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How We Speak Transformed 1,500 Students' Fear of Public Speaking

From east London to nationwide impact: one woman's mission to silence stage fright. Now, her social enterprise is changing lives—one confident voice at a time.

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The image shows a woman in a black and white dress standing in front of a fence with a quote on it...
The image shows a woman in a black and white dress standing in front of a fence with a quote on it that reads "Being a woman entrepreneur means having the passion to take risks and the courage to make them real through action and collaboration". In the background, there are trees, vehicles, and a clear blue sky.

How We Speak Transformed 1,500 Students' Fear of Public Speaking

A social enterprise helping young people overcome public speaking fears has now reached nearly 1,500 students across the UK. We Speak, founded by Laura North, began in east London but has since expanded to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The organisation’s growth follows its success in the 2019 Investec Beyond Business programme, which supports social entrepreneurs with funding and mentorship. Laura North started We Speak after conquering her own childhood fear of speaking in public. The enterprise focuses on four-week programmes where participants build confidence with the help of mentors. Many graduates later return as facilitators, reinforcing the platform for future students.

The pandemic forced We Speak to shift online, allowing it to reach even more young people. Investec’s backing has played a key role in its expansion, with mentorship boosting students’ confidence by an average of 42%. The partnership also helped We Speak grow beyond its east London roots. Investec’s Beyond Business programme has supported 68 enterprises so far, creating over 400 jobs. The initiative provides funding, mentorship, and resources to turn social ideas into reality. We Speak’s journey reflects how such backing can transform local communities and beyond.

We Speak’s model has now empowered nearly 1,500 students to speak with confidence. The enterprise continues to grow, supported by a network of alumni and Investec’s ongoing partnership. Its success highlights how targeted mentorship and funding can create lasting change for underrepresented young people.

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