Launch North West has been named as a finalist in the Family Business category at this year’s Enterprise Vision Awards, marking a proud moment for the female-led, family-run business based in Atherton.
The Enterprise Vision Awards, also known as the EVAs, celebrate women in business from across the UK.
They recognise achievement, resilience, leadership and impact across a wide range of sectors.
For sisters and co-founders Nichola Howard and Jo Leigh, the announcement is especially meaningful.
Built as Sisters, Shaped by Family
Founded in 2012, Launch North West has grown from a family-run events business into a branding and events agency.
Today, the business supports others to define who they are, create stronger visibility and amplify their message through strategic marketing, events and community-led campaigns.
Nichola Howard, Managing Director of Launch North West, said:
“To get the call telling us we were finalists was massive. I won’t lie, it was emotional. I think I swore at Coral when she told me because I was so shocked.
“Me and Jo have built Launch together as sisters, so it has always been very personal to us. We’ve had to find our own way, and that has shaped the business into what it is today.
“To be recognised in the Family Business category means so much because this is who we are. We’ve built Launch our way, with the people we care about, and that makes this feel really special.”
Women from the Launch North West Community Recognised
The news became even more special when Nichola and Jo discovered that several women connected through the wider Launch NW community had also been named as EVA finalists.
Janine Rees from Vanliners has been shortlisted for Business Woman of the Year.
Vanliners is the Platinum Sponsor of the Wigan Business Awards and has become a huge part of the awards community, having won both the Family Business and Engineering & Manufacturing categories in 2025
Sue Johnson from Intersect Cyber and IT has been shortlisted in the Best Business category.
Sue has become a valued part of the Launch North West community since being named a Wigan Business Awards finalist in 2025. Since then, she has sponsored the Winners Networking event, spoken at Wigan Business Expo 2026 and recently sponsored the Welcome Drinks for this year’s awards.
Kathryn Pearson from JGP Consultancy has been shortlisted for the Driven Leader award.
Kathryn has become part of the Launch NW community through Wigan Business Expo, where she is a sponsor and also delivered a session at this year’s event, sharing her expertise around tendering, procurement and strategic growth.
The Importance of Backing Ourselves
Jo Leigh, Creative Director at Launch NW added:
“When we found out Janine, Sue and Kathryn were finalists too, it honestly made the news even more special. These are women we know, respect and have built relationships with through our events, awards and wider business community.
“It feels significant.
We are all running different businesses, in different sectors, with different stories behind us. But we are also putting ourselves out there, backing ourselves and showing up in spaces where women deserve to be seen.
“It is important because people notice these things. Our daughters notice. Our teams notice. Other women in business notice.
When women back themselves and are recognised for it, it shows other people they can do the same.”
“There is no one way to build a business. You can do it your own way, with your own values, your own voice and your own version of success. Seeing women from our community recognised on a national stage is something we are incredibly proud of.”
A Period of Growth and Recognition
For Launch North West, the recognition follows a period of continued growth and visibility.
The business recently achieved Gold status through Wigan Council’s Believe in Business Charter and won the Marketing Impact Award at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Excellence Awards for its work on the Wigan Business Awards campaign.
The shortlisting also reflects the values that sit at the centre of Launch North West: community, collaboration, visibility and helping businesses step into bigger spaces.
Nichola continued:
“We have always believed that success means more when you can bring other people with you.
Whether that is through Wigan Business Awards, Wigan Business Expo, our networking events or the work we do with clients, our purpose has always been to create platforms that help good people build confidence, raise their profile and step into bigger opportunities.
“To now be recognised at the EVAs alongside women from our wider community is something we will never take for granted.”
Everyone at Launch North West would like to congratulate Janine, Sue, Kathryn and all the other EVA finalists.
We will be cheering you on all the way.
Tickets for the EVA’s are now on sale, if anyone would like to join us on the night, contact:
Maisie Croft – 07396 790235
