Clarity comes from space to think

About ActuateYou

ActuateYou is a leadership and advisory practice founded by Jo Howorth.

We work with individuals, founders and organisations navigating complexity, change and important decisions.

The practice was created to provide structured space for thinking, judgement and action in environments where clarity is not always easy to find.

The focus is simple: helping people see clearly, and then move forward with confidence and intent.

About Jo

Before founding ActuateYou, I spent over 20 years at the University of Leeds working across research, innovation and enterprise at a senior level.

I led the development of researcher entrepreneurship and innovation pathways across the institution, building the programmes, partnerships and environments that helped researchers move from idea to action.

This included directing a £1m flagship innovation fellowship with strong outcomes in progression, retention and venture creation, and leading the implementation of the MIT Venture Mentoring Service, supporting hundreds of researchers and founders.

My work has consistently sat at the intersection of leadership, innovation and systems change, with a focus on creating the conditions that allow people to think differently, build confidence and take action.

How we work

ActuateYou works one to one and in small, focused collaborations where trust allows real progress to happen.

The approach combines:

• deep understanding of complex organisations and how decisions actually get made
• a strong track record of turning ideas into practical action
• a calm, honest space where people can think clearly and move forward with confidence

Work is guided by professional mentoring and coaching standards, including the EMCC Global Code of Ethics, alongside formal training in leadership coaching, mentoring and psychometrics.