor - Aruga Cyber
Features

Military veteran reveals why it is no longer ‘mission over’ and the epiphany behind his cybersecurity start-up

Alan Thomas - Ripe
Features

‘We’re actively looking’: CEO of insurtech firm reveals juicy acquisition plans after Stockport move

Female founders using AI to grow their businesses - Left to right: Yasmin Sidat, founder of agetech platform Olai; Theodora Chimonez, founder of Ichota; Sara Elgott, founder of healthtech start-up OpalMedica; and Dunni Elizabeth Braimah, founder of Shiftra.
Features

“It has been instrumental in helping us grow fast”: How Northern female founders are using AI to grow their tech businesses

Features

How I Became: Jess Ingham, Digital Content Director, BIG Partnership

Features

How this mother turned her daughter’s “terrifying” allergic reaction into the inspiration for a life-saving emergency QR platform

Features

‘There is still a strong plan for the AI Growth Zone’: North East tech leaders respond after OpenAI hits pause on data centre plans

Creative Powerhouse

‘It just feels like the right time’: Two Manchester ecommerce agencies unveil merger